2025 Legislative Session

‘Democracy’ in crisis? Public shut out of lawmaking in Santa Fe

10 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

The legislative process in Santa Fe has long faced scrutiny, but according to the Rio Grande Foundation, the situation is only worsening. The organization, which has been involved in the Legislature for many years, argues that the current system actively hinders public involvement while leaving lawmakers uninformed about the real impact of the bills they consider.

“Whether this is by design or not, it is important to understand that the public is not really welcomed to the process,” the Rio Grande Foundation asserts. The group details several troubling trends that, in their view, demonstrate an increasingly closed-door approach to lawmaking in New Mexico.

One of the most glaring issues cited is the way Democrat committee chairs handle public testimony. The foundation notes that chairs appear to be under immense pressure from leadership to move bills along at breakneck speed, leading to testimony being dramatically curtailed. “Repeatedly and in nearly ALL committees on very controversial bills, Democrat committee chairs often limit comment to a handful of individuals or a very limited time period,” the report states.

This suppression of public input is taking various forms. In some cases, chairs have restricted testimony to “the first 10 people” in line, regardless of how many others may be waiting to speak. The foundation specifically pointed to an incident involving HB 11, a paid leave bill, where the chair allowed only 10 individuals to testify despite 42 people raising their hands in opposition. This policy, they warn, can lead to dangerous situations, especially for older or disabled individuals who travel to Santa Fe to make their voices heard but find themselves outpaced by younger, more mobile participants.

Further exacerbating the problem is the restriction of time allotted to speakers. In some instances, testimony is capped at a mere one minute—barely enough time to make a meaningful statement on complex legislation. Meanwhile, those participating via Zoom—a tool that has expanded public access to legislative proceedings—are often ignored entirely. The foundation states that “Zoom testimony is also extremely limited on the most important bills,” with participants often waiting on the call and raising their virtual hands to speak, only to be disregarded.

Adding to the frustration, the scheduling of hearings is erratic and opaque. Instead of being held at predictable times that respect the public’s ability to participate, hearings are frequently postponed at the last minute or shuffled around the legislative calendar. “Bills are continuously ‘rolled’ to the next meeting and meeting times are changed at the last second,” the foundation claims, making it nearly impossible for engaged citizens to plan their attendance.

The organization argues that these issues reflect a broader trend of the majority party—Democrats, who have controlled Santa Fe for decades—disregarding the principles of democratic participation. “The rules are set by the majority party. If the Democrats who have run Santa Fe for decades actually care about ‘democracy,’ they need to act to solve some of these process issues to really serve the people of New Mexico.”

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NM’s $10.8B budget fiasco: Climate change, beavers, cash for illegals + more

18 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

The New Mexico House of Representatives has approved a state budget proposal valued at $10.8 billion—an amount that, if enacted, would mark the largest in state history with nearly a 6% increase over last year’s record spending. While proponents argue that the budget is designed to invest in key priorities, critics say it represents a bloated and fiscally irresponsible expansion.

According to House Appropriations and Finance Committee Chair Rep. Nathan Small (D-Las Cruces), the proposal builds on the Legislative Finance Committee’s recommendations by adding significant, recurring investments in areas such as education, public safety, economic development, and water protection.

“I think we can all agree that those are key priorities for all New Mexicans,” Small stated during a news conference ahead of the hearing. He maintained that these investments would have an “immediate impact for New Mexicans and set us up for sustainable growth in the long run.”

Under the plan, the Public Education Department would see a 6% funding bump, while Higher Education would gain nearly 3%, and Early Childhood Education and Care would receive an over 21% increase. The state remains the worst in the country in terms of higher education despite massive funding bumps to education budgets.

Other departments—such as the new Health Care Authority and the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department—are slated for double-digit growth. Furthermore, public safety, corrections, and legal services are among the areas set to receive recurring increases, and state employees could expect an average raise of 4%.

Yet behind the fanfare of “transparent and collaborative” budget-making—Small even hailed it as “the most open, transparent and collaborative budget ever” and emphasized that “if you’re a rancher in Raton, this budget’s for you. If you’re a 6th grade student at Seboyeta Elementary, this budget’s for you. If you’re worried about affordability and access to health care in Albuquerque and any other part of the state, this budget’s for you”—there is a growing outcry over the sheer magnitude and scope of the spending.

A GOP substitute, introduced by Rep. Cathrynn Brown (R-Carlsbad), sought to pare back the proposal by cutting $1.5 billion in what she called “low-priority” one-time spending. Her version aimed to bolster state reserves further and redirect record oil and gas revenues directly to residents in the form of $600 payments. However, Democrats quickly criticized her plan for slashing investments in climate change and free housing for vagrants, among others.

