{"id":609007,"date":"2018-07-31T16:41:44","date_gmt":"2018-07-31T22:41:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=609007"},"modified":"2018-08-01T08:09:52","modified_gmt":"2018-08-01T14:09:52","slug":"with-nms-abortion-protections-at-a-crossroads-midterm-elections-could-be-key","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2018\/07\/with-nms-abortion-protections-at-a-crossroads-midterm-elections-could-be-key\/","title":{"rendered":"With NM\u2019s abortion protections at a crossroads, midterm elections could be key"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_56542\"  class=\"wp-caption module image alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 771px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-56542\" src=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Kids-at-Roundhouse-771x504.jpg\" alt=\"A statue outside the Roundhouse in Santa Fe.\" width=\"771\" height=\"504\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Kids-at-Roundhouse-771x504.jpg 771w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Kids-at-Roundhouse-336x220.jpg 336w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Kids-at-Roundhouse-768x502.jpg 768w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Kids-at-Roundhouse-1170x764.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Kids-at-Roundhouse.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" \/><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">A statue outside the Roundhouse in Santa Fe.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>During a sit-down earlier this month in the sparse Albuquerque administrative office for Planned Parenthood of New Mexico, CEO Vicki Cowart wondered aloud if the U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s\u00a0<i>Roe v. Wade<\/i>\u00a0decision had lulled much of the public into taking legal abortion for granted.<\/p>\n<p>Here in New Mexico, abortion access has been solidly maintained by decades of activism by rights proponents and their collaborations with supportive elected officials.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo generations of women have grown into adults with this not being an issue,\u201d said Cowart.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"module align-left half type-aside\">\n<h3>About this article<\/h3>\n<p>This article comes from\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/nmpoliticalreport.com\/864986\/midterms-could-be-key-with-new-mexicos-abortion-rights-protections-at-a-crossroads\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New Mexico Political Report<\/a>,\u00a0a nonprofit news organization\u00a0focused on promoting a greater public understanding of politics and policy in the state of New Mexico.<\/p>\n<h3>Related<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2018\/07\/nm-state-law-the-u-s-supreme-court-and-abortion-access\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NM state law, the U.S. Supreme Court and abortion access<\/a><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Yet two generations of women have seen gradual rollbacks in abortion rights and access in many other states across the country, where anti-abortion activists intent on ending the practice have been doggedly, methodically successful.<\/p>\n<p><i>Roe v. Wade<\/i>\u00a0\u201cis in tatters now,\u201d said Cowart. And potential shifts at both federal and local levels could have profound repercussions in the lives and well-being of women in New Mexico, including women who travel to the state for services after being denied access to abortion in their home states. Cowart said Planned Parenthood of New Mexico regularly treats women from as far away as North Dakota and Texas.<\/p>\n<p>Yet there\u2019s one thing activists who oppose abortion and abortion-rights advocates have in common: They\u2019re marshalling resources to motivate strong voter turnout and prepare local supporters for pivotal midterm elections this fall.<\/p>\n<h3>Out to win in the court of public opinion<\/h3>\n<p>Both abortion rights advocates and opponents believe their ideology can sway the public at large, thus generating lasting electoral impact.<\/p>\n<p>Vince Torres is executive director of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/familypolicyalliance.com\/newmexico\/about-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Family Policy Alliance of New Mexico<\/a>, a local public policy arm of the national Family Policy Alliance. Its mission is to work toward \u201ca nation where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive and life is cherished.\u201d The alliance operates underneath the conservative Christian\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Focus_on_the_Family\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Focus On the Family<\/a>, a Colorado-Springs based nonprofit centered on evangelical causes.<\/p>\n<p>Torres says concerns about\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/rewire.news\/article\/2017\/08\/02\/study-eroding-abortion-access-goes-hand-hand-poor-maternal-health-outcomes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">negative outcomes for women<\/a>\u00a0when abortion access is curtailed distract from moral and Biblical imperatives to support pregnant women. \u201cWe certainly sympathize with the overwhelming reality women face during unplanned pregnancies,\u201d said Torres.<\/p>\n<p>He added that local organizers opposed to abortion are \u201cvery concerned\u201d about a possible repeal of New Mexico\u2019s 1968 law criminalizing abortion. New Mexico House Speaker Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, has indicated that repealing the law will be a priority during the next session, Torres said, which means his group and its allies plan to mobilize people of faith and others who share a commitment to opposing legalized abortion and supporting religious liberties.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>While leadership and support from the governor\u2019s office are important, Torres added, changes to law are ultimately in the hands of local legislators. \u201cThat is why this year\u2019s election is so critical.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s why abortion opponents are busy publicizing their endorsements of candidates and distributing voter guides\u2014and working at other efforts. The New Mexico Family Policy Alliance helped send state Rep. Rebecca Dow, R-Truth or Consequences, and House Minority Whip Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, to the annual\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/familypolicyalliance.com\/newmexico\/issues\/2018\/07\/19\/2018-statesmen-academy-financial-support-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Statesman Academy<\/a>, a conference hosted by the education arm of the Family Policy Alliance. Torres said conference classes are taught by \u201cexperienced Christian legislative leaders, both from the state and federal level.