By Bud Shaver
Albuquerque, New Mexico- Today two identical radical pro-death bills are being voted upon on the New Mexico House and Senate floor, “REPEAL ABORTION BAN” SB10 (and its corresponding House Bill HB7). New Mexico Democrats have rushed both of these bills through and are set to finally strip The Criminal Abortion Statute [Section 30-5-1 NMSA 1978] off of the books in New Mexico.
If the Criminal Abortion Statute is repealed, non physicians will be able to perform invasive surgical abortions on women without their consent and conscience protections for physicians will be stripped away. In addition, if Roe V. Wade is overturned New Mexico will have lost other protections that exists in the statute that are not currently enforceable. These include making performing an abortion a 4th degree felony.
- Read more about our concerns that we wrote about in 2018 if this statute is repealed: ABORTION EXTREMISTS TARGET NEW MEXICO CRIMINAL ABORTION STATUTE
In the past, Catholic Pro-Life Democrats joined Pro-Life Republicans on the New Mexico Senate floor to defeat both of these extreme bills. However, today it will be determined if there are any faithful Pro-Life Catholic Democrats left in power after the Democratic Party of New Mexico, run by radical leftists, purged former Pro-Life Catholic Democrats who courageously defeated this pro-death legislation in the past.
Tara Shaver of Abortion Free New Mexico issued the following statement,
“One of the biggest problems New Mexico has faced is that our legislature has been consistently comprised of unfaithful so called Christian and Catholic democrats, who support abortion and vote not based on their faith but on an agenda that promotes a culture of death. These legislators don’t even listen to their constituents, most of whom affirm life and oppose the latest of abortions for which our state is known for. Abortion Free New Mexico is urging the voters of New Mexico to contact their legislators and remind them that you can’t say you believe in Jesus but vote to kill babies.”
There are at least 8 Senate Democrats, that Abortion Free New Mexico has identified, who openly profess their Christian or Catholic faith:
- Senator Peter Wirth (Christian: Episcopalian)
- Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto (Christian: United Methodist Church)
- Senator Joseph Cervantes (Catholic)
- Senator Linda M. Lopez (Catholic)
- Senator Antoinette Sedillo Lopez (Catholic)
- Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino (Catholic) [Pictured below]
- Senator Jacob Candelaria openly brags about his Catholic faith while attacking a prominent pro-life priest, Fr. Stephen Imbarrato. [Screenshot below]
- Senator Michael Padilla has several online profiles identifying his Catholic faith. [Below he is pictured with New Mexico Archbishop John Wester.]
Archbishop of New Mexico Speaks Out
At a time when free speech in America and religious freedom is under attack in New Mexico, on Wednesday, January 20th, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe issued a statement encouraging EVERY Catholic throughout New Mexico (including any remaining faithful Catholics in public office) to utilize their first amendment rights to protect innocent life and work to end abortion, not codify it into New Mexico law.
“As we enter into our annual day of prayer to turn hearts away from the horror of abortion, I join my brothers and sisters in Christ in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in asking the Lord of All Life to hear our fervent prayers on behalf of the unborn children who are fashioned in the very image of God. While all abortions are gravely evil, we must pray even harder here in New Mexico where late term abortions are still legal. We all have an obligation to speak for those persons in the womb who cannot speak, to act for those who cannot act. This year we will be celebrating our annual “Mass for Life” in the Diocese of Gallup. Bishops Wall, Baldacchino and I will concelebrate the Mass and join with the faithful in praying for an end to abortion and the deepening of respect for the sanctity of all life from conception to natural death. I ask our Blessed Mother to intercede for us in this vital and urgent prayer.”Archbishop John C. Wester
In addition, the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops reiterated,
“The Catholic Bishops of New Mexico oppose SB10 and also the assisted suicide bill. The Bishops are actively lobbying the legislators to oppose these bills. Please pray for the success of our work. Please call your Senator and Representative to vote no.”
ACTION ITEM: Please contact your representative and senator TODAY here. Urgently tell them to vote “NO” on S.B. 10 and H.B. 7.