Despite the contentious debate, the House approved the budget by a vote of 50 to 18, with the proposal now moving to the Senate and eventually to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for potential line-item vetoes.

Adding to the chorus of fiscal alarm, Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo) and Piñon Post editor took to Twitter to lambaste the budget, including its over $31.2 million allocated for climate change, $3.5 million for American beavers, over $600,000 for illegal alien programs on state college campuses, $35 million for paid family and medical leave funding, and more. His tweet read:

Critics argue that the lavish spending priorities, including what they describe as extraneous allocations for “culturally competent healthcare” and unconventional items like conserving the American beaver, reveal a troubling disregard for fiscal restraint. While advocates insist that these investments are critical to New Mexico’s future, opponents see the budget as an unnecessary and unsustainable expansion of state expenditures—one that places excessive burdens on taxpayers in the name of “progress.”

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Week 5: Legislative update from Piñon Post editor and state Rep. John Block

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A legislative update from Piñon Post founder and editor and state Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo). John gives a weekly update during the legislative session. If you don’t already get the update, you can get it here or by subscribing on the website JohnForNM.com.

This was one of the busiest weeks I’ve ever seen at the Roundhouse so far, and here’s what happened:

Committees

In the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee (HGEIC) this week, we heard many bills and resolutions, such as H.J.R. 11 (to remove the anti-donation clause), which I voted against because it had absolutely no guardrails and would directly fund with our tax dollars “nonprofits” that could funnel cash into all sorts of nefarious places.

We also heard in HGEIC a bill, H.B. 228, that would mandate that municipalities do not change the rules on businesses mid-way through the project when constructing electric fences for security reasons, which I voted for. We also passed H.B. 208, of which I am a cosponsor, to allow voter registrations for hunting and fishing licenses.

In HGEIC on Friday, I voted against a bill that would push a so-called “circular economy” in the state, which had unknown benchmarks and mandates for such policies that would run through the New Mexico Environment Department. Also, that day, we passed a very good bill, which I am cosponsoring, H.B. 293, to eliminate state taxes on seniors’ social security payments.

On Tuesday in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee (HCPAC), I advocated and voted against H.B. 9, which would ban the county from helping detain criminal aliens in our Otero County Processing Center, which would kill over 250 jobs and make our county lose millions. That day, we also passed a good bill, which I am cosponsoring, H.B. 287, adding text message and social media message threats to existing statutes that only allow using a telephone to make threats as prosecutable.

On Thursday, in that same committee, surprisingly, we were able to kill a horrible bill, H.B. 247, on a tied 3-3 vote that would have bureaucratized health care and confused patients with insane disclosure laws for doctors who are not osteopathic doctors or medical doctors. I also voted against H.B. 339, which would have expanded the state’s “Human Rights Act” to include “discriminating” against renters who use Section 8 vouchers and other government handouts.

On Saturday in HCPAC, we had a slew of terrible bills that I voted against, including H.B. 442, which would create “rent stabilization,” also known as rent control, to socialize the housing market, as has happened in New York City and San Francisco. Another bad bill I voted against was H.B. 418, which is shoddily written and attacks landlords by forcing 24-month time frames on mobile home renters’ leases while also punishing landlords with hefty fines if they could be found in non-compliance with the narrow and restrictive language of the bill.

Floor Sessions

On the floor Monday, I debated for nearly three hours a terrible bill, H.B. 6, which forces “prevailing wages” on all industrial revenue bond-assisted projects — crushing economic development across our state, resulting in fewer jobs and fewer projects. I offered two amendments to the bill to 1) exempt small businesses and 2) exempt projects that can prove other states with the same incentives but no “prevailing wage” mandates would be better climates for such projects. Both of these amendments were tabled on party-line votes.

During Tuesday’s floor session, I heavily debated horrible bills, including one (H.B. 26) that would allow just about anyone to be arrested for “ticket scalping” — even if just selling one ticket for just $1 more than one paid for it — which would end up with countless people thrown in jail under the bill’s changes to state statute.

On Wednesday, during the floor session, I voted against legislation that would penalize businesses, including H.B. 49, forcing all establishments everywhere to mandate televisions have closed captions on at all times.

On Thursday, I heavily debated a horrible bill, S.B. 3, to give an unknown amount of money to “behavioral health” programs, which is part of a terrible package of other bills to spend around $1 billion on such programs, which could include transgender surgeries, “gun violence prevention,” “climate change,” and “free” (government-funded) houses for drug addicts.

