The session ends in 9 days! Quick updates on how this will go until noon March 20th!

SB 15, Redistricting Committee, sponsored by Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto and Speaker Brian Egolf 

SB 15 has many elements of fair redistricting that the New Mexico First’s Fair Districts task force recommended. SB 15 passed the Senate Floor by a unanimous vote and is scheduled for House Judiciary on Friday, March 12th.  Please sign our petition for fair redistricting in New Mexico here, and check out the call to action tools for contacting House Judiciary: redistrictNM.org today! For more updates from the Fair Districts Coalition, check out our new website.

SB 160, Judicial Candidates in Voter Action Act, sponsored by Sens. Peter Wirth & Katy Duhigg 

SB 160 passed the Senate floor on March 9 by a vote of 22-13. Thank you for adding your voice to this effort, it truly made a difference. If passed, the bill would allow public funds, that are no longer being applied to PRC districts, to be applied to district judges. The passage would allow district judges to focus on their court docket, and not on fundraising for their campaigns. SB 160 is scheduled on Friday, March 12, in the House State Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee.  Please contact your Representative here and ask them to support SB 160, to help ensure that our state judiciary is free, fair, and impartial from conflicts of interest.

Here is some recent media coverage: 

Associated Press: https://www.santafenewmexican.com/ap/new-mexico-may-pioneer-public-financing-of-lower-court-campaigns/article_8fd0c812-3505-512b-9e19-f2d1bd998fc0.html

Judge Daniel Ramczyk’s Letter to the Editor: https://www.abqjournal.com/2365980/i-lived-it-get-politics-out-of-nms-judicial-races.html

SB 387, Segregated Bank Account, sponsored by Sen. Peter Wirth

SB 387 received a Do Pass from the Senate Floor on March 11th and is now headed over to the House. This bill would require a contribution to be deposited in a segregated bank account to be exempt from the independent expenditure reporting requirements. This critical amendment to our campaign finance statutes ensures increased campaign and election spending disclosure to the public to be able to see who is funding elections in our state.

NM InDepth’s Recent Coverage of this legislation: https://nmindepth.com/2021/03/10/political-spending-transparency-bill-clears-senate

HB 244, Ethics Commission & Secretary of State Duties, sponsored by Rep. Daymon Ely & Rep. Greg Nibert

HB 244 received a unanimous Do Pass from both the Senate Rules Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee and is waiting to be scheduled on the Senate Floor.  This bill adds important language for additional enforcement provisions for the State Ethics Commission as they investigate and adjudicate complaints regarding our campaign finance reporting laws, lobbyist reporting regulations and the Governmental Conduct Act. 

HB 74, Felony Voting Rights Restoration Process, sponsored by Rep. Gail Chasey 

HB 74 is waiting to be scheduled in the Senate Rules Committee and needs YOU to lend your voice to ask that it be heard! HB74 is vital to ensuring not a single New Mexican is discouraged from exercising their right to cast a ballot. Upon passage, the bill will allow for a simple transaction between county clerk’s offices and the corrections department, eliminating the confusing paperwork needed for felons to register to vote.

Please call and email the Senate Rules Committee and ask them to support HB 74 today!

HB 231, Requiring Tribal Agreement for Consolidating, Closing Native American Polling Locations, sponsored by Reps. Georgene Louis, D. Wonda Johnson, Derrick J. Lente, Anthony Allison, and Sen. Benny Shendo, Jr.

HB 231 passed the House floor on March 2nd and is currently waiting to be scheduled in the Senate Rules Committee. This important piece of legislation will ensure voters residing on sovereign land are not disenfranchised and are afforded every opportunity to cast their ballot. 

SJR 22, Ranked Choice Voting, sponsored by Sen. Bill Tallman

SJR 22 is a constitutional amendment to go before voters that will allow for municipalities and the state to implement the election processes with other systems, including ranked choice voting. SJR 22 was tabled in Senate Rules on March 8th, but we will continue lobbying in the interim to help support introducing this bill again in the next legislative session.

You can read more about this reform and others that we will continue advocating for in the future from NM In Depth: https://nmindepth.com/2021/03/09/independent-voters-surpass-20-percent-but-lack-representation-lawmakers-unswayed/

Thank you for staying engaged and helping us improve New Mexico’s vibrant democracy!