Legislative Update: Bills you need to know about for Feb. 19-20

This is a busy time at the New Mexico Legislature, and here are short rundowns of some bills being considered today, tomorrow, and over the weekend. Those marked with “BAD” are what Piñon Post sees as bills detrimental to the state.

Today, the New Mexico House of Representatives is expected to vote on the final passage of S.B. 10, an abortion up-to-birth and infanticide bill. New Mexico Alliance for Life is urging people to contact representatives who may be willing to change their vote, which can be found here:

Rep. Phelps Anderson: Roswell, 986 4426, phelps.anderson@nmlegis.gov | Rep. Melanie Stansbury: ABQ NE Heights, 986 4432, melanie.stansbury@nmlegis.gov | Rep. Marian Matthews: ABQ Tanoan 986 4242, marian.matthews@nmlegis.gov | Rep. Karen Bash: ABQ Westside 986 4236, karen.bash@nmlegis.gov | Rep. Joy Garratt: ABQ NE Heights 986 4249, joy.garratt@nmlegis.gov | Rep Meredith Dixon: ABQ NE Heights 986 4210, meredith.dixon@nmlegis.gov | Rep. Christine Chandler: Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Sandoval & Santa Fe, 986 4242 christine.chancler@nmlegis.gov | Rep. Ambrose Castellano San Miguel, Torrance, 986 4236 ambrose.castellano@nmlegis.gov | Rep. Brittney Barreras: ABQ Westgate 986 4248, brittneyfornewmexico@gmail.com | Rep. Roger Montoya: Velarde, NM, 986 4464, roger.montoya@nmlegis.gov | Rep. Eliseo Alcon: Grants, NM 986 4416, eliseo.alcon@nmlegis.gov | Rep. Dayan H-Vigil: ABQ North Valley, 986 4432 dayan.hochman-vigil@nmlegis.gov | Rep. Liz Thompson: ABQ NE Heights 986 4415 liz.thomson@nmlegis.gov | Rep. Susan Herrera: Embudo, NM 505 986 4249 susan.herrera@nmlegis.gov

SENATE COMMITTEES

HEALTH AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE – Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino, Chair, convenes at 1:30 p.m.* 

*Times are subject to change depending on the Senate floor schedule. 

For spoken public comment, please follow the below Zoom link to access the meeting to testify:

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Meeting ID: 897 3890 5182
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S.B. 224 – CRIME OF FAILURE TO SECURE FIREARM by Sen. Antoinette Sedillo-Lopez (D-Bernalillo) – BAD

As reported on earlier, this bill will criminalize parents who teach their children how to shoot and mandate specific gun safes and locks for firearms. This is the bill’s first committee appearance.

This bill is staunchly anti-Second Amendment and counter-productive, as it would leave children without proper firearms training to use guns properly. 

S.B. 232  – EXEMPTION FROM IMMUNIZATION by Sen. Gregg Schmedes (R-Bernalillo, Sandoval, Santa Fe, and Torrance) – GOOD

According to the fiscal impact report, “Senate Bill 232 would amend Section 24-5-3 NMSA 1978 to add a fourth reason why a child should be granted an exemption from state-required immunizations for school or dare. The fourth type of exemption, “for reasons of conscience,” would be added to the three existing reasons: medical exemptions; group religious objections to vaccine(s) and individual religious objections to vaccine(s).” This bill is friendly to New Mexicans who have conscience objections to vaccinations. 

S.B. 238 – ELIMINATE SEC. OF HEALTH POWERS by Sen. Gregg Schmedes (R-Bernalillo, Sandoval, Santa Fe, and Torrance) – GOOD

According to the fiscal impact report, “Senate Bill 238 eliminates the authority of the secretary of the Department of Health under the Public Health Emergency Response Act (PHERA) to isolate or quarantine a person who is unwilling or unable to undergo vaccination for reasons of health, religion or conscience. This bill contains an emergency clause and would become effective immediately upon signature by the governor.” This bill is friendly to those who have objections to being forcibly vaccinated by the Department of Health. 

SB 230 – INSTITUTIONAL RACISM IN STATE AGENCIES by Sen. Linda Lopez (D-Bernalillo) – BAD

“SB230 directs each state agency or entity that receives state funding to annually develop and submit a plan to address institutional racism as part of its annual final budget submission. SB230 would require copies of the annual plans to be provided to the Legislature, the Legislative Finance Committee, and the Courts, Corrections, & Justice Committee,” according to the Fiscal Impact Report. 

This bill would foster racism within state agencies based upon arbitrary attributes that employees cannot control. This would further bureaucratize New Mexico state agencies and waste hard-earned taxpayer money on programs that do not directly benefit the state in any way, shape, or form. 

S.B. 274 – USE OF DEADLY FORCE REPORTINGby Sen. Antoinette Sedillo-Lopez (D-Bernalillo) and Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero (D-Bernalillo) – BAD

Note: both of these women are running for Congress in CD-1.