Friday’s floor session included the companion bill to the horrible S.B. 3, S.B. 1, which myself, Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park), and a couple of others debated. Rep. Lord has been a steadfast patriot and a champion for the people who actually does the work of reading bills and debating them heavily to ensure the public knows what is in them, as I do.

We also heard H.B. 56, relating to Medicaid reimbursements for “birthing centers,” which didn’t mention the word “woman” once, instead foregoing it for the term “pregnant people.” I voted against it.

During the floor session on Saturday, we had a concurrence vote on H.B. 8, the Democrats’ weak “crime package” that will not fight crime.

We also passed a bill I am so honored to cosponsor, H.B. 36, to improve access to care by allowing optometrists to perform minor outpatient procedures in their offices, which was a huge step toward de-bureaucratizing health care in the state.

In Summary

This was the last week to file legislation, so all my legislation for the session is filed and can be accessed here.

The week ahead will be very eventful in my committees, with lots of bad bills scheduled for the upcoming week.

To see all committee schedules for all committees, click here.

It is an honor to represent Alamogordo in the Legislature and fight with every fiber of my being to protect our Constitutional rights. You can always count on me to stand with our shared conservative American values.

God bless you,
John

Rep. John Block
NM House District 51
Republican, Otero County

Week 5: Legislative update from Piñon Post editor and state Rep. John Block Read More »

Week 4: Legislative update from Piñon Post editor and state Rep. John Block

5 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

A legislative update from Piñon Post founder and editor and state Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo). John gives a weekly update during the legislative session. If you don’t already get the update, you can get it here or by subscribing on the website JohnForNM.com.

What a week it has been at the Roundhouse! Here’s what happened in my committees, as well as other events of note.

On Monday, in the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee (HGEIC), I moved to table a bad piece of legislation (H.C.R. 1), which would limit the number of bills each member could present to just five — silencing the voices of New Mexicans who want their voices heard in the legislative process. The committee tabled the bad legislation.

On Tuesday, in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee (HCPAC), we had multiple bad bills (and some good bills) being heard, but Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) and I were repeatedly silenced by the chairwoman, Rep. Joanne Ferrary (D-Las Cruces), who tried to cut off Rep. Lord’s debate, continuously interrupted our lines of questioning and pushed all Republican bills to the bottom of the agenda. She then stymied debate on Rep. Jimmy Mason’s (R-Artesia) bill (H.B. 162), of which I am a cosponsor, and rolled all the other GOP bills we were supposed to have heard. After the meeting, I told the chairwoman that I would go to the speaker with these concerns, and she told me, “Yeah, good luck with that.”

On Wednesday, Rep. Lord and I addressed the full House of Representatives and told the speaker of this grievous abuse, asking him to talk with the HCPAC chairwoman.

In HGEIC on Wednesday, we heard H.B. 85, which is a really bad bill banning all so-called “non-functional” turf (like grass) from public medians and government buildings, forcing them to be replaced with “zeroscape.” This would apply to ALL state-funded projects, including in our cities and counties. These changes would cost our localities millions of dollars and would ban grass medians (such as on Juniper Drive in Alamogordo, where people use the medians to walk their dogs), and create inconveniences for all people — not to mention the budgetary process. It would also extend to projects, such as domestic violence shelters, that get state funding, making it even more detrimental to the state and to our district. Unfortunately, the terrible bill was advanced through the committee along party lines.

On Thursday, HCPAC met again, with many controversial bills on the agenda, including a good bill (H.B. 185) that would protect women’s sports from biological men being able to take titles away from women. It would have also protected these female athletes, who, in many cases, have been injured competing against biological men. During the discussion, Ferrary cut us off repeatedly while we asked questions, demanding we only ask questions and not make statements. However, when a Democrat representative read a 5-6 minute-long written statement, the chairwoman allowed it — blatant political discrimination against Rep. Lord and I because we are Republicans.

On Friday, I was forced to once again give another floor speech to the speaker asking for us to be treated equally and showed him the specific passages in the rules where we were not being given our equal voice in the committee — a disservice to the great people of our districts.

That morning in HGEIC, I voted against H.B. 252, which aimed to try to skirt around the anti-donation clause to give large checks to guardians of children (handouts) by working with foundations that would help match the grant. Although this might be worth doing in the private sector with fully private funding, I don’t believe it is the government’s role to intervene to administer the program. Also, the pilot program, which the bill references, only serves a handful of counties (none in southeast New Mexico), so that further cemented my opposition to the legislation.

