NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The United States Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe v. Wade. The 6-3 decision overturns the 1973 ruling on the constitutional right to abortion in the U.S.
The decision to overturn was expected after a leaked draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito in May. The court’s ruling now gives individual states the authority to make their own abortion laws.
New Mexico officials weighed in on SCOTUS’s decision Friday:
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued the following statement:
The moment we have long dreaded has arrived, and our nation will be the worse for it. With this ruling, the Supreme Court has unilaterally thrown out 50 years of judicial precedent and subverted the will of millions of Americans who believe in a woman’s right to make her own decisions about her body. Today, a new generation of women will be forced to face a future where they cannot seek safe, legal abortions; a future where they must navigate an increasingly draconian patchwork of restrictions to get care; a future where they live in perpetual fear that they may be required to carry a pregnancy against their will – conceived under horrific circumstances like rape or incest, or that may risk their very life; a future where they fear that their neighbor might report them or their doctors to the police if they attempt to seek care in another state. This opinion is the culmination of decades of careful, sinister planning by hyper-partisan, archconservative Republican leaders in D.C. For years, they have pushed for cruel restrictions on women at every turn – inhibiting access to contraceptives and forcing them to endure torture during the simple act of walking into an abortion clinic. Let’s be clear – this decision not only affects a woman’s right to choose, but also a woman’s right and ability to seek medically-necessary health care. This ruling will destroy both lives and livelihoods. Make no mistake: this is a war on women. The effort is not to protect life but to diminish it, to control women and relegate them as second-class citizens. In anticipation of this very moment, we took action. We eliminated New Mexico’s antiquated trigger ban on abortion, safeguarding the right of every woman in this state to make critical decisions about their own health and to decide for themselves – and their families – when to have children. As the laws in this country change before our very eyes, I will continue to fight for the right to a safe, legal abortion in New Mexico and stand as a brick wall against those who seek to punish women and their doctors just because they seek the care they need and deserve.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
Senator Ben Ray Luján issued the following statement:
Today’s decision by the conservative majority on the Supreme Court has shamefully taken our country backwards – undermining nearly 50 years of legal precedent and putting the most vulnerable at risk by rolling back women’s reproductive rights. This decision shows how out-of-touch extremist conservative justices and politicians are with the American people who overwhelmingly support Roe. The consequences of this decision represent a dangerous attack on women’s health care and an attack on freedom and privacy that will empower judges and politicians to overrule the private health decisions made by a woman and her doctor. New Mexican women should know this dangerous decision will not go unchallenged and that safe abortions are still legal in New Mexico. I’m committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose and this fight is far from over. Senate Democrats must be willing to use every tool at our disposal – including abolishing the filibuster – to ensure the right to an abortion is once again protected by law.
Senator Ben Ray Luján
Senator Martin Heinrich issued the following statement:
Today, six radical-conservative Supreme Court Justices gave Republican lawmakers final say in the reproductive and health care decisions of every woman in America. Like the overwhelming majority of the American people, I believe that a woman has a right to make her own health care decisions without the government getting between her and her medical providers. But with today’s decision, and as MAGA state legislatures across the country continue passing stricter abortion laws, we enter dangerous territory that could put some women who seek an abortion behind bars. Republicans in the Senate continue to block debate on legislation to codify reproductive rights, but they can’t block the will of the American people. The Senate must act at once to protect the constitutional rights of every woman across the nation.
Senator Martin Heinrich
Congresswoman Yvette Herrell issued the following statement:
Today, Life wins. In 1973, the Supreme Court disregarded the Constitution, ignored science, and defied the will of the American people by imposing abortion on demand across the country. Since then, our nation has lost over 63 million of her most vulnerable citizens to this tragic practice. In the Dobbs decision, the Supreme Court has finally returned the question of abortion to the 50 states and restored the democratic right of the American people to defend the unborn. Now, it is our responsibility as Americans to build a society where every mother and child are protected, supported, and cherished.
Congresswoman Yvette Herrell
Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury issued the following statement
With this decision, the Supreme Court has disregarded nearly five decades of precedent, undermining the Constitutional and human rights of individuals to control their own bodies and destinies and to access critical care. This extreme and dangerous decision will prevent people across the country from getting the medical care they need and sets the clock back decades on human rights and gender equality. The U.S. Senate must immediately take up the Woman’s Health Protection Act, which I cosponsored in the House, to codify Roe v. Wade in statute—and if necessary break the filibuster to pass this urgent legislation. I want to be clear, access to abortion remains legal and available in New Mexico—and those in need of care should consult with a health care provider. I will be working with my colleagues in Congress, our health care providers, and our communities to support our reproductive care system, which has been so heavily impacted and strained by the decisions of surrounding states. While I am outraged by this decision, I believe we must turn our anger into action. New Mexico offers a clear path forward for the country. To protect access to care, New Mexicans organized in 2021 to pass a bill to overturn an antiquated abortion ban, which I was proud to vote for in the State Legislature. Now, it’s up to us to do the same nationwide and ensure we elect a pro-choice Congress that will stand with the majority of Americans and the millions who will be impacted by this decision.
Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury
Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez issued the following statement:
In New Mexico, we trust women to make personal decisions about pregnancy with their familias, their faith, and their healthcare provider – without government interference. Today’s Supreme Court decision is wrong and dangerous. It is a rollback of freedom that takes away half a century of the rights of women across our nation. The consequences will jeopardize the health and safety of our families while unjustly criminalizing women and medical providers. I voted to pass laws to protect access, and will always be an advocate for a woman’s right to healthcare.
Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez
New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas issued the following statement:
Today’s Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade creates medical uncertainty and chaos throughout our nation; and I want to assure New Mexico women and their families that I will continue to fight for their rights to adequate health services that are protected under New Mexico law
Attorney General Hector Balderas
Republican Party of New Mexico reacts to Roe v. Wade decision:
The Republican Party of New Mexico hails today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that repeals Roe v. Wade, ending the control Washington has exerted over states for nearly half a century. Today, the unborn are the winners, and RPNM welcomes this historic decision by the Supreme Court on moral, religious and political grounds. RPNM commends the Justices in their recognition that the measure of a person or society is how they protect the vulnerable–those with the least voice. The most vulnerable are the unborn, and the Court acknowledged that there’s little dispute that life begins earlier than what was believed in 1973 when Roe v. Wade legalized abortion. ‘RPNM applauds this momentous ruling and the Court’s realization that we must protect the sanctity of life,’ said Republican Party of New Mexico Chairman Steve Pearce. ‘The decision is in the best interest of America, and the high court’s Justices have fulfilled their duty to protect the lives of the unborn and to abolish the horrors of abortion. Abortion is wrong on moral grounds, and I and everyone who stand for life am pleased at the outcome in this important ruling.’ Today’s ruling will also mean that states will determine laws restricting or permitting abortion. The progressives are insistent that their view is correct, but this will be proven in state elections. If more states elect pro-life candidates, then state laws will change. This is especially vital here in New Mexico where we have such radical abortion laws. Radical pro-abortion groups will continue to cause havoc and violence. One such organization is “Jane’s Revenge” that issued a manifesto on June 15 that took responsibility for the fire bombings, smashed windows and other vandalism at pro-life organizations across the country. It promised the last 30 days are just the beginning. And the recent attempted assassination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh is not enough for these pro-abortion terrorists. Pro-life organizations are now being warned further to close their activities, or they will be next.
The Republican Party of New Mexico
Democratic Party of New Mexico reacts to Roe v. Wade decision:
Today, the US Supreme Court issued a decision overturning nearly 50 years of legal protections established in Roe vs. Wade, destroying every Americans’ right to access safe and legal abortions. This catastrophic decision will cost lives by eliminating critical health care and rob women of their constitutional right to privacy and ability to make personal decisions about their bodies, health, and family. Although abortion access remains protected in New Mexico, in other states women and doctors will now face punishment, imprisonment, public interference, and violence for seeking out reproductive health care. The fundamental right to one’s own reproductive health is a core tenet of the Democratic Party of New Mexico’s platform, and we will never stop fighting to protect every American’s right to make their own healthcare decisions. The only reason abortion access in New Mexico remains protected is because of the actions taken by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Democratic leaders in our state legislature. But to keep these protections in place here in New Mexico, we must continue to elect Democrats up and down the ballot. This midterm election, the stakes have never been higher. Mark Ronchetti and the New Mexico GOP have been vocal proponents of the Supreme Court’s decision. Today, members of the Republican Party are celebrating as countless women and working families across the country grapple with the drastic consequences of this decision. And the Ronchetti/Thornton ticket have made it clear they want to pass legislation that would restrict abortion, punish women, and criminalize doctors in New Mexico. This November, fundamental human rights are on the ballot. The decision released by the Supreme Court today does not reflect the values of diversity and inclusion our country and state should embody. New Mexico will set a national example by continuing to protect women’s rights and access to healthcare. This midterm election, voters must remember that it is the Democratic Party that will ensure New Mexico remains a safe haven for those seeking critical medical care and fight to re-establish the right to choose nationwide.
The Democratic Party of New Mexico
