Abortion up-to-birth and infanticide S.B. 10 passes last committee, heads to House floor

On Monday, the New Mexico House Judiciary Committee met to consider S.B. 10, a bill that would strip all conscience protections from health care providers, allow abortion up-to-birth and infanticide, and allow underaged children, possibly victims of human trafficking, to get abortions without any questions asked.

During the hearing, the Senate sponsor of the bill, Sen. Linda Lopez (D-Bernalillo), did not answer any questions about her bill, as she previously did on the Senate floor when Republicans tried to ask her a question.

I was at the hearing and testified against the bill. The chair, Rep. Gail Chasey, attempted to cut me off when mentioning Sen. Lopez’s refusal to defend her bill. However, I did get my full statement into the record. 

Here’s what my one-minute statement read: 

Thank you, Madame Chair and Representatives: My name is John Block, a New Mexico native, and I oppose S.B. 10, which its own sponsor, Sen. Lopez, refused to defend on the Senate floor. And I know why she refused to defend it. It’s indefensible.

It would allow abortion up-to-birth and infanticide, let underage girls, many being victims of human trafficking, be forced into unwanted abortions by predators with no questions asked, and mandate health care workers to refer and continue care for abortion.

S.B. 10 does nothing but reward late-term abortionists, child rapists, and sex traffickers, putting vulnerable women and babies in an impossible situation. I urge the committee to vote “no” on this antiquated and staunchly anti-woman bill. Thank you.

Many other pro-lifers, including Elisa Martinez of New Mexico Alliance for Life and many others, offered cogent testimony against the bill, despite the short notice from the committee and the hearing being heard on President’s Day, a holiday. A poll that was conducted during the Zoom meeting claimed there was 50/50 support versus opposition to the bill. However, many who testified indicated how inaccurate the poll was.

During one bit of testimony from the pro-abortion side, one person complained their grandmother “didn’t have access to abortion,” and was “forced to give birth” to her mother. 

The bill passed on a party-line vote of 8-4, with all Democrats voting for it and all Republicans opposing it. S.B. 10 now moves to the House floor for third-reading and then final passage.

Here’s a vlip from the Senate debate where Sen. Jacob Candelaria (D-Bernalillo) said he threw a baby model “right in the trash.”