0001|                       SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 33
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                              ROD ADAIR
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|     
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0009|     
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0010|                           A JOINT MEMORIAL
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0011|     URGING THE GOVERNOR TO DIRECT THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO
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0012|     ADOPT REGULATIONS PROHIBITING THE EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS FOR
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0013|     LATE-TERM ABORTIONS USING THE PROCEDURE OF PARTIAL BIRTH
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0014|     ABORTION.  
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0015|     
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0016|          WHEREAS, abortions are performed late in the second and
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0017|     in the third trimesters of a woman's pregnancy; and 
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0018|          WHEREAS, these procedures are known to have potentially
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0019|     serious consequences to the mother; and 
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0020|          WHEREAS, a part of these late-term abortions are
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0021|     performed using a procedure called "partial birth abortion" in
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0022|     which a baby is partially delivered and then killed, after
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0023|     which the head of the dead baby is removed from the mother's
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0024|     body in a manner potentially injurious to the mother; and 
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0025|          WHEREAS, the procedure described does not fulfill a
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0001|     legitimate interest of government in safeguarding health,
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0002|     maintaining medical standards and protecting life||; and
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0003|          WHEREAS, this procedure is abhorrent to persons who value
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0004|     human life and believe the government at every level should
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0005|     recognize this belief and take positive steps to prevent
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0006|     subversion of this value system without regard to individuals'
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0007|     opinions and strongly held views on the subject of abortion
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0008|     generally; and
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0009|          WHEREAS, overwhelming bipartisan majorities of both
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0010|     houses of congress have passed measures to ban this procedure;
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0011|     and
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0012|          WHEREAS, it is repugnant to the vast majority of the
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0013|     citizens of New Mexico that public funds may be used to pay
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0014|     for the procedure described; 
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0015|          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
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0016|     STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the governor exercise his executive
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0017|     authority and direct the human services department to develop
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0018|     and adopt a regulation prohibiting the use of any state funds
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0019|     to purchase abortion services involving the use of the partial
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0020|     birth abortion procedure; and 
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0021|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be
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0022|     forthwith delivered to the governor and to the secretary of
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0023|     human services.
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0024|                              
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