On Saturday, I jumped between HGEIC and HCPAC, which both met that day, and we heard multiple bills, including H.B. 76, which would take away doctors’ authority to use their best judgment — forcing every newborn infant to have tests that would result in cardiac tests requiring airlifting to Albuquerque. Many physicians, including pediatric cardiologists in our district, opposed the bill, so I voted against it along with Rep. Lord.

We also heard in that committee H.B. 253, which aimed to seal eviction records after three years of the eviction, giving landlords less information when renting to new tenants who may have had evictions, even in the most grievous cases of past tenants using rentals for meth labs, causing damage (such as holes in the walls, ripping copper out of the pipes), or domestic violence situations, etc. Both Rep. Lord and I voted against it.

Another bill that was heard in the committee, H.B. 250, was to give free menstrual products to inmates, but the bill did not have important definitions and was very vague, so I voted against it. The chair rolled all the rest of the bills on the agenda (which so happened to all be Republican bills).

That afternoon and evening on the House floor, we debated the Democrats’ weak and ineffective “public safety” bill (H.B. 8), which will have little to no tangible effect on crime. We put forward our own substitute bill on the floor to give real solutions (such as addressing juvenile crime and increasing penalties for felons), but the Democrats rejected these ideas on mostly partisan votes. The House ultimately voted for the bill, with only 20 of us rejecting it (myself included), and the legislation now makes its way over to the Senate.

The week ahead will be very eventful in my committees, with lots of bad bills scheduled for the upcoming week. We are also set to debate legislation on the House floor, so watch for those agendas below.

Here are the legislative items that will come to the committees I am a member of:

To see all schedules for all committees and the House and Senate floors, click here.

To see the latest House committee calendar, which includes Zoom links to testify, click here.

To access all of my proposed legislation and the status of each bill, please click here.

It is an honor to represent Alamogordo in the Legislature and fight with every fiber of my being to protect our Constitutional rights. You can always count on me to stand with our shared conservative American values.

God bless you,
John

Rep. John Block
NM House District 51
Republican, Otero County

Week 4: Legislative update from Piñon Post editor and state Rep. John Block Read More »

Dems’ so-called ‘crime package’ sparks fury on all political sides

29 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

A proposed legislative package aimed at addressing crime in New Mexico is moving forward in the House despite concerns from lawmakers and advocacy groups about its effectiveness. House Bill 8, which encompasses six crime-related bills, has sparked debate over whether it strikes the right balance between public safety and criminal justice reform. The bill, now headed to the House floor, proposes tougher penalties for fentanyl trafficking, school shooting threats, and auto theft, as well as restrictions on firearm conversion devices. Additionally, it includes significant changes to the state’s criminal competency system, a move that has drawn both support and criticism.

Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, the bill’s sponsor, defended the package, stating, “This is in response to public interest and our commitment to the public to address crime swiftly. We are doing that through a collection of bills that I think are very meaningful.” She acknowledged that the package is not perfect but emphasized that it had been carefully crafted after months of work. “I felt that it was important to have bills where we got some consensus and we felt that people could get behind,” she added.

A key component of the bill focuses on reforming how New Mexico handles criminal defendants deemed incompetent to stand trial. The proposed changes would allow for mental health treatment for individuals accused of misdemeanors and low-level felonies who would otherwise be released without further intervention. Under the new system, non-dangerous defendants could be ordered into a 90-day community-based competency restoration program, or prosecutors could pursue involuntary civil commitment or assisted outpatient treatment. Chandler described this as a “balanced” and “compassionate” approach to addressing competency concerns.

Public defenders and legal experts, however, have raised questions about the practical implementation of these reforms. Second Judicial District Defender Dennica Torres expressed skepticism, noting that while the changes may be beneficial in theory, the state lacks the behavioral health infrastructure to support them effectively. “Do we have the staff? Do we have the evaluators? Do we have the attorneys? Do we have enough judges?” she asked, emphasizing the logistical challenges of implementing the proposed measures.

Opposition to HB 8 has come from multiple angles. Republican lawmakers have argued that the package does not go far enough in addressing crime, particularly juvenile crime. Rep. Nicole Chavez, R-Albuquerque, criticized the package for not imposing harsher penalties on young offenders. “I don’t think this package is going to address crime as far as what I think it needs to do,” said Rep. Andrea Reeb, R-Clovis, after voting against the bill.

Meanwhile, the Public Safety Coalition, which includes 11 organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, condemned the bill, stating that it would lead to unnecessary incarceration and forced psychiatric treatment. “This so-called public safety package is not going to achieve actual safety; it will only create new crimes, lengthen sentences, and use the criminal legal system to force people into psychiatric facilities that have yet to be built,” the coalition said in a statement. Lana Weber, interim director of public policy for the ACLU of New Mexico, echoed this sentiment, arguing that coerced care and forced hospitalization often worsen the very issues they aim to resolve.

