Nancy DeHerrera Crochet, right, tears up a little as her father 105-year-old Valdemar DeHerrera, the oldest survivor of the Bataan Death March, is honored by Secretary of Veterans Services Jamison Herrera during a short ceremony in the rotunda for Military and Veterans Day at the State Capital Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. Photo by Jim Weber/The New Mexican
State Sen. Shannon Pinto reacts as Secretary of Veterans Services Jamison Herrera, right, presents her with a forgotten heroes flag during a short ceremony in the rotunda for Military and Veterans Day at the State Capital Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025 in Santa Fe. Photo by Jim Weber/The New Mexican
The Santa Fe New Mexican:
Senate endorses open primaries: Some 330,000 unaffiliated voters in New Mexico could cast ballots in primary elections without jumping through the hoops of same-day registration under a bill the Senate passed 27-11 Wednesday.
One Democrat, Sen. Debbie O’Malley of Albuquerque, joined 10 Republicans in voting against Senate Bill 16.
Under current law, unaffiliated voters can participate in primaries but it requires what one lawmaker called “a bureaucratic process” of changing their voter registration. Under SB 16, which heads to House committees next, an unaffiliated voter could choose a ballot from one of the parties holding a primary, which “would relieve the unnecessary administrative burden that currently falls on our county clerks,” said Sen. Natalie Figueroa, D-Albuquerque, the lead sponsor.
Some Republicans questioned whether the bill would give one major political party an advantage over another.
“The concern really is, does this help one side or the other, and if you just look at the sponsors, well, looks like it helps one side over the other,” said Senate Minority Leader Bill Sharer, R-Farmington, referring to the bill’s five Democratic sponsors.
But Sen. Crystal Brantley, R-Elephant Butte, noted independent voters can already vote on a Democratic or Republican primary election ballot under same-day voter registration.
“To my colleagues on the right and the state party who seems to be adamantly opposed to this, I would respectfully say, ‘What the hell do we have to lose?’” Brantley said. “I mean, in case anyone hasn’t noticed, we are far outnumbered as Republicans in New Mexico, and we need to welcome other voters to vote with us.”
Three crime bills clear Judiciary: Three bills sponsored by Rep. Andrea Reeb, R-Clovis, made it out of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday afternoon.
House Bill 104, which would give police officers who are assaulted the same rights as other crime victims, and House Bill 101, which would let commissioned police officers carry firearms at polling places, got unanimous support. House Bill 102, which would reduce meritorious deductions from a prison sentence for people who commit homicide or great bodily harm by vehicle while drunk, cleared committee 8-1, with House Majority Leader Reena Szczepanski, D-Santa Fe, voting no.
Reeb said HB 104 would give police officers rights other crime victims already have, including notification of court hearings, receiving information about the case, some protection from the accused and the right to speak at sentencing.
“To me it’s unconscionable that we don’t give the same rights to the men and women that are sworn to protect us as … ordinary citizens,” said 13th Judicial District Attorney Barbara Romo.
HB 101 tweaks a law passed last year banning guns at polling places to expand the law enforcement exemption. A couple of small-town law enforcement officials who testified said that, the way the law is written now, their commissioned officers cannot legally approach areas of their municipal buildings when they’re being used as polling places.
HB 102, the only one of Reeb’s bill to generate any real debate, would remove the words “third degree” before “homicide … or great bodily harm by vehicle” from the list of serious violent offenses that are eligible for far less good-time credit than nonviolent ones. Reeb said this was done by mistake in 2016 and has had the effect of letting people convicted of homicide or great bodily harm by vehicle while drunk earn more time off their sentences.
A couple of opponents said letting inmates shave time off their sentences keeps prisons safe and encourages rehabilitation.
“This system promotes accountability, personal growth and successful reintegration into society,” said Courtney Montoya with the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico.
Tribal regalia for grads: A bill that would allow Native American students to wear tribal regalia or objects of cultural significance at graduation ceremonies or public school events passed the Senate 38-0 Wednesday.
Senate Bill 163 comes after a Rio Rancho student affiliated with the Navajo Nation was asked to remove a beaded cap and feather during a May 2024 graduation ceremony. The school official who made the request cited school policy against altering caps and gowns.
Sen. Craig Brandt, R-Rio Rancho, said he supported SB 163 but asked it be amended in the House, where it is headed next, to include academic cords, which he said are allowed in one high school in his city but not another.
“It’s really disappointing to me that the Rio Rancho Public Schools allowed this split within the two high schools because the sports players were allowed to wear all of their stuff but academic achievements, those were not being allowed to be worn, which I think is quite ridiculous,” he said. “Our kids, when they have earned something like the cords, they should be allowed to wear them to graduation.”
Defibrillators in high schools: The House Education Committee showed strong support for Senate Bill 54, which would require AEDs, or automated external defibrillators, to be be installed in all public high schools and expand AED training to all staff. However, the committee delayed a vote until Friday to give the bill’s sponsors time to make some tweaks.
While many praised the bill for improving school safety, concerns arose over its lack of funding. Lily May Ortiz, a legislative liaison for the New Mexico School Board Association, supported the initiative but called it an “unfunded mandate” that would burden school district budgets.
While AED models vary in price, the bill is based on the Avive AED, which costs $1,699 plus $200 in annual maintenance.
“I do believe that currently right now there’s money in our state,” said Rep. Brian Baca, R-Los Lunas.
“But I know some districts are cutting it tighter than others,” he added, “I also think that in the interim, we need to put some money aside — real money that’s built into the budget to help support this.”
Lawmakers also questioned whether AEDs should be integrated into existing school safety plans to avoid unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles. Some felt the bill didn’t go far enough — Baca proposed expanding AED access to middle and elementary schools in future legislation, while Rep. Joy Garratt, D-Albuquerque, suggested requiring at least one per school.
Quotes of the day: “The [Senate] Rules Committee is going to have to start asking that question because apparently the governor’s run out of people to appoint to things and is now appointing her own family to [boards of] regents.” —Sen.Craig Brandt, R-Rio Rancho, after asking whether a young woman appointed to serve as the student regent on the New Mexico State University Board of Regents was related to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The question comes after the governor nominated her brother, Greg Lujan, to serve as the student regent at New Mexico Highlands University. His appointment is pending Senate confirmation.
“Any other announcements or other pieces of clothing people want to take off today?” —Senate President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, after Minority Leader Bill Sharer, R-Farmington, asked for unanimous consent to change his tie on the Senate floor and put on one gifted to him by students at Navajo Preparatory School.