Legislative roundup, March 6, 2023

Mar. 5—Days remaining in session: 12

Name-change bill clears Senate committee: The Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee voted unanimously Sunday afternoon to advance a bill getting rid of the requirement name changes be published in a newspaper.

House Bill 31 has already cleared the House of Representatives on a 43-24 vote. Its sponsor, Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, called requiring publication of name changes an "outdated practice."

"This bill is on behalf of the LGBT community and survivors of domestic and sexual violence," she said.

Civil rights bill advances: The committee also voted unanimously to advance Senate Bill 426, which would create a Civil Rights Division within the state Attorney General's Office.

"What this bill does is enable real change," said Michael Hart, a lawyer from Albuquerque.

Attorney General Raúl Torrez said one of the main focuses of the division would be to protect the rights of children.

The bill would cost about $2.4 million over the next three years, according to its fiscal impact report.

Criminal justice bills pass House: The House voted 42-18 Saturday night to pass House Bill 139, which would get rid of state-mandated fees in criminal and traffic cases and expand the definition of community service that people can perform in lieu of fines, fees or going to jail.

"This means, here in our state, we will no longer attempt to pay for court operations and important government programs on the backs of New Mexicans who simply can't afford it," said the bill's sponsor Rep. Micaela Lara Cadena, D-Mesilla.

Rep. Candy Spence Ezzell, R-Roswell, who opposed the bill, said it would be unfair to "the people who are actually out there making a living and doing the right thing," noting it would let people accumulate credit in jail toward paying off fines at 24 times the rate of the state minimum wage.

The bill would reduce revenues by about $14 million over the next three years, according to its fiscal impact report.

The House also voted 60-1 to pass House Bill 550, which would give money to law enforcement to help clear the backlog of warrants many are dealing with.

Quote of the day: "I've got to be honest with you senator: That just sounds like [expletive] to me." Sen. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, responding to Sen. David Gallegos, R-Eunice, who said studies show waiting periods for gun purchases lead to increased rates of domestic violence homicides.