Help pass New Mexico House Bill 196

Tonight's post is to ask for your help. As you may or may not know, I have been working on a piece of legislation for a few years now that would honor and acknowledge Jesper, his death, and his place in our family. 

Currently, in New Mexico the only document that is generated by and for the State is a Report of Fetal Death. It is not quite a death certificate. It is definitely not a birth certificate. It is hurtful and insulting that my state refuses to recognize his existence, his life, his death, or his birth. So I have been working to change things.

In January, Representative Keith Gardner introduced House Bill 196 (Registrations of Fetal Death). It aligns New Mexico's definition of stillbirth with the CDC's recommendation: 20 weeks, or 350 grams if gestational age is unknown. It allows for the issuance of a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth. It fixes a few other issues we have encountered, as well. 

HB 196 is very similar, though not identical, to a bill that was passed in 2007 which was later vetoed by Governor Bill Richardson. 

So far during the current legislative session, HB 196 has already passed the House of Representatives 56-2, which is great! We just passed through the Senate Public Affairs Committee and only have one committee left in the Senate before a full Senate vote. However, we only have one week left!

So, what can you do? ***CALL YOUR STATE SENATOR NOW.*** We only have a very short amount of time to get through the Senate Judiciary Committee and the full Senate. Please ask them to support HB 196 when it comes to the full Senate for a vote. 

If you see your Senator (listed with county) on the following list, please call them and urge them to get HB 196 on their agenda quickly. 

Cisco McSorley (Chair) Bernalillo

Richard Martinez (Vice Chair) Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe

Tim Eichenberg  Bernalillo

Clinton Harden  Colfax, Curry, Harding, Quay, San Migue, Taos, and Union

Linda Lopez  Bernalillo

Sander Rue   Bernalillo and Sandoval

John Ryan  Bernalillo and Sandoval

Bernadette Sanchez   Bernalillo

Michael Sanchez  Valencia

Peter Wirth   Santa Fe

William Payne   Bernalillo

If you don't see your Senator on the list, please call anyways! Tell them that you want to see this bill pass and get to the Governor this year. 

Unfortunately, too many legislators would like to make this into a reproductive rights discussion. I want to clarify, this bill in no way effects reproductive rights in New Mexico. Put simply, this is not that issue.

Please help. And please, if I have sent this to you and you do not actually live in New Mexico, forward it to anyone and everyone you may know (other than me!) who does live here. We need all the voices we can get. I cannot imagine having to go through this emotional, stressful process again—but you can bet I will if it doesn't pass this year.

Thank you all so much for your time. I hope you feel inclined to help.