According to the bill, “Within twenty-four hours of a person suffering great bodily harm or death as a result of a peace officer’s actions, the sheriff or the chief of police of the jurisdiction in which the great bodily harm or death occurred shall report the great bodily harm or death in writing to the district attorney of the judicial district in which the great bodily harm or death occurred. The sheriff or chief of police shall report all instances of suspected great bodily harm to the appropriate district attorney, even if a more thorough assessment of great bodily harm will be undertaken at a later date,” 

The bill would put undue suspicion of wrongdoing on the part of the law enforcement officer, overburdening local sheriffs and district attorneys, while not trusting police officers to carry forth their duties. 

NOTE: This same bill, but in the House form as H.B. 254 will be heard in the HOUSE CONSUMER AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE on Thursday, February 18, 2021 – 10 Minutes After the Floor Session – Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89243737297

S.B. 227 –  INSPECTION OF POLICE MISCONDUCT INVESTIGATION – Sen. Linda Lopez (D-Bernalillo) – BAD

This bill is opposed by the Bernalillo County Deputy Sheriffs Association. It adds crippling restrictions on law enforcement and adds strict reporting criteria which does nothing by penalize law enforcers for simply carrying out their duties. Included in the bill are restrictions, such as the following:

“A law enforcement officer shall not use a chokehold. J. A law enforcement officer shall not discharge tear gas or other chemical weapons. K. A law enforcement officer shall not discharge rubber pellets from a propulsion device. L. A law enforcement officer shall not direct a dog to bite a person.” This is an anti-law enforcement bill, which takes critical tools away from officers. 

SATURDAY SENATE HEARINGS

TAX, BUSINESS AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE – Senator Benny Shendo Jr., Chair | Saturday, February 20, 2021 – 9:00 a.m. – Virtual Zoom Meeting

S.B. 197 – INCREASE CIGARETTE TAX sponsored by Sen. Linda Lopez (D-Bernalillo) – BAD

According to the fiscal impact report, the bill “increases the tobacco products tax for products distributed for consumption from 25 percent to 83 percent, for e-liquids from 12.5 percent to 83 percent, and for closed system cartridges from 50 cents to $3.32 per closed system cartridge” 

This would put a crippling burden on this commodity by hiking its tax by over 332%.  

For public participation send an email to SCORC@nmlegis.gov with your Name, Entity Represented, Bill #, For or Against and indicate if you wish to speak. The deadline to respond is Friday, February 19 at 5:00 p.m. You will be contacted by our Zoom Operator with the virtual meeting instructions.

See the full Senate schedule here.

HOUSE COMMITTEES

HOUSE COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

ANTONIO “MOE” MAESTAS, CHAIR – 1:30 p.m. – Zoom

H.B. 110 – PHASED MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE by Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero (D-Bernalillo) – She is running for Congress in CD-1.  – BAD

“Starting January 1, 2022, the minimum wage would rise to $12.00 per hour Starting January 1, 2024, the minimum wage would rise to $15.00 per hour,” according to the fiscal impact report.

This bill hurts small businesses and causes fewer people employed because of the mandates from this anti-business, anti-worker bill. 

You are invited to a Zoom webinar. Feb 22, 2021 01:30 PM When: Feb 22, 2021 01:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada) Topic: HOUSE COMMERCE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83846715600

SATURDAY HOUSE HEARINGS

HOUSE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE – DEBORAH ARMSTRONG, CHAIR

Saturday, February 20, 2021 – 9:00 a.m. – Zoom

Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89853256841 Or iPhone one-tap : US: +13462487799,,89853256841# or +16699009128,,89853256841#

Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

US: +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 Webinar ID: 898 5325 6841

H.B. 205 – PROHIBIT SALE OF FLAVORED TOBACCO PRODUCTS sponsored by Rep. Joanne Ferrary (D-Doña Ana) and Rep. Liz Thomson (D-Bernalillo) – BAD 

This bill would make it a crime “to knowingly sell, offer to sell, barter or give a flavored tobacco product to a person,” and or “purchase, possess or attempt to purchase or possess any flavored tobacco product,” which infringes on personal liberty. 

See the full House schedule here.

Hearings after Saturday:

TAX, BUSINESS AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE – Monday, February 22, 2021 – 1:30 p.m. – Virtual Zoom Meeting

For public participation send an email to SCORC@nmlegis.gov with your Name, Entity Represented, Bill #, For or Against and indicate if you wish to speak. The deadline to respond is Thursday, February 18 at 10:00 a.m. You will be contacted by our Zoom Operator with the virtual meeting instructions.

SB 168 – INCREASE GAS TAX by Sen. “Bobby” J. Gonzales (D-Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Taos) – BAD — rolled over

Senate Bill 168 increases the gasoline excise tax and the special fuel excise tax by five cents per gallon (from 17 cents to 22 cents and from 21 cents to 26 cents, respectively) over a five-year period, with a one-cent increase each fiscal year beginning in FY22.

In an economic crisis, the state already faces, this bill will raise taxes on gas, hurting the state and hurting people in New Mexico already suffering enough through burdensome taxation. 

This is just an overview of some of the most consequential bills going through the pipeline, but please visit NMLegis.gov to follow more bills.