Hobbs Anti-Abortion Ordinance

The City of Hobbs is entertaining a harmful and ill-advised anti-abortion ordinance. You can find more context from this article.

Please contact city commissioners to let them know you are against the proposed ordinance. The final vote is expected to happen at the commission meeting on Nov. 7th.

Commissioner Emails

Copy and paste the email(s) below. You may choose to email all commissioners or your specific commissioner.

Mayor Sam Cobb
R. Finn Smith, District 1
Christopher Mills, District 2
Larron Fields, District 3
Joseph Calderon, District 4
Roy Dwayne Penick, District 5
Dan R. Gerth, District 6

Sample Letters

You may write your own letter or copy and paste a sample letter linked below. Please consider customizing the sample letter if used to better express your own concerns and include any personal details that may be relevant. Feel free to combine elements from the letters as well.

Financial Liability
Dear Commissioner, I am writing to voice my opposition to the proposed anti-abortion ordinance being considered. The proposed ordinance is a political stunt that will have no meaningful impact on abortion in the community, but will likely cost taxpayers millions in legal fees and potential settlements. Instead of rushing to pass a half-baked ordinance being pushed by political extremists with their own agendas and their desire for publicity, we should be focusing on issues that actually affect our community. Abortion is legal in the state of New Mexico. Abortion is legal federally. This ordinance doesn't change that, but it does open our community up to never-ending lawsuits by the ACLU and reproductive healthcare clinics. Please thoughtfully consider your vote on this matter and do what's right for our local taxpayers.
Lack of Local Resources
Dear Commissioner, I am writing to voice my opposition to the proposed anti-abortion ordinance being considered. The proposed ordinance is an attempt to prevent reproductive healthcare clinics from setting up in our community. However, the ordinance would scare any women's healthcare providers from coming to the area. We live in one of the most underserved regions of the country. Previously, women here would have had to drive all the way to Lubbock, but now because of Texas's strict anti-abortion laws which have inadvertantly made it difficult for pregnant people to seek treatment and has criminalized miscarriage, locals now must drive over 4 hours to Albuquerque for treatment. This is a travesty. And now this ordinance will make things worse by scaring off clinics that could be of value to the local community. As an elected official, you should be working to make life easier for our residents, not forcing them to drive 4+ hours away to find the treatment and care they need. Please vote against this ordinance.
Separation of Church and State
Dear Commissioner, I am writing to voice my opposition to the proposed anti-abortion ordinance being considered. While the issue of abortion is obviously a controversial issue, anti-abortion advocates are often opposed to abortion on religious grounds. As you are well aware, our country was founded on the principle of the separation of Church and State. The man from Texas who is pushing this ordinance, Mr. Mark Lee Dickson, is a pastor. Many churches in the area have also brought their congregations out to these meetings to speak in favor of the ordinance. At the end of the day, this issue is a personal one. Everyone should have the right to make the decision for themselves, and it is unfair for our local government and this commission to force particular religious beliefs on everyone. Please keep religion out of politics, and vote against this ordinance.
Experimental Ordinance
Dear Commissioner, I am writing to voice my opposition to the proposed anti-abortion ordinance being considered. This ordinance is a legal gray area which is likely going to cause years of lawsuits and appeals. Our community shouldn't be the testing ground for this. It's unnecessary risk for our community and could carry a large financial toll as we work through this. Similar ordinances are being propposed across the state, so why not let other communities figure it out first? I don't think it's a good idea for us to rush into something with so many unknowns. Please don't let us be the testing ground for this fight. Vote against the ordinance.
Economic Impact
Dear Commissioner, I am writing to voice my opposition to the proposed anti-abortion ordinance being considered. This ordinance if enacted will have a negative effect on the local economy. Not only could this prevent much needed healthcare providers from coming to the area, it could cause the ones we already have here to leave out of fear of being targeted and criminalized. The strict abortion law in Texas has already had terrible consequences beyond abortion services which have made it harder for healthcare providers to treat pregnant patients and has criminalized miscarriages. The ordinance could also cause large businesses here to relocate elsewhere because it will be hard for them to attract employees who are concerned about the lack of access to healthcare here. We should strive to make this area a place people and businesses want to come and set up, but by enacting ordinances that make it harder on pregnant people and healthcare providers, we will be hurting our own economy. Please vote against this irresponsible ordinance.
Personal Choice and Privacy
Dear Commissioner, I am writing to voice my opposition to the proposed anti-abortion ordinance being considered. Abortion is simply not an issue that should be left up to the government. Like any healthcare decision, it is important that the choice is left to the person, their family and their doctors. It is none of our business, and it is a gross violation of privacy for our local government to try and force the personal beliefs of some on the entire community. Please vote against this ordinance and respect the privacy and personal responsibility of the individuals living here.