Legislative Roundup: March 7
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 7, 2019
Zeke Pirtle, 7, helps his father, state Sen. Cliff Pirtle, R-Roswell, warm up before Wednesday’s game against the House Aggies in the Hoops 4 Hope contest, which benefits the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, held at the Santa Fe Indian School on March 6, 2019. Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican
Chris Jans, New Mexico State Aggies head basketball coach, goes over plays with members of the state House of Representatives before their game against The Senate Lobos at the start of Hoops 4 Hope, an annual event that benefits the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, held at the Santa Fe IndianSenate Panel Favors Smaller Minimum Wage Hike
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 6, 2019
Rep. Miguel Garcia, D-Bernalillo CountyBy ANDREW OXFORD
A Senate committee on Tuesday snubbed Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s call to raise New Mexico’s minimum wage to $12 an hour over the next several years, advancing instead a more modest bill backed by business groups.
Dueling proposals for increasing the wages of New Mexico’s lowest-paid workers collided in a packed hearing of the Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee. After a flurry of changes, the committee ultimately advanced a measure that would
State Auditor Issues Risk Advisory On Payroll Scam
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 6, 2019
STATE News:SANTA FE ― The Office of the State Auditor released a Risk Advisory warning of prevalent phishing and spoofing attempts Tuesday to defraud government agencies through employee payroll services.
“Don’t be fooled, fraudsters and thieves are constantly coming up with new scams and they hope by appearing to be official, using a well-known person’s name, they can get you to let your guard down,” State Auditor Brian Colón said. “Be diligent and never give out work or personal financial information when solicited.”
The phishing scam seeks to change direct deposit
Read More Landmark Education Bill Passes House
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 6, 2019
STATE News:
- Historic Education Reform Bill Advances to Senate
Chair Rep. Andres Romero (D-Albuquerque), House Appropriations & Finance Chairwoman Patricia Lundstrom (D-Gallup), Rep. Christine Trujillo (D-Albuquerque), and Rep. Bobby Gonzalez (D-Taos).
House Bill 5 calls for a $449 million dollars increase, for public education funding while increasing teacher minimum salaries, expanding K-5 Plus, and increasing the at-risk index.
“This bill is a once-in-a-lifetime game changer for our students across the state. While many components of H.B. 5 address the requirements of Read More
Legislative Roundup: March 6
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 6, 2019
Pedro Garcia, Shawn McHugh and Mary Nix, all teen students of the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, tactually explore an engraving on the wall of the Capitol Rotunda Tuesday. Photo by Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican
Shawn McHugh, 16, with New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, tactually explores an engraving on the wall of the Capitol Rotunda about the Capitol Buildings Improvement Commission Tuesday. Photo by Gabriela Campos/The New MexicanBy The Santa Fe New Mexican:
Days remaining in the session: 10
Tears and tissues: Members
Read More Trio Of Bills To Help Rural New Mexico Pass House
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 5, 2019
The Roundhouse in Santa Fe. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
STATE News:
- Rep. D. Wonda Johnson champions bills to positively impact tribal and frontier areas.
SANTA FE – The House of Representatives has passed a trio of bills sponsored by Rep. D. Wonda Johnson (D-Church Rock) that will positively impact rural and frontier areas of New Mexico.
House Bill 234, Public Service Officers and Detox Facilities; House Bill 235, Counseling and Therapy Act Definitions; and House Bill 385, Access to Telecomm Rural Service Fund are all headed to the Senate for further consideration.
House Bill Read More
Public Education Secretary Confirmed Unanimously
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 5, 2019
Karen Trujillo answers questions from the Senate Rules Committee during a two-hour hearing Monday, which preceded a Senate vote of 38-0 to confirm Trujillo as New Mexico’s new public education secretary. Photo by Gabriela Campos/The New MexicanBy ROBERT NOTT
The state Senate’s confirmation process for New Mexico’s new public education secretary, Karen Trujillo, was short and painless.
It lacked the drama, conflict and fire that marked hearings involving the controversial Hanna Skandera, who toiled through four years
Read More Rep. Debbie Armstrong Bill To Keep Guns From Domestic Violence Offenders Passes Senate Committee
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 5, 2019
STATE News:Rep. Debbie Armstrong’s bill to keep guns out of the hands of domestic violence offenders, HB 87, is headed to its second Senate committee hearing after it passed the Senate Public Affairs Committee Saturday by a vote of 4-2
“When a gun is present in a situation of domestic violence, it is five times more likely that a woman will be killed,” Armstrong said. “HB 87 is a common-sense way to reduce gun violence in New Mexico.”
Armstrong’s bill, cosponsored and carried in the Senate by Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, makes it a misdemeanor for anyone convicted of domestic
Read More Measure To Prevent Surprise Health Care Billing Passes New Mexico House Of Representatives
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 5, 2019
STATE News:SANTA FE ― The House of Representatives unanimously has passed House Bill 207 to protect New Mexicans from surprise billing costs.
House Bill 207, sponsored by Rep. Nathan Small (D-Las Cruces), protects people with health insurance from out of network and unexpected billing costs.
Surprise billing occurs when a patient goes for care to a hospital or clinic in their insurance network. But, if they are cared for by an out of network provider, the patient can receive a balance bill far above their regular deductible. The Managed Care Division of the Office of the
Read More Bill To Prevent Predatory Towing Advances
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 5, 2019
HOUSE DEMOCRATS News:SANTA FE ― Monday, a bill to prevent predatory towing passed the House Judiciary Committee.
House Bill 491, sponsored by Rep. Natalie Figueroa (D-Albuquerque) and Rep. Christine Trujillo (D-Albuquerque) would add a new section to the Unfair Practices Act to make it an unfair or deceptive practice to tow or immobilize a vehicle from an apartment complex without giving 10 days’ written notice.
