Health
New Mexico Supreme Court Nullifies Local Abortion Restrictions
In a landmark decision announced on Thursday, the New Mexico Supreme Court unanimously struck down several local ordinances that aimed to restrict access to abortion services within the state.
In a landmark decision announced on Thursday, the New Mexico Supreme Court unanimously struck down several local ordinances that aimed to restrict access to abortion services within the state. The ruling was in response to measures introduced by conservative cities and counties, particularly those bordering Texas, which sought to limit the distribution of abortion pills and other related materials.
This decision reinforces New Mexico’s stance as one of the states with the most liberal abortion laws, ensuring that local governments cannot override state legislation concerning reproductive healthcare. The court’s opinion, penned by Justice C. Shannon Bacon, stated that these local ordinances “violate this core precept and invade the legislature’s authority to regulate access to and provision of reproductive healthcare.”
The ordinances in question were enacted in communities like Roosevelt and Lea Counties, and the cities of Clovis and Hobbs, which invoked the 19th-century Comstock Act to justify their restrictions on mailing abortion medication. However, the Supreme Court ruled these local actions to be preempted by state law, effectively invalidating them.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez praised the ruling, noting that “abortion access is safe and secure in New Mexico” due to this decision and the work of the state legislature. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham also celebrated the outcome, emphasizing that healthcare decisions belong to individuals and their doctors, not to local politicians.
This ruling comes at a time when New Mexico has become a refuge for those seeking abortion services from neighboring states with stricter laws, especially following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. It underscores New Mexico’s commitment to maintaining broad access to reproductive healthcare amidst a national backdrop of varied and often restrictive state policies on abortion.
