NM is inching closer to a consensus around a redistricting map that will draw lines for the 70 state House legislative voting districts. HB 8 was presented in committee today with resounding support from all tribal leaders in the state. So far, no competing bills for House redistricting had been introduced.
Sponsored by Rep. Georgene Louis (D-Albuquerque), House Bill 209 creates the State Indian Child Welfare Act (SICWA), establishing a New Mexico version of the federal Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). Established in 1978 in response to overwhelmingly high numbers of Native American children being forcibly removed from their families and tribal communities nationwide, ICWA establishes standards of protection for Native American families in the child welfare system. It aims to “protect the best interests of Indian children and promote the stability and security of Indian tribes and families.”
“Creating a state version of the ICWA guarantees that Native children in New Mexico’s child welfare system will continue to be safeguarded by the protections in the Act, no matter what might happen at the federal level,” said Rep. Louis. “Based on input from local ICWA workers, tribal leaders, New Mexico’s Children, Youth and Families Department, advocates, and impacted communities, we’ve also expanded our state Act to provide further protections and to recognize and honor the traditions and cultures of New Mexico’s 23 tribes, nations, and pueblos.”
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