2024 NM Legislative Session

This category will include items sent to the Beat from the 2024 NM Legislative session. 

NM House Republicans File Legislation To Limit The Governor’s Executive Powers

Category: 2024 NM Legislative Session 2024 NM Legislative Session
Published: 18 January 2024 18 January 2024

SANTA FE, NM—Today, New Mexico House Republicans filed legislation to limit the Governor’s power to declare a state of emergency, a push to reign in executive overreach.

Recent decisions by Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham to declare states of emergency, including her COVID lockdowns and recent ban on firearms, violate the constitutional purview of executive power and the legislative process. 

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State Rep Jim Townsend is Chosen to Lead Again, Will Serve as House Republican Minority Whip

Category: 2024 NM Legislative Session 2024 NM Legislative Session
Published: 16 January 2024 16 January 2024

Longtime State Representative and former House Republican Leader, Jim Townsend (R-Chaves, Eddy & Otero), was nominated and elected by the House Republican Caucus, with unanimous consent, to assume the role of House Minority Whip. Representative Greg Nibert previously held the position but was recently appointed to the New Mexico State Senate.

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Republican Legislators Introduce Bill To Tackle Chronic Absenteeism

Category: 2024 NM Legislative Session 2024 NM Legislative Session
Published: 15 January 2024 15 January 2024

SANTA FE, NM—Republican members of the New Mexico House of Representatives are taking decisive action to address chronic absenteeism, an issue that has adversely affected our state's education system for several years.

Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10% or more of school days, has shown a consistent upward trend in New Mexico, with grave implications for our state's future. This troubling pattern has long-term effects, impeding academic achievement, increasing dropout rates, and negatively impacting workforce readiness, contributing to a cycle of socio-economic challenges.

PDF documents at end of article.

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NM House Republicans Want More Checks And Balances, Introduce Legislation

Category: 2024 NM Legislative Session 2024 NM Legislative Session
Published: 13 January 2024 13 January 2024

SANTA FE, NM—Republican State Legislators Jim Townsend (R-Chaves, Eddy & Otero) and Randal Pettigrew (R-Lea) are introducing legislation that will create an Administrative Rule Oversight Committee to review rules proposed by the Executive Branch. The purpose of the committee, which will consist of six republicans and six democrats of the legislative branch, is to give proper review of executive power, to ensure statutory authority and legislative intent.

Letter and bill PDF below:

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Rep. John Block files bill for $1.5B appropriation to finish NM border barrier

Category: 2024 NM Legislative Session 2024 NM Legislative Session
Published: 13 January 2024 13 January 2024

ALAMOGORDO, N.M.—On Friday, New Mexico state Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo) announced H.B. 111 to spend $1.5 billion of New Mexico’s surplus revenues on the completion of the border barrier between Mexico and New Mexico. The current amount of unfinished border barrier between them is approximately 50.3 open miles. 

The appropriation follows the current market rate of border barriers, as done in the neighboring state of Texas, at approximately $30 million per mile.

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NM House Republicans Commit To Reforming CARA Program

Category: 2024 NM Legislative Session 2024 NM Legislative Session
Published: 12 January 2024 12 January 2024

SANTA FE, NM—Today, New Mexico House Republicans filed legislation to strengthen language in the New Mexico Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), sharpening the teeth of CYFD and ensuring protections for our state’s most vulnerable children and families.

 “We are tired of hearing stories about kids like Ricky Renova, Amelia Bennett and Nayisha Delaney, over and over again.” said Rep. Gail Armstrong (R, Catron, Sierra, Socorro & Valencia). “These tragic deaths were preventable. It must stop. We know these babies were born substance-exposed and, under the failed law of 2019, we allowed these high-risk families with documented history of abuse to simply walk out the door”, Rep. Armstrong continued.

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Senate Republican Whip, Senator Craig Brandt, Releases 2024 Public Safety Package

Category: 2024 NM Legislative Session 2024 NM Legislative Session
Published: 12 January 2024 12 January 2024

Bills target criminals, support law enforcement

SANTA FE—Senate Republican Whip, Senator Craig Brandt (R-Rio Rancho), today released a suite of bills aimed at tackling crime in New Mexico. The bills were drafted in concert with the state’s top law enforcement agencies, with input from local district attorneys and police departments. 

“Crime is out of control in New Mexico. I believe this two-pronged approach—targeting criminals and supporting law enforcement—is a workable framework we can all agree on,” said Senator Brandt.

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