Politics

Republican Party Of New Mexico Celebrates End Of Successful Legislative Session

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STATE GOP News:

ALBUQUERQUE – The Republican Party of New Mexico is excited about the positive legislative changes that Republicans in the Senate and House fought to successfully pass in this short 30 day session.

“Despite the best efforts of Senate Democrats, Republicans in the legislature were able to make significant progress in these 30 days,” said Republican Party of New Mexico Spokesman Tucker Keene. “We’ve finally fixed the many issues with our drivers licenses and made them REAL ID compliant, we’ve passed a budget that pays to address Read More

Think New Mexico Recaps 2016 Legislative Session

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By Think New Mexico

The 2016 legislative session wrapped up a few minutes ago, and we wanted to report to you the final outcomes of Think New Mexico’s initiatives.

Scholarships Safe for Another Year! (Senate Bill 180)

  • Thanks in part to 2,747 emails sent to legislators by New Mexicans like you, the House Ways and Means Committee defeated Senate Bill 180 on a bipartisan 8-5 vote.
  • This bill would not only have repealed the requirement that a minimum of 30% of lottery revenues go to scholarships, but also would have opened the door to new and different kinds of lottery gaming. So Senate Bill 180
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Garcia Richard’s Economic Development Bill Heads To Governor

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Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard

STATE News:

SANTA FE – Late into the evening Wednesday, Feb. 17, the New Mexico Senate voted 38-2 in favor of passing Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard, D-Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Sandoval counties, House Bill 139, the Economic Development Act Project (LEDA).

HB 139 expands the number of communities that can access local LEDA funding, by allowing for municipalities with a population between 10,000 and 35,000 to participate. The legislation was concurred by the New Mexico House on Thursday morning and heads to Gov. Susana Martinez’s desk. Read More

Legislature Passes Indigent Interlock Fund

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Rep. Patricio Ruiloba
 
STATE News:
 
SANTA FE ― Tuesday Feb. 16, the New Mexico Legislature passed House Bill 203, the Indigent Interlock Fund Act, with a unanimous 35-0 vote from the New Mexico Senate.
 
Earlier this session the House of Representatives passed the Indigent Interlock Fund Act with a 62-0 unanimous vote on Feb. 12. House Bill 203, sponsored by Rep. Patricio Ruiloba (D-Albuquerque), increases the financial assistance granted to drivers convicted of a DWI who cannot afford to have and maintain an interlock device in their vehicle.
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Legislature Passes The Savings Account For Disabled New Mexicans Act

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Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton
 
STATE News:
 
SANTA FE ― Tuesday Feb. 16, the New Mexico Legislature passed the Savings Account for Disabled New Mexicans Act with unanimous support.
 
House Bill 61, sponsored by House Democratic Whip, Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton (D-Albuquerque) passed the Senate Chamber with a unanimous 34-0 vote. Earlier in the legislative session the New Mexico House of Representatives passed the Savings Account for Disabled New Mexicans Act with a unanimous vote of 65-0 on Feb. 8. 
 
The Savings Account for Disabled
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Udall Introduces Legislation To Ensure Migrant Children Receive Due Process

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U.S. Sen. Tom Udall
 
SENATE News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Sen. Tom Udall announced Tuesda that he has introduced legislation to ensure that unaccompanied migrant children seeking asylum in the United States receive legal representation and a fair hearing.
 
The Fair Day in Court for Kids Act will address concerns that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is improperly rushing recently arrived asylum seekers from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras through the immigration court process. Many of those individuals are children who
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Legislature Approves Bail Reform Proposal

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SENATE News:
 
SANTA FE ― A proposed constitutional amendment for reforming pretrial detention in New Mexico has won approval in the Legislature with broad bipartisan support. 
 
The measure won final approval Wednesday when the Senate voted 36-0 to accept a version of the proposal that unanimously passed the House earlier in the week.
 
The proposal can help lower the costs of county jails. An average of 39 percent of inmates in county jails are eligible for release but have been unable to post bond, according to a survey by the New Mexico Association
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Senate Passes Balanced State Budget

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Sen. John Arthur Smith
 
STATE News:
 
SANTA FE — The Senate passed the Senate Finance Committee’s amended House Bill 2 (HB 2) on a 39-1 vote Monday that includes minor to modest budget increases for the corrections and law enforcement, the Children Youth and Families Department and public schools, including salary increases for Level II and III teachers.
 
HB 2 as amended by the Senate now heads back to the House of Representatives for concurrence.
 
However, the adjusted budget will include about a 2 percent decrease to the budgets of all other state
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House Passes Bill Providing Parental Visitation Rights To Adult Children

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Rep. Conrad James
 
STATE News:
 
SANTA FE ― House Bill 120, sponsored by Rep. Conrad James, unanimously passed the House of Representatives yesterday. The legislation would ensure that adult children have the right to visit their elderly and ill parents even if they are under the care of another person.
 
“This bill will support the visitation rights of adult children with ailing parents, and I’m encouraged by its passage,” James said. “We need to take this step to clarify the law and protect the rights of children to maintain a relationship with their parents in
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Bail Reform Passes House

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STATE News:
 
SANTA FE ― Monday Feb. 15, Senate Joint Resolution 1, the Bail Reform Constitutional Amendment, unanimously passed the House of Representatives.
 
The Bail Reform Constitutional Amendment will allow defendants who pose a clear threat to the community to be held without bail. Conversely, non-violent defendants who are unable to pay bail where evidence shows they pose no threat to the community can be released with non-monetary restrictions.
 
“Jail should be for violent people, not poor people,” stated Representative Antonio “Moe” Maestas,
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