Stefani Lord, a representative for New Mexico's House District 22, said that she and other Republicans collaborated to introduce a bill that would classify fentanyl exposure as a form of abuse. However, the proposal was rejected by Democrats. Lord made this statement in a March 27 post on X.
"Republican Representative Reeb and I presented a bill to add exposure to fentanyl to the list of abuse, both this year and last," said Lord, State Representative. "This year, Rep Reeb got the bill before my House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee. What did the Democrats do? THEY KILLED IT!"
Lord's comments were in response to a media release from the City of Española Police regarding an incident involving an infant's exposure to fentanyl on March 24. According to the news release, officers responded to Española Presbyterian Hospital where an 18-month-old infant had overdosed on fentanyl following exposure. The infant received treatment with Narcan at the hospital and showed positive signs of recovery. An investigation indicated that both parents were regular users of fentanyl at home, and the mother informed officers that she and her husband had previously been arrested for child abuse related to a similar incident. Although neither parent was identified, both faced felony charges: Abuse of a Child Resulting in Great Bodily Harm and Abuse of a Child.
Screenshot of State Representative Stefani Lord's March 27 post on X
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KOAT reported that the infant was transferred to a neonatal intensive care unit for further treatment, and New Mexico Child Protective Services is involved in the case.
In February, Lord expressed her dissatisfaction with Democrats on the Consumer and Public Affairs Committee (CPAC) who voted against categorizing knowingly exposing a child to fentanyl as child abuse. She referred to the failure of House Bill 136 in the CPAC committee. Sponsored by Representatives Reeb, Nicole Chavez, Luis M. Terrazas, Gabriel Ramos, and Rebecca Dow, the bill aimed to classify fentanyl exposure as child abuse starting July 1 if it had passed. According to the Sun, three committee members voted to table the bill, overruling Lord and Rep. John Block, while Rep. Romero was excused from voting.
Stefani Lord is a Republican politician from Albuquerque and founder of Pro-Gun Women, an organization advocating for Second Amendment rights. She was re-elected in 2024 to represent House District 22. Known for her advocacy of gun rights and government accountability, she actively engages with her constituents on issues related to personal freedoms.
