January 2024 Newsletter
2024 Legislative Session
Happy New Year! We hope you enjoyed the holidays with your loved ones and received lots of rest. 2023 was an overwhelming year in the reproductive justice landscape with lots of progress, but also setbacks. Our neighboring states continue to attempt to criminalize abortion while New Mexico remains committed to protecting abortion rights and the individuals seeking abortions who are living in restrictive states.
In 2023, life-changing reproductive justice bills, HB7-Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care Freedom Act and SB13-Reproductive Health Provider Protections were signed into law by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on March 16th, 2023 and April 5th, 2023. These bills ensure public bodies do not discriminate or criminalize individuals for receiving or providing reproductive care, including abortion.
This year in the 2024 Legislature we are supporting HB6/SB3- Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML), HB7-Healthcare Affordability Fund, HB151- Post-secondary Affirmative consent Policies and SB145- Dignity not Detention Act.
HB6/SB3- PFML creates a program, administered by the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (NMDWS) to provide 12 weeks of paid leave for employees to care for a new child, a family member with a serious health concern, or their own medical condition.
HB7 keeps funding levels constant so the Healthcare Affordability Fund can continue to provide coverage to our community.
HB151 requires state-funded post-secondary educational institutions to adopt policies and procedures addressing affirmative consent and prevention of sexual assault, domestic violence, and harassment or stalking.
SB145 prohibits public bodies from entering into agreements to detain individuals for federal civil immigration violations and require the termination of any such existing agreements. It prohibits public bodies from using public resources to facilitate detaining individuals for federal civil immigration violations.
Over-The-Counter Birth Control
Opill is a progestin only pill that will be available early this year without age restrictions. It will be sold in drug stores, grocery stores, convenience stores, and online. Perrigo, the pill's manufacturer, has not shared pricing information with the public yet, but they have stated they are working to ensure Opill is affordable and accessible.
On Wednesday, January 31st, Free the Pill’s Steering Committee sent a public letter urging Perrigo to do everything they can to ensure an affordable retail price of $15 for a 3-month supply of Opill, and to develop a robust consumer assistance program to ensure access for all.
"Perrigo’s and retailers’ decision to price Opill affordably can help to combat contraceptive inequities—rooted in systemic racism and other forms of oppression—that already persist across the United States. As a result of these inequities, the communities that currently face the highest barriers to accessing contraception are often the same communities for whom a high retail price would put Opill out of reach altogether.” - Free the Pill coalition steering committee.
Practical Support Program
NM RCRC remains committed to helping individuals access safe abortion care. In 2023, we helped 1,040 individuals from 14 different states access abortion care. 953 were from Texas, 31 from Oklahoma, 22 from New Mexico, 13 from Louisiana, 11 Arizona, 2 Mississippi, 1 from Alabama, 1 from Florida, 1 from Colorado, 1 from Wyoming, 1 from Kansas, 1 from Georgia, 1 from Tennessee and 1 from Missouri. We hope we can continue helping individuals all over the country access abortion care in 2024, but we need your support to help sustain our work. We invite you to become a monthly donor this year in solidarity of reproductive justice. By becoming a monthly donor, you provide consistent and reliable assistance that allows us to plan and allocate resources effectively. By donating, you are empowering individuals to make their own decisions and take control of their lives. Your support matters, and it can help someone in their times of need.