By MERILEE DANNEMANN
Triple Spaced Again
© 2023 New Mexico News Services

In a recent op-ed article, Rep. Greg Nibert, (R-Roswell), sounded the alarm about New Mexico school children, gender identity issues and new  legislation. Nibert referred specifically to two bills passed this year: House Bill 7 and Senate Bill 397. 

His op-ed was followed a few days later by an article by Rep. Rod Montoya (R-San Juan) on the same theme.

It may be a false alarm.

HB7 is an anti-discrimination law related to the hot-button issues of reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare. The language prohibits public entities from discriminating based on these criteria but does not mention schools specifically. SB 397 establishes school-based health centers, or SBHCs. This bill could be confusing to some readers because it establishes in law health centers that have existed for years.  

Nibert says these two laws, taken together, “force public school personnel to help underage children get gender-altering services, such as hormone blockers, gender reassignment surgery, psychotropic medications and abortion services.”

Montoya’s article says: “They are encouraging teachers to have discussions with your kids on the very sensitive subjects of family planning, gender surgery and hormone blockers, then referring them to third-party providers without parents knowing anything about it.

“If your child’s school has a school-based health center, an adult will likely be having conversations with your kid that have nothing to do with their physical health, but rather gender, identity, sexual practices and who they are having sex with.” 

I don’t see any evidence to support that. After studying the language of these two laws, plus related laws and other documents, and trying to give these arguments the benefit of the doubt, I could not find logical connection from the language of the law to “forcing” or “encouraging” school personnel to do any such thing. There is nothing directing school personnel to proactively do anything. If the school has a health center, what any adult will most likely discuss is the student’s health issue, whatever that is. 

The health centers are not operated by the schools but by various healthcare-related organizations. New Mexico has had them for 25 years.

According to analysis by the Legislative Finance Committee, there are 78 SBHCs in New Mexico; 54 are contracted with the state Department of Health Office of School Adolescence Health.

SBHCs are especially important in rural and other medically underserved areas of New Mexico, reaching children who might have no other access to medical services.

A 2021-2022 report by the Department of Health said SBHCs provided 42,416 visits to 16,144 patients; 59 percent were for primary care; 12 percent were for well-child checks; 34 percent provided behavioral healthcare.

HB 7, one of the bills cited, refers to gender-affirming care, but, again, it is anti-discrimination legislation. It does not tell anyone to do anything, except not to “deny, restrict or interfere with” with someone seeking that care.  

In response to my inquiry, Republican legislative communications director Matthew Garcia-Sierra wrote in an email response, “HB 7 would further require that … public health care providers not interfere with the child’s request for services that could include life-changing medications or surgery.” In other words, “not interfere with” means “provide the service.”  While I’m no doctor, I find that makes no sense either logically or medically. 

A letter has been issued jointly by the secretaries of the Department of Health and the Public Education Department, addressed to education leaders, apparently responding to these articles without naming any names. The letter expressed concern that misinformation is being spread about SBHCs.

Today’s children have plenty of access to information, including misinformation, about sensitive subjects – not from the schools but from other students and social media. If I were a parent in today’s environment, I would focus my worries on some kid coming to school with a gun. 

Contact Merilee Dannemann through www.triplespacedagain.com.