FGGAM received this News release late yesterday from the New Mexico GOP House:
House GOP calls for special session to address public emergency of violent crime
Santa Fe, NM – The House Republican Leadership team today called on the Governor to convene an immediate Special Session of the New Mexico Legislature to address the escalating and already out of control crime problems plaguing Albuquerque and the rest of the state. Republican leadership told the Governor that the runaway crime problem has become a public emergency as the crime rate continues to rapidly increase and has become progressively worse day by day.
“We clearly have a unique opportunity to finally take the necessary steps to stop the growing number of violent and non-violent crimes across our state, and we stand ready to go to work immediately to get the job done,” wrote House Republican Leader Jim Townsend (Artesia), House Republican Whip Rod Montoya (Farmington), and House Republican Caucus Chair Rebecca Dow (T or C).
The Lujan Grisham administration and majority House Democrats have focused their efforts to pass hyper-partisan progressive policies and have taken no action to strengthen criminal penalties or make it easier to keep criminals off of our streets. For example, during the 2020 and 2021 regular sessions of the Legislature, progressive Democrats rejected some 11 legislative proposals sponsored by House Republicans that would have ended the failed policy of “catch and release” law enforcement and ensured tough mandatory sentencing to guarantee that violent criminals will face serious consequences for their actions. Yet, the House majority was more than willing to pass legislation that would give felons the right to vote and strongly consider legislation that would have imposed the strongest anti-police “use of force’ standards in the nation. These progressive ideas have led many New Mexicans to believe the Democrat majority feels it is more important to protect and coddle criminals than it is to support law enforcement and stop the crime that is causing fear among New Mexico’s families.
In the letter to Lujan Grisham, House Republican leadership pushed for immediate and decisive action rather than delaying any anti-crime legislation for five months until January 2022 when the next regular legislative session is scheduled to meet. The letter also made it clear that House Republicans were willing to work with the governor in order to show all New Mexicans that criminals will be held accountable for harming our citizens and threatening our safety.
Below is a list of the 11 bills sponsored by House Republicans over the past two legislative sessions:
2021 Session
HB 58 Additional Violent Felonies
HB 59 Habitual Felony Offender Consideration
HB 62 Prosecution Time Limit for Certain Felonies
HB 80 Pretrial Detention Rebuttable Presumption
HB 81 Unlawful Weapons While Trafficking
2020 Session
HB 32 Pretrial Bond Hearing
HB 33 3 Strikes Equal Life Sentence
HB 35 Enhanced Penalty for Firearm Used in Crime
HB 36 No Statute of limitation on 2nd Degree Murder
HB 114 Firearms and Controlled Substance Penalty
HB 203 Pretrial Release Hearing Changes
Albuquerque mayoral candidates debate crime, COVID-19
New Mexico Governor Wants $100 Mil for 1,000 More Law Enforcement Officers
Okay…..how about raises and better equipment for our present officers? We need more detectives. We need the best technology to help detectives solve crimes. HUGE SHORTAGE OF DETECTIVES! You cannot just throw money at crime. That has been tried, year after year. This should not be made a campaign issue. We are talking about the safety of all. Take care of our present officers first. Have a plan. Law Enforcement Officers are retiring or quitting at record numbers across the nation. All of a sudden the talk of ‘defund the police’ is catching up with those that were calling for such a very stupid thing! With that talk and COVID it has been a horrible time in Law Enforcement. Many Americans should be ashamed of themselves how they have treated our heroes in uniform.
I have always stated crime is a heart issue, a heart for Jesus issue. You could add 200 officers in Albuquerque right now and there would not be much change or any change at all in the crime rate. Satan is having his way with so many everyday in America. I would strongly suggest to hire more Police Chaplains to help our officers cope with all this wicked crime, to give them more support and also to minister to the victims and to those who commit such evil.
There is much work to be done on the New Mexico Court system also!!! IT NEEDS REFORM!!! FAILURE BIG TIME!
Why Law Enforcement Officers Are Quitting
PIPE DREAM! Gov. Lujan Grisham to ask for $100M for 1,000 more police officers across New Mexico
New Mexico Lawmakers Urge Governor to Remove Vaccine Mandate for Children at State Fair
“Families drive from every corner of our state to spend their time and money at the State Fair in Albuquerque,” added Senator Pirtle (District 32-Chaves, Eddy, and Otero). “This October, come to Roswell for the Eastern New Mexico State Fair and show your displeasure for this Governor and her mishandling of the pandemic. Bring your families to the True New Mexico State Fair to support a community that values freedom, hard work, and True New Mexico values.”
