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Mar. 12—Days remaining in session: 9 Hair-based discrimination: As a youngster, Harold Pope Jr. was teased so badly when his mother braided cornrows in his hair that he went home from school one day. "I can remember going to school and being treated unfairly; I was the only Black student at my school," said Pope, now a state senator. On Thursday, the Albuquerque Democrat championed a bill that ...
Legislative Roundup: 9 Days Remain In 2021 Session SFNM Bad for box office: Thanks to the pandemic, 2020 was not a good year for movie theaters. Most shut down completely nearly a year ago, and the few that have found a way to keep operating have had to contend with small, socially distanced audiences; a fraction of the usual crowd. The National Association of Theater Owners has estimated up to 70 percent of small or midsize cinemas won’t survive long enough to reopen after health order restrictions are lifted. The House Taxation and Revenue Committee discussed the issue Wednesday when R...
Credit Senator Gregory A. Baca - (R) - Minority Floor Leader LAS CRUCES – New Mexico Senate Minority Leader Greg Baca, R-Rio Rancho, was able to force a debate Wednesday, March 10, on his bill to limit the governor’s powers during an emergency, but nothing more. Early in Wednesday’s session, while legislators were still on announcements, Baca moved that Senate Bill 74 be made the next order of business. After about an hour of debate, the motion was defeated 24-14 on a straight party-line vote, meaning the bill will likely continue to languish on the daily calendar until the end of the ...
Legislative roundup, March 10, 2021 Santa Fe New Mexican, The (NM) Mar. 10—Days remaining in session: 11 Prayer for senator: Members of the state Senate offered a prayer for Sen. Bill Sharer and his family at the onset of Tuesday morning's floor session. But no other details were provided. Sharer, a Republican from Sen. Craig Brandt, a Rio Rancho Republican and retired pastor who led the chamber in prayer, said, "Lord, we just pray for Sen. Sharer and his family." As a result of Sharer's absences, two bills that have been subject to a legislative maneuver known as a call of the Senat...
By Daniel J. Chacón, Santa Fe New Mexican | March 9, 2021 A bill that would allow the state and certain local authorities to enact environmental protections more stringent than federal regulations stalled Monday when Republicans pulled a legislative maneuver that requires every member of the chamber to be physically present in the Roundhouse. “We’re gonna roll over this bill,” said Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe. “At this point, it doesn’t make sense to have us just standing in place.” Wirth, who is sponsoring Senate Bill 8, said the “call of the Senate” will...