“This bill was inspired by the story of a Purple Heart veteran whose special license plate was stolen from his vehicle, and then his vehicle was towed away in the
Read More Legislative Roundup: March 5
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 5, 2019
Luann McConnell from the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces spins wool Monday in the state Capitol during Culture Day at the Legislature. Photo by Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican
A stack of tortillas decorated with stenciled patterns using cinnamon, colored sugars, Nutella and butter sit in a stack of edible art Monday at a booth in the state Capitol during Culture Day at the Legislature. Photo by Gabriela Campos/The New MexicanSFNM News:
Days left in the session: 12
Another state song: O, Fair New Mexico has been the state song since 1973. New Mexico
Read More SFCIR: Former LANL Director, Sig Hecker, To Discuss ‘What’s Next For North Korea?’ March 21
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 5, 2019
Dr. Sig HeckerSFCIR News:
Dr. Sig Hecker, former director of Los Alamos National Laboratory will present a discussion entitled “What’s Next for North Korea?” at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 21 at Hotel Santa Fe Hacienda and Spa, 1501 Paseo de Peralta.
The presentation will be introduced and moderated by Valerie Plame, former covert CIA operations officer.
2017 was a very dangerous year on the Korean Peninsula, with regular nuclear tests and a war of words with President Trump – from “dotard” to “Little Rocket Man”. However, rapid North/South rapprochement
Read More Gun Buyer Background Check Bill Clears Legislature
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 5, 2019
By ROBERT NOTT
The New Mexico House of Representatives voted 42-27 late Monday to approve a bill that would expand requirements for instant federal background checks on buyers of firearms in the state.
Exceptions would include sales of antique firearms or any sale involving immediate family members. It would not affect transactions involving guns that are loaned, gifted or inherited either.
The Senate already had narrowly approved Senate Bill 8, on a vote of 22-20 on Feb. 14, the one-year anniversary of a mass shooting in a high school in Parkland,
Read More Governor Cheers House Passage Of Legislation Expanding Background Checks, Boosting Public Safety
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 5, 2019
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham
From the Office of the Governor:
SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued the following statement late today after the New Mexico House approved Senate Bill 8, a common-sense public safety measure that will expand background checks on firearm sales, closing loopholes used by individuals with dangerous histories.
The Senate approved the legislation on Feb. 14.
One of several important gun safety measures introduced during this legislative session, Senate Bill 8 is a step toward ensuring safe and proper firearm ownership in the state. Background
Read More House OKs Public-Private Partnerships For Roads And Broadband Projects
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 5, 2019
Rep. Patricia LundstromBy ROBERT NOTT
More than 35 states allow partnerships in which private entities can bid to help finance and build government-owned facilities.
New Mexico is not yet one of those states. But it could be if a bill that the House of Representatives approved Friday by a vote of 64-0 makes it into law.
House Bill 286, sponsored by five lawmakers from both political parties, would allow any government agency in the state to enter into a long-term agreement with a private entity to finance and build road and broadband infrastructure.
Read More Small Biz Tax Credit Passes House Floor Unanimously
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 4, 2019
House Dist. 43 Rep. Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos)
STATE News:
SANTA FE – House Bill 526, the bipartisan Laboratory Contract with Small Business Tax Credit, Sunday passed the House Floor unanimously. Representatives Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos), Abbas Akhil (D-Albuquerque), Jason Harper (R-Rio Rancho) and Joseph Sanchez (D-Alcalde) introduced the bill.
House Bill 526 increases the maximum tax credit amounts for Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories for contracting with New Mexico small businesses through the New Mexico Small Business Assistant Read More
Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján Statement On House Vote To Close Charleston Loophole
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 4, 2019
Rep. Ben Ray LujanCONGRESSIONAL News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. House Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) issued the following statement on the House vote Thursday to close the “Charleston Loophole:”
“For an entire generation, Congress has responded to the murder of children, churchgoers, and individuals within our communities due to gun violence with a hollow call for thoughts and prayers. But while we prayed, Americans were murdered by the thousands.
“Today, we took another action to end senseless violence. For the second time in just one week, House Democrats
Read More Bill Would Prevent Lobbyist Spending During Session
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 4, 2019
By ANDREW OXFORDIt is hard to find even a bottle of water in the state Capitol that hasn’t been paid for by some special interest group.
But that could change. At the very least, New Mexicans could get a much better idea of what all those groups are lobbying for at the state Capitol.
The state House of Representatives voted 62-0 Sunday night to pass a bill that would ban lobbyists from making any expenditures on legislators while they are in session.
House Bill 131, which now goes to the state Senate, was originally written to require lobbyists
House OKs Ethics Bill With Election ‘Blackout’
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 4, 2019
The Roundhouse in Santa Fe. Courtesy/SFNMBy ANDREW OXFORD
Election season might seem like the perfect time for a government ethics watchdog to be on high alert.
But in setting up a new statewide ethics commission, lawmakers are proposing to curtail its work during the height of election years — or even for the entirety of the campaign season.
Some legislators contend the commission needs a sort of blackout period to avoid political adversaries from filing complaints solely for the purpose of derailing a candidate’s campaign.
Read More Governor Nominates Regents For Northern, ENMU, Highlands, NMMI And WNMU
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on March 4, 2019
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham
STATE News:
SANTA FE ― Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Thursday announced nine appointments to the boards of regents for Northern New Mexico College, Eastern New Mexico University, New Mexico Highlands University, New Mexico Military Institute and Western New Mexico University.
In an executive message to the state Senate, the governor submitted to the Rules Committee the following nominees:
- Erica Rita Velarde to the Northern New Mexico College Board of Regents for a six-year term through Dec. 31, 2024.
- Porter Swentzell to the Northern New Mexico College Board of