Some lawmakers also objected to the bundling of multiple crime-related proposals into a single package, a practice that has been used in past legislative sessions. Rep. Matthew McQueen, D-Galisteo, voiced concerns about being asked to vote on a collection of bills with varying degrees of support. “There are lots of elements of this that I support; there’s at least one that I don’t. And I’m just troubled by that,” he said. Despite his reservations, McQueen ultimately voted to advance the package but noted that he may reconsider his stance when it reaches the House floor.

Chandler acknowledged that the bill will need to work alongside efforts to expand New Mexico’s behavioral health system. The Senate is currently advancing a separate package of bills that would establish a $1 billion trust fund, allocate $140 million in immediate funding, and implement a regional planning process for behavioral health services. While these measures could help address concerns about infrastructure shortages, some lawmakers worry they won’t be enough. “I think there’ll still be a little bit of an unmet need, but that will just accelerate our interest in developing a mental health program,” Chandler said.

As the debate continues, House Speaker Javier Martínez, D-Albuquerque, indicated that HB 8 could be up for a vote in the coming days. While proponents see the package as a necessary step toward improving public safety, critics remain concerned about its long-term consequences. “This isn’t the end. This is obviously just the start. But I think it’s a really good start,” Chandler said, underscoring the importance of ongoing discussions to refine the state’s approach to crime and mental health.

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Teachers’ union rips MLG over latest incendiary comments

6 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

In a recent development, the American Federation of Teachers New Mexico (AFT NM) has openly criticized Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for her remarks concerning educators serving in the state legislature. 

The governor reportedly described it as “unethical and a huge conflict of interest” for current and former educators to vote on education-related matters, suggesting that such individuals have hindered educational reforms. She was quoted saying, “You’ve got a lot of former educators and superintendents who aren’t interested in changing anything.”

In response, AFT NM expressed profound disappointment, emphasizing the value of educators’ firsthand experience in legislative processes. The union stated, “Lawmaking and policy work take teamwork and trust, not criticism.”

This incident is not the first instance of tension between the governor and educators. Previously, the National Education Association of New Mexico (NEA-NM) opposed a state rule mandating a 180-day school year, which was set to take effect on July 1, 2024. 

NEA-NM President Mary Parr-Sánchez voiced concerns that the rule would drive educators out of the profession and erode local control over school calendars. She remarked, “There is a great majority of people that believe that would not be in the best interest of children, because it’s going to drive educators out of the field.” 

The rule faced significant opposition from educators and administrators, leading to legal challenges. In February 2025, a New Mexico district judge ruled that the Public Education Department’s mandate for a 180-day instructional calendar was unlawful and unenforceable. The court found that the department had exceeded its authority and that the rule conflicted with existing state laws, which emphasize local flexibility in meeting instructional hour requirements. 

These events highlight ongoing debates in New Mexico regarding the balance between state mandates and local control in educational policy and the executive’s ability to keep her former supporters (such as teachers’ unions) in her camp as her tenure as governor wanes. 

Rebuking families and teachers, Lujan Grisham’s PED OKs harsh mandates

Teachers’ union rips MLG over latest incendiary comments Read More »

Week 3: Legislative update from Piñon Post editor and state Rep. John Block

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A legislative update from Piñon Post founder and editor and state Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo). John gives a weekly update during the legislative session. If you don’t already get the update, you can get it here or by subscribing on the website JohnForNM.com.

This week has been another wild one at the Roundhouse. Here’s what happened:

To watch my summary of what happened this week, please click here or on the thumbnail below, and you can follow along in the video with the below information:

On Monday, in the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee (HGEIAC), I voted against an extremist resolution (H.J.R. 3), also known as the “Gren Amendment. ” The bill would make cities and counties liable and open to lawsuits if anyone perceives air or water as not being “clean. ” According to the bill’s fiscal impact report, the state and localities could be exposed to up to $1.6 billion in frivolous litigation.

On Tuesday, in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee (HCPAC), the committee voted unanimously to pass H.B. 73, which removes statutes of limitations on child sexual abuse civil cases, and H.B. 83, which increases penalties for sex trafficking (and increases ages in the statutes from 16 to 18 to ensure kids up to 18 are protected). I voted against H.B. 89, which lets illegal immigrants get graduate-level scholarships at UNM. A bill sponsored by myself and Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) to institute Constitutional Carry was tabled on a 4-2 vote without discussion from the Democrats on the committee.

