Albuquerque Campaign Aiming for First-in-Nation Abortions Ban After 20 Weeks
The "ABQ Voters For Late-Term Abortion Ban" pro-life campaign is hoping to make Albuquerque the first city in America to pass the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Ordinance, which bans abortions beginning at 20 weeks after fertilization.
"While putting forth this ordinance has been a local grass-roots effort, this election has important national implications. We believe that the good people of Albuquerque will rise to the occasion and do the right thing to protect these babies who are just a few short weeks or, in some cases, days from birth," said Tara Shaver, Chairperson of ABQ Voters For Late-Term Abortion Ban.
Pro-life advocated in other states, like Texas, have also pushed for a ban on abortions after 20 weeks, and have been supported by major figures such as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar of the TLC reality television show "19 Kids and Counting" and the Rev. Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
While abortion remains a controversial issue across America, 54 percent of voters in Albuquerque said in a Journal Poll that they support the proposed ban on late-term abortions, which has received over 12,000 petition signatures of registered voters. But thirty-nine percent said that they would not support such a bill, which will be up for a vote on Nov. 19.
Opinions on the bill were largely divided among political lines - only 35 percent of Democrats said they support such an abortion ban, compared to 80 percent of Republicans. Pastors such as Jeffress have argued, however, that "this is not a battle between Republicans and Democrats, it's a battle between a culture of life and death," noting that Satan is always on the side of death, while God is on the side of life.
Journal pollster Brian Sanderoff said that the poll results are a bit surprising, because many Albuquerque voters tend to be pro-choice – a position which seemingly is not as strong for late-term abortion.
A press release by the pro-life group said that New Mexico is one of only nine states that allows post-viability abortions, and that its lack of abortion laws makes it "more akin to those found in Communist China and Korea than in the rest of America." It also noted that one of biggest late-term abortion clinics in America operates in Albuquerque.
"Albuquerque has the opportunity to be the first city in the nation to ban late-term abortions. Because the grisly procedures are done on women from every state, we are calling on all national pro-life groups to help us make this happen," Shaver added.
