Legislative Update: Many extreme bills to be heard in committee Monday, Tuesday

As we enter the third week of the 2022 Legislative session, there are many hot-button bills that require the public’s attention on Monday and Tuesday, including recall bills and multiple anti-gun bills. Below, please find the latest information for you to take action on these pieces of legislation:

New Mexico House Bills:

HAPPENING TUESDAY: H.B. 156 by Far-left state Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero (D-Bernalillo)

This bill would make felons of gun owners who own firearms with “a magazine, box, drum, tube, feed strip or other container that is capable of holding more than fifteen rounds of ammunition to be fed continuously and directly into a semi-automatic firearm.” The bill reads, “A person who violates this section is guilty of a fourth degree felony” and the legislation includes no grandfather clause.

It will be heard on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in the House Consumer, and Public Affairs Committee. The meeting details are below: 

Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82353539692 Or One tap mobile : US: +16699009128,,82353539692# or +12532158782,,82353539692# Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 Webinar ID: 823 5353 9692

URGENT — BILL HEARING MONDAY MORNING: H.J.R. 12 RECALL OF ELECTED OFFICIALS, CA by Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) 

State Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) dropped the bill last Wednesday to allow the recall of all elected leaders in New Mexico. It is unclear if Democrats will allow it to get to a committee, much less pass a single chamber. If passed and signed, it would go to the voters for final approval at the next election. Testimony is urgently requested at the 9:30 a.m. Monday hearing in the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee:

Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88201222358 Or One tap mobile : US: +13462487799,,88201222358# or +16699009128,,88201222358# 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: 882 0122 2358

URGENT — BILL HEARING MONDAY AFTERNOON: Anti-gun H.B. 9 by Rep. Pamelya Herndon (D-Bernalillo)

On Monday at 1:30 p.m., the House Judiciary Committee will be considering H.B. 9, by Democrat ballot harvester and Rep. Pamelya Herndon (D-Bernalillo), a radical anti-gun bill that would mandate citizens to lock up their guns. 

“It is unlawful for a person who keeps or stores a firearm to do so in such manner that the firearm is accessed by a minor without the authorization of the minor’s parent or guardian or when used in the commission of a crime,” the bill reads.

It continues, “When a firearm is accessed by a minor and used in the commission of a crime, the person who keeps or stores the firearm commits unlawful access to a firearm by a minor and is guilty of a misdemeanor.” 

Please show up to testify against this radical anti-gun bill. The meeting details are below:

Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85381395136 Or One tap mobile : US: +16699009128,,85381395136# or +12532158782,,85381395136# Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 Webinar ID: 853 8139 5136

H.B. 126, STATE PERSONNEL DIVERSITY ACT by Reps. Pamelya Herndon (D-Bernalillo) and Tara Lujan (D-Santa Fe).

This bill would implement Critical Race Theory into state agencies, which mandates the “Chief Diversity Officer” of the state to “lead the development and implementation of proactive diversity, equality, equity and inclusion initiatives in support of the state’s strategic plan to create a culture of diversity, equality, equity and inclusion pursuant to Section 6 of the Diversity Act.”

Here are some definitions, as written in the Critical Race Theory bill: 

D. “diversity” means the practice of including or involving people from a range of different racial or ethnic backgrounds and may also include persons of every background, gender, race, sexual orientation, age and disability; 

E. “equality” means the equivalent treatment of and opportunity for members of different groups within society regardless of individual distinctions of race, ethnicity, gender, age, social class, sexual orientation or other characteristics or circumstances; 

F. “equity” means the consistent and systematic fair, just and impartial treatment of all people, including people who belong to underserved communities; 

G. “gender identity” means the gender-related identity, appearance, mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of a person, regardless of the person’s designated sex at birth; 

H. “inclusion” means the process of creating a working culture and environment that recognizes, appreciates and effectively utilizes the talents, skills and perspectives of every state employee; uses state employee skills to achieve a state agency’s objectives and mission; connects each state employee to the organization; and encourages collaboration, flexibility and fairness in the workplace; 

I. “inequities” means disparities in physical health, mental health, economic opportunities, education or social factors; 

J. “institutional racism” means actions that result in differential access to the goods, services and opportunities of society due to the existence of institutional programs, policies and practices that intentionally or unintentionally place certain racial and ethnic groups at a disadvantage in relation to other groups; 

The bill will be heard Tuesday, February 1, 2022 – 1:30 p.m. or 15 minutes after floor session in the House Labor, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee. The meeting details are below:

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89015442467
Or One tap mobile :
US: +13462487799,,89015442467# or +16699009128,,89015442467#
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: 890 1544 2467

New Mexico Senate Bills: 

URGENT — BILL HEARING MONDAY AFTERNOON: S.B. 159, LEGISLATIVE RETIREMENT CHANGES by Sens. Stuart Ingle (R-Portales), Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe)

This bill would further enrich legislators with increased retirement benefits, with a pension increase of 27 percent for legislators who retire at the age of 65 or older, according to the bill’s fiscal impact report.

This bill will be heard at 1:30 p.m. on Monday in the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee. The Zoom details are below: 

For public participation, click the following link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87967039414 to join the Webinar or via telephone 1-669-900-9128 Webinar ID: 879 6703 9414

URGENT — BILL HEARING MONDAY AFTERNOON: S.J.R. 8 “SALARIES FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS” by Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Bernalillo)

This bill would attempt to change the New Mexico Constitution to give authority to the Democrat-controlled State Ethics Commission to “review and establish the salaries of all elected state officers every two years.”

This legislation could open the door to sweeping increases in raises for elected officials in New Mexico, as well as bestow even more authority to the Democrat-controlled Supreme Court: 

“When necessary, the chief justice of the supreme court may designate any justice of the supreme court, or any district judge of the state, to act as a judge of the court of appeals, and the chief justice may designate any judge of the court of appeals to hold court in any district, or to act as a justice of the supreme court.”

According to the fiscal impact report on the bill, it conflicts with H.J.R. 10 being proposed by socialist Rep. Angelica Rubio (D-Doña Ana) and Rep. Javier Martinez (D-Bernalillo), which would attempt to change the Constitution to give a salary to legislators — despite legislators making per diem and a pension. New Mexico’s legislature is supposed to be a “citizen legislature” not made up by career politicians.

This bill will be heard on Monday at 1:30 in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Zoom details are below: 

For public participation, click on the following link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83347538157 to join the Webinar or
via telephone 1-669-900-9128 Webinar ID: 833 4753 8157

URGENT — BILL HEARING MONDAY AFTERNOON: S.B. 144, INTIMIDATION OF ELECTION WORKERS by Sen. Katie Duhigg (D-Bernalillo)

According to the bill’s fiscal impact report, “Senate Bill 144 amends the Election Code relating to the crime of intimidation to include acts against employees and agents of the Secretary of State, county clerks, and municipal clerks’ offices. The bill maintains that intimidation against the aforementioned parties constitutes a fourth degree felony. There is no effective date of this bill. It is assumed that the effective date is 90 days following adjournment of the Legislature..”

This bill will be heard on Monday at 1:30 in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Zoom details are below: 

For public participation, click on the following link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83347538157 to join the Webinar or
via telephone 1-669-900-9128 Webinar ID: 833 4753 8157