Las Crucen, reproductive advocate joins Sen. Heinrich at State of the Union Address
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LAS CRUCES – Las Cruces was represented at the Capitol last month by a reproductive advocate, the guest of Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) for President Joe Biden’s 2023 State of the Union Address.
Charlene Bencomo is the executive director of Bold Futures New Mexico, an organization working toward policy changes, research, place-based organizing and culture shift, specifically for women and people of color. The organization’s work in reproductive rights also touches on criminal justice reform, child welfare and other prudent societal issues.
Bencomo joined Heinrich Feb. 7 in Washington D.C. for the joint session of Congress.
“Charlene is a lifelong New Mexican and driving force for change. She uses her work and life experiences to educate, inspire, and inform others. Her leadership has been central to reproductive rights advancements in our state and across the country. Honored for Charlene to join me,” Heinrich said in a news release.
The Sun-News spoke with Bencomo about her experience in the nation’s capital and Bold Future’s work at home in New Mexico.
When and how were you approached?
“It was really just the week before the actual event. Some of Sen.Heinrich staff reached out just via email and then a call to see if I would be interested in attending and named that they were just really impressed with the work that Bold Futures has been doing in the state of New Mexico, and wanted to help us with that.”
What was your first reaction?
“The first reaction was just ‘really? This is great.’ I was very, you know, just really flattered that they were taking note of the work that we're doing in New Mexico. I also felt really proud to be able to represent Bold Futures and also the southern part of the state. I think sometimes we still get sort of lumped into Albuquerque/Santa Fe when people think about New Mexico, so I was really excited that we were having some representation from the southern part of the state.”
What was your experience like at the State of the Union Address?
“It was so interesting … There was a lot of security which, you know, is to be expected I suppose. Lots of security. (Sen. Heinrich and I) were able to have a dinner together there at the Capitol Building and I was able to meet some other senators and some other folks there and was able to talk about the work of Bold Futures and just New Mexico in general, so that was really nice. And then sort of lots of shuttling around, you know, getting through lots of security measures into the actual space where the State of the Union Address was given. And I was able to sit with some guests of other senators, which was really, really nice – to just talk to folks about the other work that they're doing in other states and how they're being recognized.”
Do you recall who some of the people you were sitting with were?
“One gentleman was from North Carolina and the woman that was sitting next to me was from Hawaii. She actually worked for the attorney general's office and is involved in doing recovery of victims of sex trafficking. And so we had a really interesting conversation about her work and just Hawaii in general.”
As President Biden spoke, did you hear anything that spoke directly to your work?
“There were certainly some moments that felt really pertinent to the work that we are doing and there was a lot of conversation about making sure that people had access to health care. Making sure that, through insurance or whatever means, people had access to the health care that they needed. That's definitely a huge part of our work.
“There were some comments about making sure that people have sustainable jobs, which again, that's certainly part of the reproductive justice lens. We want to make sure that people are able to work in ways that they can support themselves and their families if that's what they choose. So that certainly felt pertinent as well.
“There was conversation also about bipartisan work. We are a nonprofit and … do work during the legislative session here in the State of New Mexico every year and certainly our work and the future of our communities depends on people being able to have some of these challenging conversations and come to agreements that really serve the people who are living through these decisions that are being made at the legislature…. At the federal level and particularly at the state level, so I certainly was paying attention to that as well.
“There were comments about environmental justice and folks in our own nation who don't even have access to clean drinking water. Now we're seeing other disasters that are manmade disasters, like out of Ohio that are threatening just the air that people are breathing in our own nation. So again, that speaks to reproductive justice and making sure that we get to live in spaces that are healthy for us and for our families. So that certainly was something that was paying attention to as well.
“There was a brief comment about reproductive health care and abortion care and ensuring that we have the right to that care if it is what we need in our lives. Not sure where that will go, but definitely heard that loud and clear.”
Is this giving you hope for federal involvement in these areas?
“Unfortunately, the last several years have been really devastating when it comes to attacks on reproductive health care – including abortion care, including gender affirming care, including access to contraception. So, I think I’m maybe past the point of hope and more leaning into what can we do, where is the work so that we can make sure this happens?
“It's been a very disappointing few years, particularly with the (Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization) decision. So there are things that can happen federally, there are a lot of legislative pieces that are going up in front of that legislature at the federal level to help protect these rights. There are also things that have been in play for a very long time, like the Hyde Amendment, that would also help support folks that still need care. Like Indigenous people here in the State of New Mexico, who are not able to access that care because of the Hyde Amendment through Indian Health Service. So, I think there are things that can be done.”
What would you say that it says that Sen. Heinrich specifically chose you to be his guest?
“It tells me that he's paying attention. It tells me that this work is very important. You know, we most certainly do a lot of our work in the area of reproductive health care, and reproductive justice is so much bigger than that. We also work in the realms of criminal justice reform, child welfare, racial equity. “There's a lot of pieces to our work and it really speaks to the depths of the work that we are doing and really tells me that there are people that are paying attention. Not only in our state but in our nation and wanting to make sure that the work that we are doing is being uplifted and centered in a bigger sphere.”
From your perspective, how is the 2023 New Mexico Legislative Session going and what legislation is Bold Futures NM supporting?
“There are actually a lot of bills that we are supporting. Primarily House Bill 7 and Senate Bill 13. Those are two that we are definitely supporting … Those are both related to reproductive health care and patient and provider protection.
“We have secured a policy landscape that keeps abortion care legal in the state. We want to make sure that people are actually able to access that and that providers are safely able to offer that care to their patients. A piece to that also includes gender affirming care – making sure that people cannot be discriminated against because of the health care that they're seeking in our state.
“There are also a lot of bills that pull in (New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department) and child welfare that seek to change some of the language in child welfare bills and services. And we are keeping a really close eye on that and making sure that the needs of our Indigenous, Black and Latino children and families are being considered, because we know that they are most typically proportionately affected by child welfare systems.
“There are a lot of criminal justice reform bills that would inevitably impact and further criminalize people of color that we are looking to just really pull in a perspective of folks that are living through those cycles and living with conviction so that we understand really what those legislative pieces mean. So that they go beyond just a headline. We want to make sure that the legislation that's being passed in the state is truly helping people in in our communities thrive and not just criminalizing them.”
In your perspective, how productive or how successful has this session been?
As far as bill passage, it's yet to be seen … The legislation itself is not the core of our work. The relationships and the community building are the core of the work.
“We've been able to successfully take several of our community leaders from all across the state up to the Roundhouse just to learn a bit more about the process, to talk to some of their representatives who are from their districts to learn a little bit more about how they can be involved. And so that has felt like a huge success.
“Every time we're able to take people up to Santa Fe, particularly folks from outside of the Albuquerque and Santa Fe area, it feels so good to just let them know that this is your Roundhouse, this is your space and you belong here. So really just opening those doors for folks to be able to uplift their own stories and experiences and to share those with the decision makers who are tasked with voting, hopefully with their hearts and minds on the communities that they serve.”
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Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, LRomero@lcsun-news.com or @rromero_leah on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Las Crucen, reproductive advocate joins Sen. Heinrich at State of the Union Address
