EMMA

In New Mexico, too many women facing unexpected pregnancies feel alone, unsupported, and pressured into choices they might not otherwise make. Financial hardships, lack of child care, unstable relationships, or simply fear of the unknown often push women toward abortion—not because it’s what they want, but because they feel they have no other option.

House Bill 578, the Every Mother Matters Act, is a groundbreaking piece of legislation designed to change that reality. By providing real, tangible support to pregnant women and new mothers, HB 578 ensures that no woman in New Mexico is left to navigate pregnancy alone. It’s not about restricting rights—it’s about expanding opportunities, resources, and hope.

A Life-Affirming, Woman-Centered Approach

HB 578 creates the Pregnancy Launch Program, a statewide initiative that offers free prenatal care, child care assistance, housing support, addiction recovery services, and counseling for women in crisis. The bill requires health care providers to inform women seeking an abortion that these services exist, ensuring that every woman is fully aware of the help available to her before making an irreversible decision.

This approach is not just compassionate—it’s effective. Studies show that 75% of women seeking abortion say they would prefer to parent if their circumstances were different. Many do not know where to turn for support, and the abortion industry has no financial incentive to inform them. HB 578 fills this gap by giving women access to real help.

New Mexico has some of the most permissive abortion laws in the nation, yet little infrastructure to help women who want to keep their babies. This bill does not change abortion laws—it simply provides an alternative. And if we truly believe in a woman’s right to choose, we should ensure that she is aware of every choice, not just the one that profits the abortion industry.

Learning from Success in Other States

New Mexico is not the first state to take this approach. Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee have already implemented programs that connect women to alternatives to abortion. The results have been striking.

In Texas, a similar initiative provided support to over 10,000 women in just two years. One-third of those women chose to continue their pregnancies after receiving the help they needed. These programs have successfully reduced abortion rates without banning abortion—simply by giving women the resources they need to make a life-affirming choice.

Arkansas’ Every Mom Matters Act implemented a hotline that women seeking an abortion must call before the procedure, where they are offered immediate connections to financial, medical, and social resources. In its first year, thousands of women opted for assistance. New Mexico can replicate this success, ensuring women have access to life-saving and life-changing support.

Addressing the Critics

Opponents of HB 578 claim that requiring a woman to hear about support options before an abortion is a burden. But how is offering help a burden? The conversation takes just a few minutes, and participation is entirely voluntary. Women are free to reject the support, but they at least deserve to know it exists.

Another argument is that this bill “interferes with abortion access.” In reality, it does no such thing. It does not ban, delay, or restrict abortion—it simply ensures that no woman undergoes an abortion without knowing she has alternatives. If abortion advocates truly care about choice, they should have no problem with a bill that expands awareness of everychoice, not just abortion.

Finally, some claim that existing services already support pregnant women. But the reality is that many women don’t know these resources exist or struggle to navigate the fragmented system. HB 578 streamlines support and ensures no woman is left behind.

A Call to Action

New Mexico has an opportunity to be a leader in compassionate, pro-woman policy. HB 578 does not punish, coerce, or restrict—it simply helps. It tells women: You are not alone. We see you. We will support you.

This is not a partisan issue. It’s not about politics—it’s about people. It’s about the single mother who wants to keep her baby but doesn’t know how. It’s about the teen girl scared and abandoned. It’s about the woman in an abusive relationship who needs a way out. And it’s about the thousands of babies who deserve a chance at life.

New Mexico legislators should pass HB 578 without hesitation. It’s time to build a culture where motherhood is embraced, not feared, and where every mother—regardless of circumstance—knows that she and her child matter.

Because every mother matters. Every baby matters. And every life is worth fighting for.