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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Ortiz y Pino
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
01/24/08
HB
SHORT TITLE Condemn Violence at Abortion Clinics
SM 18
ANALYST Padilla
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Memorial 18 introduces legislation condemning violence directed at abortion and
contraceptive clinics and commending law enforcement for its work to end the violence.
The Memorial resolves that violence directed at abortion and contraceptive clinics shall never be
tolerated in the State of New Mexico. Federal, state, and local law enforcement are to be
commended for their collaboration and quick response in arresting two of the suspects in the
December violence that took place in Albuquerque wherein arson of a clinic destroyed the clinic,
an arson attempt upon another clinic took place, and a contraceptive clinic was vandalized.
SM 18 further proposes that the State of New Mexico support the continued collaboration of all
law enforcement agencies leading to the arrest, indictment, and prosecution of the two suspects
in involved in the December violence and any other suspects. Copies of this Memorial are to be
transmitted to the Governor and the Department of Public Safety for distribution to appropriate
federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
SM 18 states that since January 22, 1973, the right to a safe and legal abortion has been the law
in the United States. In May 1994, the United States Congress passed the Freedom of Access to
Clinic Entrances Act. In 2006, there were 474 incidents of violence directed at abortion clinics
nationally. In the last thirty years, there have been 174 incidents of arson and 94 incidents of
attempted arson directed at abortion clinics. Also, within the last thirty years, there have been
1,306 incidents of vandalism on abortion clinics.
Abortion clinics in Albuquerque have been the target for arson and vandalism in March 1999,
May 1999, and more recently in December 2007.
WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL
The support of the State of New Mexico to law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and
local levels in order to prosecute individuals who commit crimes and acts of violence against