State court issues order blocking ordinances

New Mexico’s Supreme Court on Friday issued an order that temporarily blocks enforcement of the anti-abortion ordinances Clovis and Roosevelt County passed last year.

The city of Clovis, Roosevelt County and Hobbs are listed as respondents in the case. All five justices concurred.

The court granted the request in response to state Attorney Gen. Raul Torrez’ emergency writ of mandamus filed Jan. 23. The court directed all parties to submit briefs addressing legal issues.

The court’s order reads: “… (T)he county and city ordinances at issue in this matter are hereby stayed and shall have no effect until further order of the court.”

The court ordered briefs from the respondents in the case are to be returned to the state supreme court by April 23.

On the content of the briefs the court ordered: “The briefs shall address the following issue: What effect, if any, does House Bill 7, the reproductive and gender affirming health care freedom act, which was signed into law March 16, 2023, have on this matter?”

“The order by the Supreme Court advances the fight to ensure that New Mexico remains a safe haven for women seeking reproductive healthcare,” AG Torrez wrote in a news release.

Torrez said the extraordinary writ and the legislation just passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor will make it clear that everyone in New Mexico has a protected, constitutional right to make their own healthcare decisions.

“Given the attacks we are seeing in Texas and across the country, I am proud to stand with our Legislature and the Governor to continue this fight,” he said.

Clovis Mayor Mike Morris, City Attorney Jared Morris and Roosevelt County Commissioner Tina Dixon all declined to comment on the court order. Calls to other public officials were not returned on Friday.

Reached via text Friday, Laura Wight, co-founder of the “progressive” group Eastern New Mexico Rising, called Friday’s court order “a huge victory for bodily autonomy and reproductive justice for New Mexicans.”

“(We) have always denounced the inhumane and illegal ordinances that the Roosevelt County Commission, Clovis city commission and (Clovis) Mayor Morris passed in partnership with out-of-state lobbyists,” she said.