An abortion compromise?

MLG was asked that question for the first time in a New Yorker podcast where it was pointed out that her GOP Guv foe Mark Ronchetti wants abortion in NM limited to the first 15 weeks of pregnancy while MLG does not believe in any government imposed limits. As for a compromise, she said: 

"No. If you. . . are protecting women's privacy rights and the relationship between their medical providers, my attitude and my personal decisions and the government's have no bearing on those personal decisions. . .

I believe like many Americans that abortion should be rare and the reason I believe that is because we should be doing more (about) violence, rape, domestic abuse, incest, underage sexual activity--all of it. 

If we did better family planning and comprehensive sex education and made contraceptives more available and we were better at primary care access, then you get to the place where we should all be--preventing unwanted, unexpected pregnancies. But to say I can make a personal decision for women who do not currently have those options, particularly in states where they don't have access to contraceptives, that is outrageous to me. 

On MLG's point about contraceptives, according to CNBC:

At least eight states banned all forms of abortion, including the abortion pill mifepristone, within hours of the Supreme Court’s decision. Many women in states with bans on abortion will likely turn to websites to order mifepristone, which is taken with misoprostol, and self manage abortions at home.

The Governor was also asked if she worried that Hispanics, often socially conservative and anti-abortion, would vote against her because of her abortion stance:

No. I don't think so. Most Hispanic families and women, most Hispanic men today--the majority of those voters--do not want the government in this space. 

Abortion rights have emerged as a top issue in the '22 Governor's race in the aftermath of the US Supreme Court ruling repealing Roe and after ABQ Legacy Church Pastor Steve Smotherman told his congregation that Ronchetti told him personally that he is for banning all abortions not just those up to 15 weeks. 

WHY IT MATTERS

Regardless of who is the next Governor the NM Legislature's pro-choice tilt is demonstrable and no anti-abortion measures would be expected to pass. That has led some to argue that who is occupying the Fourth Floor doesn't really matter and abortion should not be an issue. But that reasoning doesn't match reality. Here's why. 

---MLG has issued an executive order "protecting medical providers from attempts at legal retribution and establishing that New Mexico will not entertain extradition attempts from other states relating to receiving or performing reproductive services."

That action could not be expected from a pro-life Governor. Without it, conceivably the Texas Rangers could ride in here to arrest abortion violators. With the order, they are turned back.

---In thirty day sessions of the Legislature, which occur in even numbered years, the state Constitution limits subjects for discussion to the budget, revenue and taxation measures and proposals placed on the agenda by the Governor.  So a Governor can interject abortion into such sessions. A pro-life governor could test the limits of the Legislature by introducing restrictive measures and using the power of their office to twist arms. 

---There is also the issue of legislative appropriations regarding abortion rights. Recently the ABQ City Council approved $250,000 in funding for Planned Parenthood. The funding was approved on a 6 to 3 vote. A mayor opposed to abortion could have vetoed such funding. That would also be the case if the state had an anti-abortion Governor and lawmakers approved a similar appropriation.

---The sitting Governor also appoints the 11 members of the NM Medical Board that issues license to physicians and disciplines incompetent providers. In 2013 pro-life activists accused the board of trying to shut them out of the complaint procedure involving physicians who perform abortions. Obviously, a Governor's position on abortion can greatly influence the membership of that board and in turn how the board regulates abortion in the state. 

So the argument that it makes no difference who is Governor because New Mexico is already a pro-choice state doesn't hold up. Regardless of your political persuasion, these examples show that it matters very much who is Governor in the aftermath of the historic Roe ruling. 

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