To: Cathrynn Brown, Representative
Withdraw Bill HB0206 - New Mexico Bill Would Criminalize Abortions After Rape As 'Tampering With ...
This petition was created in response to Bill HB0206 – A New Mexico Bill That Would Criminalize Abortions After Rape As 'Tampering With Evidence'. This petition is signed by New Mexicans who are concerned about what the passing of this bill would mean for the women of this state. To require a woman who was raped to carry the baby to term is cruel and inhumane. You state that the purpose of the bill is to punish the perpetrator of the crime, but in the end it is the woman and the child who is born from this horrendous crime who will be the ones who suffer in the long term. Women in New Mexico have a right to choose whether or not to carry the baby to term, and it should be left up to them to determine the best course of action for herself and the baby. We request that you withdraw this bill. Thank you.
Why is this important?
A Republican lawmaker in New Mexico introduced a bill on Wednesday that would legally require victims of rape to carry their pregnancies to term in order to use the fetus as evidence for a sexual assault trial.
House Bill 206, introduced by state Rep. Cathrynn Brown (R), would charge a rape victim who ended her pregnancy with a third-degree felony for "tampering with evidence."
House Bill 206, introduced by state Rep. Cathrynn Brown (R), would charge a rape victim who ended her pregnancy with a third-degree felony for "tampering with evidence."