City Council OKs resolution in support of abortion; 2 councilors dissent

Sean P. Thomas, The Santa Fe New Mexican
·3 min read
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Sep. 1—Two Santa Fe city councilors voiced their displeasure Wednesday night with a resolution that reaffirms the city's support for abortion rights.

Councilors Chris Rivera and Lee Garcia pulled the item from the meeting's consent agenda, with Rivera saying he felt the city was overstepping its boundaries.

During a discussion on the resolution, which received a vote of approval, Rivera said, "I respect everyone's opinion on this board or on this council, and I know many of you have signed on as a co-sponsor to this, but in my opinion, I am not really sure why we are doing it.

"I think the state has affirmed their position on this matter, which was in the paper today with $10 million going to Dona Aña County for reproductive services, including abortion," he added. "... So I am not real sure why we are looking at this."

Rivera was referring to an executive order Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed Wednesday designating $10 million of her capital outlay money in the upcoming legislative session to build a new clinic providing "full-spectrum" reproductive care.

The governor also asked the state Department of Health to develop a plan to further expand access to reproductive care in other underserved areas of the state.

Councilor Jamie Cassutt said the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in June overturning the landmark 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade shows the right to an abortion "is not something that we can take for granted, that the access to this important health care for women is something that is solidified until it is codified."

Councilor Carol Romero-Wirth noted the council often approves resolutions in support of state and federal legislation.

The right to an abortion is legally protected in New Mexico.

In other business Wednesday:

* The council approved two contracts for Alabama-based Carr, Riggs and Ingram to provide services to help with the city's process of completing its annual audits for fiscal years 2021 and 2022. The contracts are worth $269,454.42 for each audit year. The fiscal year 2021 audit was supposed to be submitted to the state Dec. 15, 2021, and is now scheduled to be submitted Dec. 15, 2022, in tandem with the 2022 audit.

* The council approved a resolution supporting the Santa Fe school board's application for grant funding to help build out a districtwide community schools model. The request is intended to address chronic absenteeism, decrease out-of-school time caused by suspensions, increase parent involvement and improve kindergarten readiness skills.

* Councilor Michael Garcia introduced a resolution that would amend a section of the city's traffic code to classify electric bikes as bicycles.

* Councilors Amanda Chavez, Signe Lindell and Lee Garcia introduced a resolution creating a six-month pilot program to encourage employers to pay for employee parking in city facilities on Sandoval Street, the Santa Fe Community Convention Center and the Railyard. The program would allow employers to purchase bulk parking packages at a rate lower than a monthly permit available for employees making $15 or less per hour. Businesses will not be able to buy more than 15 permits for $25 per month.

The council postponed until Sept. 14 a vote on an ordinance amendment that would allow for up to eight commercial permits for cultural events on the Plaza, such as celebrations of Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples Day.

The council approved a resolution affirming a partnership with Santa Fe County to develop strategies to end homelessness. The vote came a day after the city held town hall on the subject and announced it would begin removing homeless encampments.