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe believe the majority of New Mexicans want to promote a culture of life in our state,\u201d said Torres. \u201cProtecting the unborn is something many New Mexicans deeply care about, particularly people of faith. Unfortunately, many of our current and past elected officials are out of step with their constituents on this issue, and, as a result, New Mexico remains a state with some of the fewest abortion restrictions in the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Right to Life Committee of New Mexico\u2019s executive director, Dauneen Dolce, said because her organization\u2019s work is more educational than political, its focus on public opinion has been continuous. The group has also endorsed candidates for governor and other state offices, with a slate of state House candidate endorsements scheduled for mid-August. \u201cWe use all our communication ability to get this out to the public across the state,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>Planned Parenthood of New Mexico\u2019s public affairs manager, Marshall Martinez, said he\u2019s confident local coalitions that support abortion rights and reproductive health-care access have demonstrated their strengths when it comes to rallying community members.<\/p>\n<p>He said his experience during New Mexico\u2019s 2016 elections taught him that reproductive health access is a mobilizing issue, including in rural districts where progressive-leaning candidates were elected by high voter turnouts outside of Las Cruces and in the Mesilla Valley. And the most recent legislative session saw a petition to repeal New Mexico\u2019s 1968 law criminalizing abortion amassed 4,700 signatures before it was submitted to the governor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot a small feat for a state this size,\u201d Martinez said, adding his conviction that with new urgency around\u00a0<i>Roe<\/i>\u00a0and the U.S. Supreme Court, those efforts are going to gain momentum.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/forwardtogether.org\/tools\/the-road-to-reproductive-justice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recent local research<\/a>\u00a0conducted by Strong Families New Mexico, Young Women United and public opinion research group Latino Decisions indicated that \u201cprimarily rural, primarily Catholic, primarily Hispanic and Latino voters are just as solidly with us on these issues,\u201d Martinez said.<\/p>\n<p>He said that after high turnout during this year\u2019s primary election, 87 percent of candidates working with Planned Parenthood Votes New Mexico were elected in hotly-contested Democratic primaries throughout the state. He pointed to his clipboard loaded with voter registration forms.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think that for the issues specifically around reproductive health care and the LGBTQ community, with marriage equality and so many of the other things that are at stake, we have some phenomenal champions to get out and work for us, but we have to get out and work for them,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>After U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement, Planned Parenthood partnered with Equality New Mexico to lead a series of town halls, with more upcoming in Gallup, Santa Fe and Las Cruces.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReproductive health care for women is so intertwined with health care for trans people and gay men\u2026 so we lay out what\u2019s at stake at the federal level,\u201d Martinez said. \u201cBut then it\u2019s also helping folks understand what we can do at the statewide level to set up those failsafe protections.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other ways to get involved, Cowart said, include talking to neighbors, getting people registered to vote, working with a preferred candidate or volunteering to help people with transportation difficulties drive to polls. \u201cTake no chances. Elections matter so much right now,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>The Right to Life Committee of New Mexico also plans to mobilize voters in preparation for the 2019 legislative session. Dolce said anti-abortion groups will be pushing laws to require\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nmpoliticalreport.com\/1903\/house-panel-approves-controversial-abortion-proposals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">parental notification<\/a>\u00a0for minors as well as controversial \u201cwoman\u2019s right to know\u201d legislation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWoman\u2019s Right To Know\u201d acts, which include requirements that medical providers give emotionally loaded and scientifically controversial information to patients about the risks of abortion, have passed in many other states following a concerted push by groups like\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/rewire.news\/article\/2014\/01\/30\/americans-united-lifes-efforts-eliminate-insurance-coverage-abortion-get-help-alec-members\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Americans United for Life<\/a>. The group has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.motherjones.com\/politics\/2012\/08\/americans-united-for-life-anti-abortion-transvaginal-ultrasound\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">designed and promoted model \u201cWoman\u2019s Right to Know\u201d legislation<\/a>\u00a0for lawmakers to import.<\/p>\n<p>Torres said his organization and its allies maintain a long-range focus when it comes to rolling back abortion rights: \u201cOur goal is to get people of faith from the pews to the polls,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Back at Planned Parenthood, Cowart sounded determined to stay hopeful. \u201cIn a glass half-full kind of way, maybe now is an opportunity for people to rise up and say, \u2018Let\u2019s get serious about this. Let\u2019s keep this from getting any worse, from backsliding in the other direction,'&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p><em>Margaret Wright is a contributor to NM Political Report. Email her at\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:margaret.wright@protonmail.com\" target=\"_top\">margaret.wright@protonmail.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Potential shifts at both federal and local levels could have profound repercussions in the lives and well-being of women in New Mexico.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":56542,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[2238,241,107,292],"class_list":["post-609007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-and-analysis","tag-2018-election","tag-abortion","tag-roundhouse","tag-women"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=609007"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609007\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=609007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=609007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=609007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}