Bill repealing anti-abortion law heads to the Senate
Casey Torres
March 02, 2019 09:37 PM
SANTA FE, N.M. — HB 51 passed the House of Representatives with a 40-29 vote. On Saturday afternoon, the Senate Public Affairs Committee approved it to move onto the Senate.
Supporters of HB 51 waited outside Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's office with more than 10,000 petition signatures.
"The notion that any state would have laws on its books that really could create serious problems for an individual doing their job -a healthcare practitioner - and penalize someone for seeking appropriate medical care, doesn't make any sense at all," Gov. Lujan Grisham said.
She's talking about an old law that criminalizes abortions as a fourth-degree felony.
That law is unenforceable due to the 1973 ruling of Roe v. Wade, but these medical practitioners and supporters of HB 51 are worried the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade.
But not all doctors feel the same. A conscience clause would be removed if HB 51 passes - a clause that gave doctors the option to opt out of performing an abortion if it is against their religious beliefs or morals.
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Casey Torres
Updated: March 02, 2019 09:37 PM
Created: March 02, 2019 04:10 PM
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