New Mexico

Dems advance bill to give governor, other politicians a $60K pay raise

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On Monday, the New Mexico Senate Finance Committee voted 8-3 to pass S.B. 442, which would give the governor and other statewide elected officials a hefty $59,714 pay raise.

In addition to Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, all other statewide officials, including Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, Attorney General Raúl Torrez, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, State Auditor Joseph Maestas, Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard, and Treasurer Laura Montoya would get the raise.

According to the bill’s fiscal impact report, “Current law requires salaries from elected officials be paid from the general fund, except for the commissioner of public lands, who is paid from the state lands maintenance fund.”

During the committee’s consideration of the bill, Sen. Bill Sharer said, “Those are huge numbers; I never got an increase like that,” adding, “I’m concerned by these, what appear to be, colossal pay raises.”

Toulouse Oliver was happy to admit she wants a pay raise, claiming she would “welcome” the salary bump.

She said, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican, “We have lives and families to support just like everybody else.”

“This isn’t so much about making money — none of us went into government to get rich or to make money…. I just need to be able to pay my bills and deal with inflation, the cost of living that’s really high right now. I’m a single mom, so for me, it’s much needed and very welcome and appreciated.”

Currently, the governor makes $110,000, while the auditor, treasurer, and secretary of state all make $85,000. The attorney general makes $95,000, and the land commissioner makes $90,000 annually. 

The bill now goes to the Senate Finance Committee for consideration. 

NM House Dems vote to give themselves taxpayer-funded salaries

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On Saturday, all but one New Mexico House Democrat voted to give themselves salaries on the backs of the state’s taxpayers. The proposal, H.J.R. 8 by Rep. Angelica Rubio (D-Doña Ana), passed the House chamber on a 40-24 vote, with Rep. Ambrose Castellano (D-Ribera) joining all Republicans in rejecting the measure.

The chamber debated the resolution for three hours, with Republicans offering an amendment to cap the salary at the median household income of an average New Mexican, which is approximately $54,000 annually. 

The amendment, sponsored by Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo), was rejected on a party-line vote after a lengthy debate. Democrats advocated for a commission to set the salary without any parameters by the Legislature on how the amount should be set.

Currently, legislators in New Mexico do get paid a per diem, which is $176 a day for a House member and $181 a day for senators. For House members during the 60-day session, they receive $10,560, and senators receive $10,860. They also receive per diem for interim committees that meet throughout the year and, after ten years of service, receive a generous pension. 

Despite the compensation legislators receive, Democrats erroneously claimed New Mexico is the only state in the country that doesn’t pay its lawmakers. However, New Mexico’s system is quite generous versus states like New Hampshire, which pay their legislators only $100 without per diem, or Utah, which pays $285 per legislative day. Currently, New Mexico lawmakers make around $22 per hour based on eight hours of work for the per diem rate.

During the debate, Rep. Alan Martinez (R-Bernalillo) said he is “uncomfortable” voting for legislator pay, saying it incentivizes politicians “to stay here and become entrenched in the system.”

The resolution now heads over to the state Senate for consideration. However, it is unclear if it will pass the chamber with only around 13 days left in the legislative session. If it does pass the Senate, it will go on the 2024 general election ballot for voters to approve or reject the measure. 

Radical anti-gun bill one hurdle away from becoming law

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On Friday, the state Senate passed H.B. 9, an extreme piece of legislation that would force New Mexicans to lock up their firearms in “a gun safe or a device that prevents a firearm from being discharged or from being used to expel a projectile by the action of an explosion or a device other than a gun safe that locks a firearm and is designed to prevent children and unauthorized users from firing a firearm, which device may be installed on a firearm, be incorporated into the design of the firearm or prevent access to the firearm.”

If the gun owner does not lock up any and all firearms and their gun is somehow used in an offense by a minor causing “great bodily harm” or death, the parent of that child could be made a felon if the victim of the crime is killed or permanently disabled.

As noted by even some Democrats in the chamber during a July 2022 preview of the bill, it would be the first crime proposal to base a defendant’s sentence not on their own actions but that of someone else (a minor) who got ahold of a firearm. 

The bill does not, however, include provisions protecting the gun owner if the firearm was stolen, nor does it account for the de-facto tax it burdens the owner with being forced to find a new locking device to place it at all times. The bill is also blatantly unconstitutional.

The Senate amended the bill to add an exception for children hunting, but it would still require locking up the gun at nearly all times. Other amendments were also made. 

