SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday signed Senate Bill 10 into law, repealing a 1969 state statute that criminalized abortion. Criminalizing abortion became a state law in the late 1960s, but the Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade made our state’s abortion ban unenforceable. Since then, abortions have been legal in our state. Some lawmakers said they are worried the Supreme Court ruling could be overturned in a few years and so that’s why they’re pushing to repeal the state’s abortion ban.
In a news release Friday Gov. Lujan Grisham said that a woman has the right to make decisions about her own body. “Anyone who seeks to violate bodily integrity, or to criminalize womanhood, is in the business of dehumanization. New Mexico is not in that business – not any more. Our state statutes now reflect this inviolable recognition of humanity and dignity. I am incredibly grateful to the tireless advocates and legislators who fought through relentless misinformation and fear-mongering to make this day a reality. Equality for all, equal justice and equal treatment – that’s the standard. And I’m proud to lead a state that today moved one step closer to that standard.”
“The time has finally come to get this outdated abortion law off the books and ensure that we keep abortion accessible, safe and legal in New Mexico,” said Sen. Linda Lopez of Albuquerque, lead sponsor of Senate Bill 10.
