New Mexico legislators meet with White House officials over abortion

With the U.S. Supreme Court docket choice on Dobbs v. Jackson Ladies’s Healthcare a number of weeks away, White Home officers held a convention name with New Mexico legislators and others in regards to the impending reproductive healthcare disaster.

Home Majority Chief Javier Martinez of Albuquerque, state Rep. Micaela Lara Cadena of Mesilla and state Sen. Shannon Pinto of Tohatchi, all Democrats, participated within the name with White Home Gender Coverage Council Director Jennifer Klein and  White Home Intergovernmental Affairs Director Julie Chavez Rodriguez earlier this week. After the Texas six-week gestational ban went into impact final September, some clinics in New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada skilled a 500 % improve in sufferers, in accordance with the White Home assertion.

Martinez instructed NM Political Report that particular coverage points didn’t come up throughout the name however mentioned that “we talked about ensuring we are going to present entry to reproductive well being providers.”

“New Mexico stands with ladies and New Mexico respects reproductive justice and will probably be a beacon of hope for ladies throughout the nation. It’s our duty as state legislators to verify it occurs,” he mentioned.

New Mexico is anticipated to be considered one of about 25 states the place abortion will stay authorized and protected if the courtroom overturns Roe v. Wade this summer season, as anticipated, when it releases its Dobbs’ choice.

The state of Mississippi banned abortion after 15 weeks, which contradicted  Roe v. Wade. The courtroom has been deliberating since December over the case.

Martinez mentioned one instance of how New Mexico might be supporting ladies whereas the best courtroom is contemplating eliminating ladies’s proper to an abortion is thru entry to contraception.

Nicole Comeaux, director of New Mexico Human Providers Division’s Medicaid division, mentioned that the state’s Medicaid protection consists of all types of contraception and that there aren’t any co-pays. She attributed a lower within the state’s variety of teenage births and surprising pregnancies in recent times as because of the elevated accessibility of Lengthy-Appearing Reversible Contraception , that are largely Intrauterine Units, or IUDs, by way of Medicaid protection. Virtually 50 % of New Mexico is roofed by Medicaid and 58 % of kids are, she mentioned.

Comeaux mentioned that in 2020 the state elevated its charges for LARCs to be one of many states offering probably the most protection for that type of contraception within the nation. She mentioned that in 2021 the state started a collaboration with the College of New Mexico to provoke a pilot mission that improves same-day entry to contraception at school-based well being facilities to assist cut back teenage being pregnant.

“We’re seeking to develop that throughout the state,” she mentioned.

Martinez famous that the anticipated abortion clinic crunch within the state that may make it exhausting for New Mexico-based abortion sufferers to acquire well timed appointments is a component of a bigger well being care supplier scarcity in New Mexico.

He additionally mentioned New Mexico has “struggled quite a bit with behavioral well being as nicely.”

Martinez pointed to SB 317, handed and signed by the governor in 2021, that added a medical health insurance premium surtax by 2.75 share factors to assist create a well being care affordability fund to develop protection by way of the state’s well being care trade and allow extra people to be coated. He mentioned that was a method the legislature is making an attempt to deal with the issue of healthcare for the state.

Martinez mentioned one method to incentivize extra well being care suppliers to maneuver to rural areas could be to create tax incentives in addition to probably scholar mortgage aid presents and academic alternatives.

“There are such a lot of factors we might take a look at and cash not being an issue at this level we might make these investments over the following few years,” he mentioned.

White Home officers additionally included Nevada and Colorado legislature management within the name. Colorado has handed a legislation that explicitly protects abortion in that state. Martinez mentioned he didn’t assume that for the reason that state repealed the 1969 anti-abortion legislation in 2021, that New Mexico essentially wanted to move an identical legislation.

“I believe at this level, my focus is to make sure sources circulation to those [healthcare] providers. For individuals who dwell in rural New Mexico, it’s very troublesome to entry providers. That’s one of many locations we have to begin,” he mentioned.

Martinez known as himself an “everlasting optimist” and mentioned the June 7 major was heartening for candidates who help reproductive healthcare within the state.

“We now have to steer with conviction and hope,” he mentioned.

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