All Republicans and one Democrat, Sen. Benny Shendo, Jr. (D-Jemez Pueblo), voted against the bill. The final tally for the bill was 24-16.

It now goes back to the House for concurrence since it was amended in the upper chamber. If it passes the House for concurrence, it will go to the governor’s desk for a signature. Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has already signaled she will sign it into law.

Dems kill a slew of bills to curb crime epidemic

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On Thursday, the New Mexico House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee killed multiple proposals on party-line votes that would have helped curb the crime epidemic ravaging communities such as Albuquerque.

The committee quickly tabled H.B. 484 by Rep. Bill Rehm (R-Albuquerqu), which would have amended multiple sections of the Motor Vehicle Code to prevent driving with cannabis or controlled substances or metabolites in the blood. This would be in addition to alcohol blood concentrations. It quickly died on a 4-2 tabling vote, with Republican Reps. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) and John Block (R-Alamogordo) voting against tabling it.

Next, H.B. 491, a bill sponsored by three Democrat representatives, including Rep. Cynthia Borrego (D-Bernalillo), would have increased penalties for car theft, which is meant to deter car thieves. New Mexico leads most other states in the nation in terms of carjackings.

According to the bill’s fiscal impact report, “Under the revised penalties, anyone convicted for these crimes could be guilty of a fourth-degree felony for a first offense; a third-degree felony for a second offense, regardless of which provision was the first offense; and a second-degree felony for a third or subsequent offense, regardless of which provision was the first or second offense.” 

Borrego told stories about her relative who owns a dealership in Española and recently had a car thief steal and then wreck a brand new Toyota Tacoma afterward — leaving the dealership on the hook for the costs.

Despite carjackings plaguing the state, Democrats on the committee voted 4-2 to table the bill, with Reps. Block and Lord the only representatives opposing the tabling motion.

Another crime bill, H.B. 509, also from Rehm and Rep. Andrea Reeb (R-Clovis), would keep those criminals who have been accused of a “dangerous felony offense” in jail while awaiting trial, with an enumerated list of 14 statutory crimes defined in the bill. The bill would allow the defendant to convince a court that they are not a danger instead of automatically releasing them before trial.

This proposal also died on a 4-2 vote, with all the Democrats voting to table it and both Republicans rejecting the motion. 

Another bill, H.B. 306, which would create state penalties for straw purchases (knowingly buying a firearm for a felon), was also considered by the committee. Instead of mirroring federal law, which mandates years in prison, the bill only allows for 18 months in prison — an extremely short sentence. “Knowingly” was undefined by the bill’s sponsors. Democrats on the committee supported the Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham-backed bill, while both Republicans opposed it.  

Senate committees advance anti-gun, gender bills, delay vote on anti-police bill

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On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee delayed a committee vote on S.B. 252, an anti-police bill that is disguised as a “use of force standard” sponsored by state Sen. Harold Pope (D-Bernalillo) and Rep. Angelica Rubio (D-Doña Ana). The move to delay the vote came after the committee lost its quorum and was not able to take action on the measure.

According to the bill’s fiscal impact report (FIR), “The bill establishes a process for law enforcement agencies to report officer-involved injuries or deaths to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and for DPS to report annually on all incidents to the governor, Legislature, and the public.” 

Furthermore, “Law enforcement agencies that fail to comply with these reporting requirements are ineligible to apply for any state-agency-administered grants. The bill also requires law enforcement agencies to adopt and publish use of force policies that include a range of requirements” (emphasis added). 

DPS noted major concerns about the constitutionality of the bill. The FIR stated, “DPS asserts that SB252’s definitions of police homicide are unconstitutionally vague because they establish subjective criteria to determine whether an officer failed to evaluate the totality of the circumstances provided in the bill.”

Regarding police dogs, DPS noted that a provision of the bill “to disallow law enforcement officers from bringing police dogs to a protest or demonstration is that it may prevent officers from bringing [bomb sniffing] dogs to protests or demonstrations, a safety measure.”

Many law enforcers showed up at the state Capitol on Wednesday to oppose the bill, including even leftist sheriffs who stood opposed. 

Also in the Senate Judiciary Committee, S.B. 116 by Sen. Carrie Hamblen (D-Doña Ana) to ban firearm purchase and possession for those under 21 stalled on a 4-4 tie vote.

Another extreme bill, H.B. 9, which would make New Mexicans felons if they do not lock up their guns and a third party accesses them, passed the Senate Finance Committee and now heads to the Senate floor, where it will face intense debate. 

The Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee advanced H.B. 7, which would force public bodies to facilitate abortions and “gender-affirming care” after intense debate in that committee. It will next be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

Couy Griffin acquitted on campaign finance charge

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On Wednesday in Alamogordo, a jury of twelve in the state District Court found former Otero County Commissioner and Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin not guilty of skirting New Mexico campaign laws.

According to the Associated Press, “State prosecutors accuse Griffin of a misdemeanor violation of failing to register as a political group, which is punishable by up to a year in prison and an additional $1,000 fine.”

Griffin told the AP, “All I wanted to do was speak on behalf of an ‘America First’ agenda, which should all be protected under the First Amendment,” adding, “I don’t want the state of New Mexico to know who has supported Cowboys for Trump. It’s about protecting donors.”

The court case came after arbitration between Griffin and Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver’s office resulted in demands he registers the group as a political committee despite it not falling within that scope and ordered fines of $7,800. 

After the verdict, Griffin wrote on Twitter, “This trial was a great example of how our judicial system is supposed to work. We could get away from the weaponized system, from the radicalized activists that sit on the bench, and we do that by jury trials.”

“Thank you for following along, thank you for your support, and this fight’s just getting started. We’re gonna get lots more wins from here on out.” 

Griffin has battled in courtrooms in Washington, D.C., and in Santa Fe, where he has not been judged by his peers until now. He noted after his court victory on Wednesday that his previous cases were in front of leftist judges and/or juries, such as in Washington. D.C., where he claims it is “95 percent” Democrat. 

ABQ Public Schools official admits to sneaking in woke gender policies

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A recent undercover video from Project Veritas revealed that Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) officials are admitting to instituting woke gender ideology in the state’s largest school district.

Angela Ruiz, an employee of APS’ Student Health and Life Skills, said school employees are “required to use the name and pronouns” requested by the student without parental consultation.

“If we don’t have family input, we call it a conversation,” Ruiz said in the newly released video. She told teachers, “If you’re intentionally using the wrong pronoun, that can be a Title IX violation,” and, “How they identify at school determines which restroom they choose to use.”

Following the release of the video, New Mexico Alliance for Life executive director Elisa Martinez wrote, “These bills, combined with the revelations from Project Veritas, prove that radical leftist lawmakers are trying to make New Mexico the next California.” She added, “In an effort to profit off of the exploitation of our youth, New Mexico Lawmakers are ignoring the safety of our children. These bills are setting up New Mexico to become the premier abortion and gender-affirming destination by targeting vulnerable children in schools and circumventing parental rights.”

Currently, New Mexico’s legislature is considering a radical bill, H.B. 7, which would force public bodies to facilitate abortions and “gender-affirming care.”

Rep. Ryan Lane (R-Aztec) asked the sponsors in House Judiciary Committee, “Does this bill apply to an 8-year-old?” The bill’s sponsor admitted, “Yes.” This bill applies to an 8-year-old without parents being consulted or informed whatsoever. 

The Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee will consider the extreme bill on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. 

Register to speak via Zoom with the following information by emailing SHPAC.Zoom@nmlegis.gov. 

The Zoom details are available here:

The meeting may be viewed via Webcast at www.nmlegis.gov

For public participation, please click the link below to

join the zoom webinar

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81287336647

or via telephone +1 719 359 4580, webinar ID: 812 8733 6647

Contact the committee members here:

Senate committee shoots down extreme anti-gun bill

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On Monday, the New Mexico Senate Judiciary Committee tabled 6-3 an extreme anti-gun bill, S.B. 171, by Sen. William Soules (D-Doña Ana). 

According to the bill’s fiscal impact report, it would have prohibited “the manufacture, sale, barter, trade, gift, transfer or acquisition of… Assault pistols; Automatic firearms; Rifles with barrel lengths less than 16 inches; Shotguns with barrel lengths less than 18 inches; Mufflers, silencers, or devices for deadening or muffling the sound of discharged firearms; Any type of ammunition or any projectile component thereof coated with Teflon or any other similar coating designed primarily to enhance its capabilities to penetrate metal or pierce protective armor; and Any type of ammunition or any projectile component thereof designed or intended to explode or segment upon impact with its target.” 

The panel’s chairman Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D-Doña Ana), joined all Republicans and Sens. Bill O’Neill and Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Albuquerque) in tabling the bill.

