New Mexico Democrats Restore Religious Conscience Rights for Doctors

​In Santa Fe, Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and her fellow Democrats in the New Mexico Legislature took a commendable step to improve a law they championed to make sure it now observes the religious freedom of physicians.
 
That law is the Elizabeth Whitefield End-of-Life Options Act, which went into effect in 2021. The law required doctors who objected to administering fatal drugs to a patient to refer them to a physician who would. The Christian Medical & Dental Associations filed suit earlier this year, objecting that this law would force dissenting physicians and private physician organizations to be complicit in a practice they find offensive to their beliefs.
 
Here's where Santa Fe has a lot to teach people on both sides of the aisle in Washington, D.C. Instead of seeking a maximalist victory, sponsors of the original bill and the governor agreed that there were problems with the law. They proactively supported a measure to revise the law to observe the First Amendment rights of physicians and their private organizations. Lawsuit dropped. The rights of all respected.