Letter to the editor - Oct. 23

Political stunts will only prove costly

Regarding the Oct. 12 report in The Eastern New Mexico News about a proposed “Sanctuary City for the Unborn:”

Never mind that Clovis is already lacking in sufficient, quality women’s healthcare. These lobbyists from Texas have brought forth an illegal ordinance meant to divide this community.

The problem starts with its origin and introduction. According to our cities’ Code of Ordinances, an ordinance must be prepared by the city attorney -- it was not.

City Commissioner David Bryant called an “emergency meeting” to introduce the proposed piece. Alarmingly, the vote was not postponed when it was discovered that two female commissioners would be unable to attend.

Clovis has eight commissioners – so 25% of our city was not represented that evening. In a more disappointing twist, this did not stop the remaining commissioners from unanimously approving the ordinance’s introduction.

No matter your stance on reproductive health, this ordinance must be fought tooth and nail when brought up for the final vote. New Mexico’s state constitution does not allow counties or municipalities to pass ordinances that are inconsistent with state law.

These same lobbyists have attempted similar stunts in other southeastern cities through resolutions. Those same cities are now faced with legal repercussions that will prove costly for taxpayers. We’ll face tens of thousands of dollars forfeited to litigation, at no expense of the Texas lobbyists instigating this ordeal.

I urge the community to get in contact with your local commissioner and tell them we will not fund their political stunts. Clovis has come a long way and while we still have some obstacles to overcome -- such as the healthcare crisis -- we must focus on uniting as a community: not dividing over outsiders stirring the pot.

Victoria Robledo

Clovis