On Wednesday, Democrats passed through HGEIAC H.B. 98, which automatically expunges eviction records after five years (which will give landlords less information, especially if the eviction was due to violence, damage, or other grave circumstances), and H.B. 108, establishing “the Statewide Public Health and Climate Program within the Department of Health,” both of which I opposed.

On Thursday, Rep. Lord and I helped pass bills through HCPAC to give police officers equal rights as civilians (H.B. 103) and allow law enforcement to carry firearms at polling places (H.B. 101).

On Friday, in HGEIAC, H.B. 16, to implement “increased sentencing for individuals convicted of trafficking controlled substances under Section 30-31-20 NMSA 1978 when the offense involves fentanyl,” passed the committee despite three Democrats opposing the measure.

On Saturday, I bounced between my two committees (which were inconveniently meeting at the same time). Democrats killed bills in HCPAC to increase penalties for drug traffickers (H.B. 107), including resulting in death from trafficked drugs and adding “fentanyl to methamphetamine, where now knowing or intentional exposure to either of these two drugs [to children] would represent prima facie evidence of child abuse” (H.B. 136).

In HGEIAC on that day, Democrats passed H.J.R. 5, which changes the Children, Youth, and Families Department to a commission under the governor and legislative branches, but it does not equally distribute representation, so I voted against it. Another bill I voted against in that committee was H.B. 6, which forces a “prevailing wage” on projects done through industrial revenue bonds (IRBs), which would skyrocket the cost of these projects (which are funded by private dollars anyway).

The week ahead will be very eventful in my committees, with lots of bad bills scheduled for the upcoming week. And nightly floor sessions are also scheduled to begin hearing legislation on the floor, so please be on the alert for those as well.

Here are the legislative items that will come to the committees I am a member of:

To see all committee schedules for all committees and the House/Senate floors, click here.

Click here to see the latest committee calendar, which includes Zoom links to testify.

To access all of my proposed legislation and the status of each bill, please click here.

It is an honor to represent Alamogordo in the Legislature. I will fight to protect our constitutional rights with every fiber of my being. You can always count on me to support our shared conservative American values.

God bless you,
John

Rep. John Block
NM House District 51
Republican, Otero County

Week 3: Legislative update from Piñon Post editor and state Rep. John Block Read More »

Dems vote against legislation targeting fentanyl trafficking, exposure to kids

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On Friday, New Mexico Democrat leaders in the state House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee voted against a measure sponsored by Rep. Charlotte Little (D-Albuquerque) to mandate “increased sentencing for individuals convicted of trafficking controlled substances under Section 30-31-20 NMSA 1978 when the offense involves fentanyl.”

The bill passed the committee on a 6-3 vote, although it would have died if Republicans didn’t save it with their votes. Reps. Janelle Anyanonu (D-Albuquerque), Tara Lujan (D-Albuquerque), and Reena Szczepanski (D-Santa Fe, Democrat Floor Leader) voted against the measure, some opposing it on the grounds that it could increase “incarceration.” 

On Saturday, Democrats in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee tabled bills sponsored by Rep. Andrea Reeb (R-Clovis) that would increase penalties for drug traffickers (H.B. 107), including resulting in death from trafficked drugs and adding “fentanyl to methamphetamine, where now knowing or intentional exposure to either of these two drugs [to children] would represent prima facie evidence of child abuse” (H.B. 136).

The Democrats in the committee voted against the legislation, with Reps. Joann Ferrary (D-Las Cruces-Committee Chair), Angelica Rubio (D-Las Cruces-Committee Vice Chair), Liz Thomson (D-Albuquerque), and Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe) opposing the measures, although Romero was absent for the last bill’s vote. Both votes in the committee killed the bills, with Reps. John Block (R-Alamogordo) and Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) voting against tabling the life-saving legislation. 

Ferrary claimed that since fentanyl, which is rarely prescribed, is technically a legal substance, it should not be included. Rubio claimed (wrongly) that since a drug addict who breastfeeds her baby could be charged under H.B. 136, she couldn’t support the legislation.

Despite Democrats being sponsors or co-sponsors of the legislation, Democrats still rejected the legislation, despite statistics showing that 65% of drug deaths in the state are due to fentanyl, per the New Mexico Department of Health, and New Mexico being the state with the eight-most drug-related deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Two milligrams of fentanyl is enough to kill someone, the Drug Enforcement Administration notes. 

Two milligrams of fentanyl on pencil tip. A lethal dose for most people. US Drug Enforcement Administration: “2mg, the amount on the tip of this pencil, can be enough to kill an average American.” United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Rep. Little’s bill now goes to the House Judiciary Committee, while Reeb’s bills remain on the table in the Consumer and Public Affairs Committee. 

