Accomplishments
2019
The 2019 Legislative Session had its ups and downs, but the Planned Parenthood Votes New Mexico (PPVNM) team is proud of the work we were able to accomplish.
This year marked the first time in eight years that New Mexico had a governor supportive of reproductive health care. PPVNM worked alongside our coalition partners to defeat three anti-abortion bills - including parental notification and two refusal of care bills. PPVNM staff and activists worked with our Respect NM Women coalition partners to repeal an old abortion ban, an initiative that had broad support in the legislature but was ultimately defeated in the Senate.
We celebrated a victory for reproductive health care and contraceptive equity with the passage of HB 89 which allows a pharmacist to prescribe six months of birth control at a time and for condoms to be covered by insurance!
2018
During the 2018 Legislative Session, Planned Parenthood Votes New Mexico (PPVNM) collected nearly 5,000 signatures to urge the governor to allow our bill to remove an outdated statute which criminalizes abortion to be heard in the short-budget session. Additionally, alongside our Respect NM Women coalition partners, we were able to defeat three bills aimed at restricting abortion care access through parental notification and banning abortion later in pregnancy.
PPVNM successfully worked to elect reproductive health care champions, including the governor, and to increase the number of reproductive rights champions in the New Mexico House of Representatives. During the 2019 electoral season, PPVNM-endorsed candidates had a 91% election-win rate.
2017
The 2017 Legislative Session brought a slew of anti-abortion legislation including on abortion later in pregnancy, fetal tissue research, and parental notification. Planned Parenthood Votes New Mexico (PPVNM), in collaboration with our Respect New Mexico Women coalition partners, worked to defeat all nine of these harmful restrictions. We also worked to pass legislation to repeal an antiquated abortion ban from 1969. This effort ultimately failed but sparked important conversations about the future of abortion access in our state.
PPVNM also helped to elect a mayor supportive of reproductive health care in the city of Albuquerque!
2016
Alongside our coalition partners, Planned Parenthood Votes New Mexico (PPVNM) worked to defeat four medically inaccurate abortion bills. These bills would have banned abortion later in pregnancy and forced health care providers to take medically unnecessary actions.
PPVNM also participated in field work with a focus on engaging young people to ensure that our elected officials support access to reproductive health care, including abortion care. At the Roundhouse, a reproductive rights majority was regained in the state House.
2015
The 2015 New Mexico Legislative Session saw FOUR attacks on women’s access to safe abortion services at the New Mexico legislature. Planned Parenthood Votes New Mexico, in partnership with its partners defended against these attacks, defeating them all. HB 390 would have banned abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, HB 391 would have required parental notification before any minor could receive an abortion, SB 437 sought to implement an unnecessary requirement of hospital admitting privileges for abortion providers in New Mexico, and SB 652 would have instituted a waiting period and biased counseling before a woman could seek abortion care.
2014
The 2014 New Mexico Legislative Session saw one anti-choice bill (SB289) which sought to ban funding to any entity providing abortion services that does not comply with federal funding rules, meaning no funding unless the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. The bill was found killed because it was found non-germane for the limited 2014 limited budget session.
Following an election with low voter turnout, the majority of Planned Parenthood Votes New Mexico’s endorsed candidates were elected (16 out of 31).
2013
The 2013 session also saw four attacks on women’s access to safe abortion services in New Mexico. These bills included two parental notification bills, a personhood act and a biased counseling bill. All of these attacks were defeated.
2012
During the shortened budget session, PPVNM helped defeat two parental notification bills, which were found to be non-germane.
Electoral Accomplishments
2013
Planned Parenthood Votes New Mexico worked as part of the Respect Albuquerque Women campaign to defeat a dangerous municipal ballot measure that would have banned abortions after 20 weeks in Albuquerque. Only about 25% of Albuquerque’s registers voters turned out to vote, and the bill was defeated 55% to 45%.