New Mexico lawmakers seek to prohibit local abortion bans

By MORGAN LEE
Associated Press

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Local governments across New Mexico would be prohibited from placing restrictions on abortion access under initiatives outlined by Democratic state legislators Friday. A companion initiative aims to protect doctors who perform abortion and patients from harassment and investigations by out-of-state interests. The two legislative proposals would shore up abortion rights across the Democratic-led state in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last year that overturned Roe v. Wade and left legalization up to the states. New Mexico’s Legislature passed a measure in 2021 to repeal a dormant 1969 statute that outlawed most abortion procedures.