Organizers seek to overturn extreme laws via NM’s referendum process
Organizers from across New Mexico through the group Better Together New Mexico seek to overturn extreme bills passed during the 2023 Legislative Session via ballot referendums.
The group wrote on a sign-up form, “Did you know the legislature just took away many of your rights during this 2023 legislative session?”
“Soon you will have NO RIGHT to secure elections because of HB 4 & SB 180. If HB 7, SB 13, SB 397 become law, parents will have NO RIGHT to be aware that their child is having an abortion or gender transitioning at school,” wrote the group.
“And because of HB 7, it’s now illegal for counties, cities, and even teachers to opt out of abortion and transitioning school clinics. These bills are just a few of the damaging bills that passed this year. You may hear about other bills to fight in the days to come. Are you frustrated by the government’s rule over your life? Now’s your chance to stop it!”
The group noted, “We are gathering signatures for referendums to stop those bills before they become law and get them on the ballot in 2024 for the people to decide!
Many of the extreme bills passed the legislature with virtually no Republican support, which fundamentally change the rights of parents and open up New Mecico’s elections to interference through corrosive election policies, such as an opt-in automatic absentee ballot list, among other measures.
However, Democrat Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver’s office is trying to stop Better Together New Mexico from setting up the referendum.
The SOS office’s spokesman, Alex Curtas, told the Santa Fe New Mexican, “None of the requests submitted by Better Together New Mexico or affiliated individuals [have] met the strict legal requirements for referendum petitions, and it would be completely irresponsible for the Secretary of State to approve a referendum petition for circulation and signature by voters of this state if it is not in the format required by law and most importantly, if it is constitutionally exempt from being challenged by referendum petition.”
He added, “To date, following the 2023 Legislative Session, the Secretary of State has not received a single petition that meets even the basic technical requirements as to form under [New Mexico] law.”
Larry Sonntag of Better Together New Mexico told the New Mexican, “She’s not doing her job of approving the format for the referendums to go forward.” He said she is putting up “unnecessary roadblocks,” claiming, “She’s kicked back some of them based on a hyphen or a comma. That type of red tape, governmental obstruction to what’s allowed in the Constitution is not acceptable.”
To find Better Together New Mexico’s sign-up form to collect signatures in your area of the state, click here.
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