As of Sunday February 4, 2024 these are the bills that have been debated and voted in the NM House of Representatives to date. Within the title of each bill, I provide the date of the vote, the vote count and my vote. As always, my number and email address are attached, please contact me if you have any questions.
HB1: The Feed Bill (01/17/2024, Y:52 N:13, No)
The feed bill funds the Legislature for the year. Funding includes Legislative Council, Legislative Education, Legislative Finance, Security, House and Senate leadership year around staff, and session staff. This year’s budget is a 40.4% increase above the last 30-day session. During debate it was explained that government has grown by almost 70% and they need more people service the growth of government. My issue is the NM population has not grown. With that I can not support growth government services.
HB2/CS/a: The Budget (01/31/2024, Y:53 N:16, No)
Leaving the house, this budget contains over $10.18B in recurring spending. It does some great things like a $4.4B budget for K-12 schools including salary increases (which I supported in committee).
Unfortunately, it also includes fiscally irresponsible policies including over $1.1B in non-recurring Special Appropriation spending with no Guardrails (stated another way – no guidelines, policies, or metrics to measure the return on investment). In addition, it funds a multitude of the Governor’s mandates (Not Laws) like the Electric Vehicle mandate that dictates what vehicles we drive starting 2026 and $6M for district legislative staffing that was not voted on by the 112 members.
The final straw for me, with over $3.4B in new money my progressive colleagues could only find $150M for state road reconstruction projects across 6 NMDOT districts! Lea County is the top funding source for the budget – We have fought year over year for road reconstruction project funding for NM82, NM128, NM18, NM380, etc. The mere $25M would rebuild less than 12 Miles.
The lack of respect from Santa Fe and the progressive left for the lives and safety of our residents is beyond reason. Clearly, I will continue to place safety and health over politics.
HB129/CS/a: Firearm Sale Waiting Period (2/2/2024, Y:37 N:33, No)
Amends the Criminal Code to require a 14-day waiting period for sale of a firearm and transfer of the firearm to the buyer to provide time for a federal instant background check of the buyer. Creates the misdemeanor crime of unlawful sale of a firearm before the required waiting period ends or the federal instant background check is completed, whichever is latest. Provides an exclusion for sale of a firearm between immediate family members.
This bill was amended on the floor from 14 down to 7 days, unfortunately it does nothing to reduce crime or suicides and only enforces controls on Law Abiding Citizens.
HB101/a: Firefighter & Emergency Peer Support Act (2/01/2024, Y:57 N:6, No)
Allows any state, local or regional public fire department or agency to create a “peer support program” to help firefighters cope with the emotional stress or trauma that comes with working in that field.
This legislation is underfunded and provides no guardrails for implementation.
HB171/a: School Graduation Requirements (02/01/2024, Y:57 N:1, Yes)
Amends the Public School Code to change high school graduation course requirements for students entering ninth grade in the 2025-2026 school year; to require districts and charter schools to create “graduate profiles”; and to require alignment of Next Step Plans with those profiles.
HB8/CS: Elected Officials & Government Conduct Act Changes (01/31/2024, Y:66 N:0, Yes)
Amends the Governmental Conduct Act. Contains a public policy statement (later removed in HJC Substitute) recognizing that a government position is a public trust and declares it the public policy of the State that the powers and resources of state and local public office should only be used to advance the public interest and not to obtain personal benefits o to pursue private interests. Makes various changes aimed at ensuring proper conduct within the ranks of current and former legislators and public employees and clarifies certain prohibitions related to that; increases penalties for violations.
HB41/CS: Clean Transportation Fuel Standards (02/03/2024, Y:36 N:33, No)
The committee substitute authorizes the Environment Improvement Board (EIB) to promulgate rules (This would be the same board that promulgated Electric Vehicle Rules controlling your choices for cars beginning 2026). This bill gives the EIB power over the lives and businesses of a significant portion of the State’s citizens, without legislative oversight or approval.
This legislation proposes to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation motor fuels by 30%. This is a shell game that is nothing more than an environmental fuel tax that, in the end, will cost you as much as 0.50 $ per gallon.
HB151: Post-Secondary Affirmative Consent Policies (02/04/2024, Y:44 N:17, No)
A very altruistic concept that will, if chaptered in its current form, would create legislation that will have a terrible impact on the arrest and conviction in college sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and harassment cases.
This legislation would interject a collegiate Title IX administrative process that would interfere with police investigations. The key factor in my no vote is simple – Should a victim choose to use the process described within this bill, any information the counselors learned could not be used to convict the assailant.
HB5CS/a: Workforce Development & Apprenticeship Fund (02/03/2024, Y:53 N:5, No)
Creates the Workforce Development and Apprenticeship Trust Fund and appropriates $50.0 million (GF, nonreverting) to it for FY 2025 and subsequent fiscal years.
Pure and simple, this is a union bill, and I will not support legislation that intercedes in collective bargaining.
HB193/aa: Law Enforcement Retention Disbursements (02/04/2024, Y:61 N:0, Yes)
Amends the Law Enforcement Retention Fund to allow retention differential disbursements to be made to certified law enforcement officers as an incentive to retain qualified and experienced law enforcement officers. Applies to full-time certified law enforcement officers who have been employed by one or more law enforcement agencies for the required years of service and full-time certified law enforcement officers with 20 or more years of service. Requires law enforcement agencies to comply with the Law Enforcement Training Act and to submit additional information to receive Retention Differential Disbursements. Makes a $1 million (GF) appropriation to the Law Enforcement Protection Fund for use in FY2025 and subsequent fiscal years for the annual cost difference to implement Retention Differential Disbursements.
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