What abortion protections are under new New Mexico executive order?
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order that will protect providers and women who get abortions.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order that will protect providers and women who get abortions.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order that will protect providers and women who get abortions.
On June 27, 2022, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order that will protect providers and women who get abortions.
The order also protects women that come to New Mexico from other states to have abortions.
The Roe v. Wade ruling has sparked controversy among people for and against abortion.
KOAT Legal Expert John Day said, “New Mexico has no laws whatsoever relating to abortion. It's not illegal. It's not protected. Other states have taken action to formally protect a woman's right to abortion services in state law.”
The order is giving a new level of protection to women.
Day said, “The governor is saying New Mexico state government is not going to assist in tracking down women who are crossing the state line to get abortion services. They're not going to help law enforcement go after these women.”
According to Day, this executive order is something that has not been in effect since the Civil War.
He said, “When there were states that would protect slaves who had escaped from slave states and to free states. It's the same concept.”
Lujan Grisham said, “It says to providers that in addition to repealing our criminalization statute, that we are also signaling to other states that our providers are protected in the state of New Mexico.”
The Republican candidate for governor, Mark Ronchetti, sent us a statement on this executive order saying, “The Governor is working double-time to make late-term abortion even more prevalent in New Mexico, creating a new, and horrific, type of tourism industry."
Ronchetti has said he believes in allowing abortion up to 15 weeks and in cases involving rape, incest, and when a mother's life is at risk.
Lujan Grisham said, “As long as I am governor. Everyone in the state of New Mexico will be protected. Out-of-state residents seeking access will be protected. Providers will be protected.”
Day says because this is only an executive order, not a law, a different governor could come in and rescind or change the current order.