Legislative Roundup
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Open primaries: Open primaries for unaffiliated voters could be coming soon to an election near you, although fully open primaries and ranked-choice voting appear to be a bridge too far for many senators.
The Senate Rules Committee voted 8-1 Friday morning to give a “do pass” recommendation to Senate Bill 73, which would let “decline to state” voters pick which party’s primary they want to vote in.
However, the committee voted 5-4 to table Senate Joint Resolution 7, which would put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to switch to a system of nonpartisan open parties followed by ranked-choice voting in the general election, similar to the systems in Alaska and Maine. The committee also voted 7-2 to table Senate Bill 175, which would have switched to truly open primaries by letting any voter cast a ballot in any primary they want, regardless of their party affiliation.
Sen. Bill O’Neill, D-Albuquerque, said opening up the primaries to unaffiliated voters would let more people participate. Many of his friends, he said, are “shut out of the process” because they don’t want to join one of the two major parties.
“It’s not like they don’t care about politics. … They’re very engaged,” O’Neill said. “As a Democrat, as a partisan, I am confident in our ability to sway these independent voters to come to our side. I am not remotely threatened by the notion of more people voting in our primaries.”
Transition division: A bill to create a new division in the Economic Development Department, primarily to help employees in the oil and gas industry transition into new careers, passed the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee on a party-line, 6-3 vote Friday.
The proposal to stand up an Economic Transition Division comes amid a push for the state of New Mexico to reduce its reliance on the volatile fossil fuel industry, not just from a financial standpoint but to combat climate change.
The bill would appropriate about $13.4 million from the general fund to create the new division, as well as a $10 million nonrecurring expense to establish a fund that could be used to provide administrative support to the Economic Development Department and “grants, loans, or other programming to workers transitioning away from extractive industries,” according to a fiscal impact report.
Spotted: Rep. Rod Montoya is behind the times, and motorists can see it.
Montoya, R-Farmington, sports a cherry-red legislator’s license plate on his pickup. The plate reads: “REP 1,” and the title of “Minority Whip” is emblazoned underneath.
Montoya represents House District 1, but he lost the whip’s job in November to Rep. Jason Harper of Rio Rancho. House Republicans ousted Harper from the role in January, making his stay in leadership one of the shortest on record. The new GOP whip is Rep. Greg Nibert of Roswell.
Montoya still has clout. Maybe he can persuade the Motor Vehicle Division to supply him with an updated license plate.
Navajo Nation: The Senate recognized Richelle Montoya-Chee on Friday for her “historic election” as the first female vice president of the Navajo Nation.
Sen. Shannon Pinto, D-Tohatchi, said there’s been a worldwide “movement” of women being elected to office and was glad it had reached the Navajo Nation.
“In the back of my mind, I wonder what my grandfather would have said,” said Pinto, the granddaughter of the late Sen. John Pinto, a Navajo Code Talker who was the longest-serving state senator when he died in 2019. “I know he would’ve thought it was about time in some sense.”
Montoya-Chee was among the dignitaries at the Roundhouse for Native American Day, which was celebrated in both the Senate and House of Representatives.
Straw sales: Gov. Lujan Grisham and Rep. Ryan Lane, R-Aztec, on Friday announced the introduction of House Bill 306, which would prohibit so-called “straw purchases” of firearms.
The legislation would make it a fourth-degree felony to knowingly purchase a firearm for another person who cannot lawfully own a firearm or who intends to transfer the firearm to a person who plans to use the firearm in furtherance of a felony or misdemeanor, according to a news release the Governor’s Office issued Friday. The bill was not yet filed online for review as of Friday afternoon.
“We know that guns are far too often making their way into the wrong hands, including juveniles and convicted felons,” Lujan Grisham said in the news release. “That’s a pattern that must stop, and I’m grateful to [House Minority] Leader Lane for his willingness to partner on this important legislation.”
“We must do everything in our power to ensure that career criminals do not have access to firearms,” Lane said in the release.
Quotes of the day
“I thank you for taking on this role because I know it’s not going to be easy, and I’m sure it’s already been a bit of a rocky road just getting to this point and even deciding to step into those shoes or, should I say, moccasins.” —Sen. Shannon Pinto, D-Tohatchi, while recognizing Richelle Montoya-Chee, the first woman elected to an executive office of the Navajo Nation.
“Not a very sexy bill, Marian.” —Rep. Elizabeth “Liz” Thomson, D-Albuquerque, to fellow Democratic Rep. Marian Matthews of Albuquerque, after no one spoke for or against her House Bill 83, on podiatry licensure requirements. Members of the House Health and Human Services Committee unanimously approved the measure.