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly listed the party affiliations of certain legislators, but those changes have been updated.

Dems vote against legislation targeting fentanyl trafficking, exposure to kids Read More »

MLG’s power grab comes back to bite—Now she’s begging for ‘moderates’

28 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Far-left Democrat Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is taking aim at lawmakers in her own party as her agenda on crime and education struggles to gain traction in the first quarter of the legislative session. Expressing frustration, she criticized legislators for failing to take decisive action on key issues and accused them of being too risk-averse to address the state’s problems.

Lujan Grisham singled out public safety as an area where she believes lawmakers have fallen short. She argued that violent crime is a statewide issue, not just an Albuquerque problem, pointing to rising crime rates in cities like Las Cruces, Santa Fe, Alamogordo, and Raton. The governor pushed for mandatory sentencing for certain crimes and blamed some judges for failing to keep criminals off the streets under discretionary sentencing. Despite calling a special session on crime last year, most of her proposals went nowhere, leaving her frustrated with the Legislature’s inaction. She insisted that lawmakers need to be more aggressive in tackling crime rather than remaining politically cautious.

Some legislators have pushed back against the idea that increasing penalties will reduce crime. Senator Joseph Cervantes, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently stated that enforcement and accountability, rather than new laws, are what’s missing. Pretrial detention has remained a controversial issue since New Mexico moved away from a money-based bail system in 2016. While the governor has pointed to repeat offenders being released and committing new crimes, studies from the University of New Mexico indicate that most individuals released pretrial do not reoffend. Still, Lujan Grisham defended her push for stricter measures, arguing that longer jail sentences prevent criminals from engaging in more wrongdoing.

In addition to crime policy, Lujan Grisham expressed frustration with how public education funding is handled. She claimed there is a lack of transparency in how more than $4 billion in state funds are spent and that her administration has little power over school districts. 

She also took a direct swipe at the House and Senate education committees, which are both led by current or retired teachers, saying they have stalled meaningful reform efforts. “You’ve got a lot of former educators and superintendents who aren’t interested in changing anything,” she said.

She described it as “unethical and a huge conflict of interest” for educators to be making decisions on education policy and funding while serving in the Legislature.

Representative G. Andrés Romero, chairman of the House Education Committee, rejected the governor’s criticism, arguing that having teachers in the Legislature provides valuable firsthand experience. He defended his role, saying his time in the classroom informs his legislative decisions, and expressed disappointment that the governor views it as a conflict.

As the legislative session continues, tensions between Lujan Grisham and lawmakers appear to be escalating. She blamed progressive members for being too entrenched in their positions, arguing that New Mexico needs more moderate leadership. 

“Maybe we need more pragmatic, moderate people (in elected office), because you can’t govern on the fringes or the extremes, which is how New Mexico got into a lot of these problems,” said Lujan Grisham. 

Ironically, the governor worked overtime to primary challenge more moderate members of her party because they did not fall in lockstep with her radical agenda on banning guns, having abortions up to the date of birth, and reckless spending. She helped take out the moderate former Senate President Pro-Tem, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the chairman of the Legislative Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, and rank-and-file representatives and senators from across the state. In another turn of irony, these same moderate legislators would have helped pass her crime agenda, but now they are replaced by radical progressives. 

MLG’s power grab comes back to bite—Now she’s begging for ‘moderates’ Read More »

Legislative update from Piñon Post editor and state Rep. John Block

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A legislative update from Piñon Post founder and editor and state Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo). John gives a weekly update during the legislative session. If you don’t already get the update, you can get it here or by subscribing on the website JohnForNM.com.

This week has probably been one of the busiest I’ve ever had at the Legislature. The far-left Democrats are attempting to ram through as many bad bills as possible, and they have gone to the committees I sit on. Here’s what has been happening around the Roundhouse.

To watch my summary of what happened this week, please click here or on the thumbnail below, and you can follow along in the video with the below information:

Monday — On Monday, we had a floor session, read legislation into the record, and then followed up on constituent requests. I also got prepped for the bills we were to hear in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee (HCPAC).

Tuesday — In the morning, I presented my bill to the House Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Committee to have renewables (such as solar and wind) pay their fair share in excise taxes, where we had a very good debate on the merits of the legislation and disproved Big Rewewables’ talking points that these industries were “baby industries” and that taxation would crush them, despite them being well-established in the state for nearly 30 years. The bill, unfortunately, died on a 6-4 party-line vote.

On the House floor, we celebrated oil and gas with a memorial that affirmed the industry’s contribution to the state coffers and to the economy, especially in terms of over 31,000 direct jobs and a total of 100,000 direct and indirect jobs to the state’s economy.

