Democrats assail Ronchetti's proposed constitutional amendment on abortion

Sep. 21—ALBUQUERQUE — The state Democratic Party continued to hammer Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Ronchetti over his proposal to place a question on abortion rights on a statewide ballot.

At a Tuesday news conference held in front of a mural proclaiming "Well behaved women never make history," Lt. Gov. Howie Morales claimed Ronchetti's proposed constitutional amendment is nothing more than "code" for a complete abortion ban.

Abortion rights is "already on the ballot," said Morales, who is incumbent Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's running mate in the Nov. 8 general election.

"It's on the ballot because we're talking about a choice that's clear in the race for governor," he said.

Abortion has become one of the biggest issues in the hotly contested race for governor of New Mexico, where there are few restrictions on the medical procedure. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in late June, allowing states to decide whether and how to restrict abortion.

Lujan Grisham, a staunch supporter of abortion rights, says a woman's right to choose is on the line in November, while Ronchetti, who has described himself as "strongly pro-life," says New Mexicans should vote directly on the matter.

Asked whether Ronchetti is proposing a constitutional amendment that would ban, restrict or protect abortion rights in New Mexico, his campaign communications director didn't directly answer the question but reiterated "the process" of putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot is left entirely to the Legislature.

"Mark Ronchetti would hope to work with the legislature to put a question on the ballot that would fairly provide voters with a choice of how they want to address this issue. Mark has never proposed a ban and isn't doing so now," Ryan Sabel said.

"There is a clear difference on this issue — Mark Ronchetti wants to let voters have a say, while the governor wants politicians to make this decision for everyone," he added.

At Tuesday's news conference, Morales and others said it's Ronchetti who wants to interfere with what already is a woman's right to choose in New Mexico.

"When politicians use abortion to meddle in the health care system in order to achieve their political goals, everyone suffers," said Dr. Heather Brislen, an Albuquerque physician.

"When politics comes between the patient and their physician, as we've seen in Texas and other states, the damaging effects extend far beyond reproductive health care," she added. "In states with abortion bans in place now, access to other essential medications and treatments are also being taken off the table."

Brislen warned a constitutional amendment banning or limiting abortion would create an "unsafe environment" for patients and providers in a state already struggling with shortages of doctors and nurses.

"New Mexico's patients and providers deserve leaders and government that work to protect and expand access to health care in our already underserved state, not take it away," she said.

Lila Nezar, a third-year student at the University of New Mexico College of Population Health, called Ronchetti's "anti-choice platform" dangerous.

"We refuse to let Mark Ronchetti use New Mexico as a playground for his quote-unquote culture war," she said. "When abortion is legal, it is so safe that it's 14 times safer than childbirth. Criminalization, stigmatization [and lack of access] are the enemies, not our rights."

Marlene Simon of Santa Fe shared a personal story of getting an illegal abortion after she was raped in 1969 before Roe v. Wade became law.

"My concern now is for women, especially young women, who may be faced with making the same decision I was confronted with," she said.

"It was so painful and so frightening, really shameful, and I'm sure dangerous," she said of her experience. "But I consider myself one of the lucky ones. I survived."

Delaney Corcoran, a spokeswoman for Lujan Grisham's reelection campaign, said abortion rights are protected in New Mexico because of the action the governor, along with the Democrat-controlled Legislature, took to overturn an antiquated law that criminalized abortion.

Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Lujan Grisham has signed two abortion-related executive orders. The first increases protections for abortion patients and providers in New Mexico, and the second designates $10 million of her capital outlay money in the upcoming legislative session to build a new clinic in Doña Ana County that would provide a "full spectrum" of reproductive health care, including abortion.

"Governor Lujan Grisham has made it clear that she will continue to advance reproductive access in New Mexico, including supporting codifying abortion protections," Corcoran said in a statement.

Follow Daniel J. Chacón on Twitter @danieljchacon.