Wednesday is another busy day at the Legislature, and many radical bills will be heard in committee. Please show up to testify against bad bills and for good bills. All the information you may need to testify is below:
HEALTH & PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino, Chair – Wednesday, March 10, 2021 – 1/2 hour after floor session
Note: the New Mexico Senate is set to convene at 11:00 a.m.
SB 323 HEALTH CARE WORKERS PROTECTION ACT by Sen. Gregg Schmedes (R-Bernalillo, Sandoval, Santa Fe & Torrance) and Rep. Rebecca Dow (R-Grant, Hidalgo & Sierra) – GOOD
According to the bill’s fiscal impact report, “Senate Bill 323 would establish that medical care providers, hospitals, and healthcare insurers have the right to refuse to provide or participate in a procedure (e.g., abortion). It provides for penalties against those who violate provisions in the act and whistleblower protection for those who report violations of the act.”
This bill will protect health care workers’ rights of conscience and would help keep health care workers in New Mexico. This bill is #6 on the agenda for the committee.
For public participation, complete the registration form by clicking the following link https://ggle.io/3pe5. You will be contacted by our Zoom Operator with virtual meeting instructions. The deadline to respond is Tues. March 9 at 5:00 p.m (although sign-up may be allowed up to one hour before the committee starts). If you do not receive a response, check your “junk” email.
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
Senator Joseph Cervantes, Chair – Wednesday, March 10, 2021 – 1/2 hour after floor session
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.
H.B. 4 NM CIVIL RIGHTS ACT by Rep. Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe) and Rep. Georgene Louis (D-Bernalillo) – BAD
The bill would open local governments into bankrupting civil rights claims in state court, remove “qualified immunity,” and put a target on law enforcers’ backs. The bill would also open local governments up to massive costs with frivolous civil litigation complaints.
Brain Egolf, the bill’s sponsor would directly benefit from the bill’s passage, as 60% of his private law practice are civil rights cases and civil litigation.
For public participation send an email to SJC@nmlegis.gov with your Name, Entity Represented, Bill #, For or Against, and indicate if you wish to speak. Written comments are limited to 300 words or less. The deadline to respond is Wednesday, March 10 at 10:00 a.m. You will be contacted by our Zoom Operator with the virtual meeting instructions.