After the bill was defeated, Senate Republican Leader Sen. Greg Baca wrote in a press release, “Like most of the gun bills being considered this Session, Senate Bill 171 needlessly targets law-abiding citizens and threatens them with a felony for exercising their Second Amendment right.”

The committee’s overwhelming rejection of the extreme ant-gun bill could be a sign that another extreme attack on the Second Amendment, H.B. 101 by Rep. Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe), could die. The bill would make most New Mexican gun owners felons by banning nearly all firearms over ten rounds.

H.B. 101 previously passed the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee on a party-line vote and awaits a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee. If it survives that committee, it would then need to pass the entire House and the Senate, where it is likely to die in Senate Judiciary Committee. 

Also on Monday, the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee advanced a bill along party lines to ban firearms within 100 feet of polling places. This would include ballot drop boxes and ban concealed carry at the polls.

Lujan Grisham refuses to withdraw Indian Affairs Dept. pick despite rape charge

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James Mountain, a former San Ildefonso governor who is Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s pick to lead the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department, was previously indicted on charges of rape, kidnapping, and aggravated battery back in 2007.

According to KUNM, “in 2010, the charges were dropped because the prosecution had insufficient evidence to proceed to trial, and court records were then sealed.” 

The Santa Fe New Mexican reported at the time: 

Mountain threw the victim down on the bed and got on top of her, the report says. The victim said she told Mountain “no,” and he should stop when he began to touch her breasts under her shirt and “get aggressive,” according to the report. Mountain took off her jeans and underwear and raped her, the report says.

“When (the victim) began to scream for (her cousin) to help her, James covered her face with a white pillow he had grabbed from the head of the bed,” the report says. “(The victim) told James she could not breathe and explained she thought she was going to lose consciousness.”

When Mountain finished, the victim ran out the bedroom door, which had been locked, and woke up her cousin, the report states. She told the cousin what had happened and the cousin called 911, according to the report.

The Associated Press reported, “On Friday, as calls for Mountain’s recusal from state leaders and activists continued to surface, a spokesperson for New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the governor was ‘aware’ of the allegations against Mountain but does not intend to withdraw her nomination.” 

Democrat state Sen. Antoinette Sedillo-Lopez said that Mountain should be “fully vetted” before being confirmed by the state Senate for the role.

“I’m very troubled by the idea of having someone with his kind of record in that position that oversees the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives Task Force,” she said.

State Sen. Shannon Pinto (D-Tohatchi) said, “I’ve been fighting this, will fight it ‘til the end,” adding, “There’s not any compromise for me in it to support it in any manner. It’s just not something that can happen right now. This is not the time. This is not the place. This is not the position that can be compromised, as far as the figurehead representing Native American people within our state.”

It is unclear if Mountain will make it through the Senate confirmation process amid the rape allegations that still loom large over his confirmation. 

NM Senate panel narrowly passes paid family leave bill

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The New Mexico Senate Finance Committee narrowly passed S.B. 11 by Sen. Mimi Stewart (D-Bernalillo), which would create “ a 12-week Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) benefit for nearly all workers in the state,” according to the bill’s fiscal impact report.

“The bill would require employee contributions of 0.5 percent and employer contributions of 0.4 percent of wages into the newly established PFML fund.” However, businesses with five employees or fewer would be exempt.

Sen. George Muñoz (D-Gallup) joined the four Republicans on the panel to reject the bill, although it squeaked by on a 6-5 vote.

According to the Albuquerque Journal, Sen. William Sharer (R-Farmington) said, “We want to be compassionate. We just don’t want to have our hands tied about how compassionate we have to be.”

Terri Cole, the president and CEO of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, said during testimony, “If you pass this bill, New Mexico will become more corporate and less unique.”

The Journal noted, “Specifically, the bill analysis projected the fund could face a $516 million deficit by the 2028 budget year — a figure that could cause the state Workforce Solutions Department to order an increase in the premium amount that businesses and employees would have to pay into the fund.”

Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has not yet endorsed the bill, although it is likely she would if it came to her desk.

Leftists have been ramming extreme bills through this session, including proposals to force public bodies to facilitate abortions and transgender surgeries (H.B. 7), new gun bans (H.B. 9), bills to weaken New Mexico elections (H.B. 4), and eco-left bills (H.B. 95), which have already passed the House.

S.B. 11 now heads to the Senate floor for a full vote, and if it is successful, it will need to pass the House in the fewer than four weeks left in the 2023 Legislative Session.

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