New Mexico conservatives are "outraged" at new laws signed by Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that permit minors access to sex-change care and abortions without parental knowledge or consent.
"Shame on New Mexico," state Rep. Harlan Vincent, R-Ruidoso Downs, wrote in a news release seeking to "expose the outrageous corruption happening in New Mexico by exposing these lawmakers and government officials that are passing laws with little to no knowledge of the public."
"This must be stopped now."
Conservatives are gathering signatures for a referendum to unwind the state laws signed by the governor.
"If 25% of those who voted in the last general election sign the petition within 90 days of the session's closing date, the law will be stopped from taking effect until there is a vote in 2024," according to nonprofit Better Together Mexico. "If this number of signatures is not obtained within the given time frame, those gathering signatures will have until four months prior to the 2024 election to gather signatures from 10% of those who voted in the last general election to have the issue put on the ballot, but the law goes into effect until that time."
The deadline for signatures is June 16, and officials told Newsmax on Saturday that "we pray we get enough to get these on the ballot so real New Mexicans can have a say."
"We are trying to wake up New Mexico," the official said.
Among the laws facing opposition are the ones Grisham hailed this week in a press release for Pride month.
- HB 7: The Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care Act prohibits public bodies, including local municipalities, from denying, restricting, or discriminating against an individual's right to use or refuse reproductive health care or health care related to gender.
- HB 207: Broadened the scope of the Human Rights Act to include on the list of protected classes gender identity and sexual orientation.
- SB 13 – Enshrined in law protections for health care providers and patients in New Mexico. It codified the protections outlined in the governor's August 2022 executive order, which included prohibiting entities within the state from sharing patient information related to reproductive health care for New Mexico patients and providers.
"HB7 and SB13 are just another example of the left's disdain towards the nuclear family in America," Vincent told Newsmax in a statement Saturday night. "Santa Fe and D.C. think they know better than parents and have the right to decide the health decisions of minor children.
"I believe parents should have the primary power to make decisions for their minor children, especially health decisions that are irreversible.
"This is not about being anti-gay or anti-LGBTQIA+. This is about protecting minor children from a left-wing indoctrination scheme and a dangerous precedent for generations to come. Parents should teach values, not the government.
"Let kids be kids!"
Vincent's breakdown of the three laws above outlines where conservatives should be most concerned and sign up to block them.
House Bill 7:
- Imposes on parental rights of a minor who is seeking access to gender-transition health care.
- Creates a $5,000 fine for public employees (teachers, nurses, etc.) who "interfere" with the process or reveal the minor's intentions to parents, and the violator can be brought to court.
- Strips local authority from municipalities that may represent a constituency that finds problems with such legislation.
House Bill 207:
- Restricts public contractors, churches, and faith-based organizations from limiting services or employment from people who do not hold the same values/morals/beliefs.
Senate Bill 13:
- Provides access to reproductive and gender-affirming care to out-of-state individuals seeking such services, even being provided (in some cases) information, transportation, lodging, or material support.
- Does not provide age restrictions or requirements for parental notification.
- Restricts First Amendment rights by prohibiting electronic communication related to such procedures.
"The left wants people to rely on them and no one else," Vincent said. "This is right out of the socialist playbook that is plaguing our way of life in America. They want control of our children and want parents to trust them to make decisions for their family.
"Well, as long as I'm alive and serving my constituency, I will fight to end the war against the family and the radical left's damaging agenda against our children."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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