If you don’t know history, it’s as if you were born yesterday. If you were born yesterday then any leader can tell you anything. Howard Zinn Since 2021, over a dozen states have introduced (and some have been enacted into law) bills that restrict the teaching of history and important social issues in public classrooms. In addition to calls banning the teaching of CRT (Critical Race Theory), and…
Don’t Say “P#riod”
The ridiculous assault on women and womanhood has no signs of stopping anytime soon. The state that brought us the Don’t Say Gay Bill is now going after menarche and women’s periods. Last month, the GOP-controlled Florida House passed House Bill 1069, also known as the “Don’t Say Period” bill. The bill is expected to pass the Senate and go…
A Disturbing Town Hall
Last Tuesday, the city of Edgewood, a largely rural and conservative community just east of Albuquerque, New Mexico, held a town meeting regarding its proposed ordinance to ban the distribution and acquisition of abortion-inducing medications. Edgewood seems to be following the lead of other cities and municipalities in New Mexico and Texas by relying on the antiquated Comstock…
Abortion Rights vs the Comstock Act
Last Friday, the New Mexico Supreme Court blocked four county and city ordinances that sought to enforce abortion restrictions in the state. The ruling comes on the heels of a petition filed last January by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez that claims that such ordinances violate civil rights as guaranteed by the state Constitution, and infringe on the state’s authority to regulate health care. The ruling follows the passage of New Mexico HB7, the Reproductive and…
Repercussions
Recently, Bonner General Health in Sandpoint, Idaho announced that it will no longer be able to help expecting moms to deliver because many of their staff and doctors have left the area due to the Gem state’s near-total abortion ban. The hospital will start phasing out obstetric services in May. Last August, the conservative-dominated state legislature passed a strict abortion ban that offers exceptions only…
Actions Speak Louder
Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often Mark Twain When it comes to supporting veterans, Republicans talk a good talk, but if we look at the GOP scorecard, the party doesn’t necessarily live up to its rhetoric. Last Veterans Day, Congressional members posted statements on social media honoring those who served our country, yet many of those same lawmakers voted against the…
New Mexico HB 7: Protecting Women’s Rights
In a Post-Roe era, New Mexico joined forces with other states in ensuring a woman’s right to choose. On Tuesday, March 7, the state Senate approved by a 23-15 vote the passage of House Bill 7. The bill, Reproductive & Gender-Affirming Health Care, was sponsored by Reps. Linda Serrato (D-45), Charlotte Little (D-68), Kristina Ortez (D-42), Reena Szczepanski (D-47), and Janelle Anyanonu (D-19). Section 3,…
New Mexico HB 487: La Raza Cancel Culture
As the 2023 New Mexico legislative session winds down, it warrants mention of yet another bill of distraction pushed by GOP members of the House: HB 487. The bill, sponsored by New Mexico reps. Rod Montoya (R-1), Martin Zamora (R-63), Tanya Mirabal (R-7), John Block (R-51), and Alan Martinez (R-23), smacks of attacks on CRT and “wokeness,” but with a New Mexico twist. The bill proposes prohibiting the teaching of Critical Raza Theory in public schools, or subjects…
New Mexico HB 128: Not the Answer
Legislative sessions among states are not immune from controversial bill proposals during this 2023 session. For example, Texas House Bill 112, seeks to criminalize gender-affirming health care, Mississippi House Bill 1020 intends to create a separate court system and an expanded police force within the city of Jackson (which happens to have a large African-American population), and Missouri recently nixed a bill that would…
Public Education Under Attack
The whole people must take upon themselves the education of the whole people and be willing to bear the expenses of it. There should not be a district of one mile square, without a school in it, not founded by a charitable individual, but maintained at the public expense of the people themselves. John Adams,…