That afternoon, in HCPAC, Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) and I debated bills that would expand the anti-gun “red flag” laws (H.B. 12), a bill to criminalize the second-hand sale of tickets at non-profit events (even if the money was being given back to the nonprofit) as a felony (H.B. 26), a bill that would ban librarians from removing pornographic books targeting children or else face revocation of state funding (H.B. 27), and H.B. 4, which revamps the state’s criminal competency law to help hold defendants who are not fit to stand trial (to somewhat alleviate the catch and release issue that plagues our state). All bills passed on 4-2 votes, with Rep. Lord and I voting against all but H.B. 4, which passed unanimously. The committee lasted for seven hours.

Wednesday — On Wednesday, we heard multiple bills in the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee (HGEIAC), where we heard a proposed constitutional amendment (H.J.R. 1) that would require the legislature to meet in two 45-day sessions each legislature instead of the current 60-day session on odd-numbered years and a 30-day session on even-numbered years, which would give the ability to resurrect legislation that was not acted upon in the previous statement at its current place — giving bad legislation even more time to ram through horrific leftist bills. I voted against it.

The second proposed constitutional amendment, H.J.R. 2, would make the governor give a reason for each veto (eliminating the pocket veto), but without clear guidelines as to why such a veto was made. The resolution passed the committee with me as the only objection due to the lack of clarity; thus, it is not ready for passage. I only vote for ready legislation that will make a difference. Another bill that we voted on was H.B. 47, the enabling legislation to constitutional amendments to increase veteran and disabled veteran property tax exemptions passed in the last election. I am working with other legislators on legislation to reimburse counties for the revenue shortfall.

Thursday — On Thursday, Rep. Lord and I again battled for your rights in HCPAC, where we debated a slew of terrible bills, including bans that did not meet federal regulations on conversion devices that allow you to shoot rounds in a semi-automatic firearm faster (H.B. 38), a bill to not allow adults who had juvenile records relating to firearms from accessing their Second Amendment rights despite rehabilitation (H.B. 39), and a convoluted, confusing, and anti-business bill that would effectively put “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) into all predictive artificial intelligence in the state, making the AI industry mandatorily woke (H.B. 60). All of these we voted against, but the Democrats passed them on party-line votes. The only good bill presented was H.B. 50, which penalizes carjackers, which is needed because the state is at the top of the rankings for carjackings. A similar bill from last year died on a party-line vote despite Democrats sponsoring the legislation.

Friday — On Friday, in HGEIAC, we heard H.B. 69, a bill to comply with federal law regarding teacher student loan forgiveness, which passed the committee without opposition. We also heard H.B. 75, a bill that purports to increase funding of county and tribal health councils, but the increase in funding is by over 1,500% and also integrates “the intersection between health and climate change,” which I did not support because I don’t believe politics should be tied with health care. The expert on the bill also bashed the Trump administration and claimed “everyone is a DEI hire,” which further cemented my opposition to the bill, which now appears to be a way to push climate change and DEI propaganda into our healthcare industry. Politics has no business interfering with New Mexicans’ health care, period.

Later in the day, I presented a bill (H.B. 44) to the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee to protect children from harmful material (pornography) by reasonable verification methods for sites that have this graphic content. The bill had much support and input from opponents, and so I am working with other legislators and stakeholders on tightening the language so it will get a do-pass vote from the committee later this session.

The Week Ahead — Watch out for the week ahead, as many bad bills are coming to the committees that will encroach on your rights, harm our state’s economy, and keep New Mexicans vulnerable. Those include the evil H.B. 35, dubbed the “children’s health protection zones” bill that will annihilate all oil and gas production in the state, being heard in the Energy committee on Tuesday, a horrible resolution to open the state up to lawsuits galore over “climate” with passage of the “Green Amendment,” being heard in HGEIAC on Monday, and the horrible red flag expansion to further erode your Second Amendment rights being heard in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, to name a few. Rep. Lord and I will also be presenting our Constitutional Carry bill (H.B. 83) in HCPAC on Tuesday. Please show up to testify in support. To access the latest calendar of House bills (which includes Zoom login information and committee times), please click here.

All schedules for the House and Senate can be accessed by clicking here.

To access all of my proposed legislation and the status of each bill, please click here.

It is an honor to represent Alamogordo in the Legislature and fight with every fiber of my being to protect our Constitutional rights. You can always count on me to stand with our shared conservative American values.

God bless you,
John

Representative John Block
NM House District 51
Republican, Otero County

Legislative update from Piñon Post editor and state Rep. John Block Read More »

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