(Picture is from the scene of an Albuquerque drunk driver crash)
From the Republican Party of New Mexico:
Santa Fe, NM – While a package of House bills toughening laws against DWI in New Mexico languish in the Senate, Senate Democrat Boss Michael Sanchez has represented well over 100 DWI offenders, many of them repeat offenders with three or four offenses.
“Once again, Sanchez is looking out for his own pocketbook and the rights of the repeat DWI offenders his law firm represents rather than the innocent New Mexicans endangered by his inaction,” said Republican Party of New Mexico Spokesman Tucker Keene, “Sanchez has the power to put these bills to a vote in the Senate, and we hope that for once he sides with the families that would be protected by this legislation and not the criminals looking to escape accountability for their actions.”
With just eight days left in the 2016 legislative session, the Senate is running out of time to act on the proposed bills. The Republican Party of New Mexico urges Sanchez and the Senate to quit stalling and pass HB 81, HB 82 and HB 83 to help keep Sanchez’s dangerous clients off the roads and protect our families.
Public records of Sanchez’s DWI client list are linked below.
Republican Party of New Mexico
O: 505-298-3662
www.gopnm.org
Round Up From The Roundhouse, FGGAM received these updates from the New Mexico House Republican caucus:
Lawmakers and Advocacy Group Fight to End DWI at NM State Capitol
Santa Fe, NM – Today, members of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) met with state legislators in honor of DWI Awareness Day at the Roundhouse. New Mexico has some of the weakest DWI laws in the nation. Recent studies show that the state ranks 33rd in overall strictness of DWI laws and ranks 49th in strength of criminal penalties for DUI compared to the rest of the country.
“It is imperative that we send bills to toughen the punishment for DWI offenses to the Governor for her signature,” said Rep. Sarah Maestas Barnes, who is sponsoring bills aimed to crack down on DWI offenders. “New Mexico’s rampant DWI problem needs to be addressed and I’m proud to be working with MADD to find solutions.”
A bipartisan bill sponsored by Maestas Barnes and Democrat Sen. George Munoz that will toughen penalties on drunk drivers passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 6 to 3 vote. The proposal would increase the punishment for homicide or great bodily harm while driving under the influence to a second degree felony rather than a third degree felony.
House Bill 83, which is sponsored by Reps. Maestas Barnes and Rod Montoya, also passed the Senate Judiciary Committee. It passed on a 6 to 2 vote. The proposal would increase penalties for eighth and subsequent DWI offenses. It would also elevate homicide or great bodily harm by a vehicle while under the influence from a third-degree felony to a second-degree felony, allowing for judges to sentence offenders to more jail time.
The House of Representatives also unanimously passed a memorial in remembrance of the 118 people who lost their lives to drunk driving during 2015. In addition, the memorial recognized MADD for their work to combat drunk driving in New Mexico and support victims of drunk driving.
“DWI and MADD Day is a day of recognition for those victims and survivors of impaired driving and underage drinking. It is a day for the entire state of New Mexico to come together as a community and be a part of the solution! New Mexico is in a state of crisis. All of us are accountable to each other and our community as a whole. Do not drive while impaired. Do not let anyone else drive while impaired. Make one plan, followed by a second, and then have a third plan…before you start drinking. Impaired driving impacts one out of every three New Mexicans. It may not be personal for you today; however, the statistics tell us that it will be personal for you someday. Help us ensure that New Mexico is a state with No More Victims,” Aisha Smith, MADD state executive director, said.
Earlier this session, the House sent three bills, including HB 83, aimed to combat DWI to the Senate for their approval. The other two are:
House Bill 81, which is sponsored by Rep. Paul Pacheco, would toughen the punishment for DWI offenders who continue to get in the driver’s seat after their licenses have been suspended or revoked. The legislation would make it a fourth-degree felony to be charged with a DWI while driving with a license that has already been revoked or suspended for a prior DWI offense.
House Bill 82, which is sponsored by Rep. Jim Dines, would allow judges to impose stricter penalties on DWI felons. The legislation would make repeat drunk drivers eligible for sentencing under the Habitual Offender law.
House Approves Return to Work for Law Enforcement on Bipartisan Vote
Santa Fe, NM – The House of Representative passed a bill to allow law enforcement officers to return to work after they have retired. House Bill 171, sponsored by Rep. Larry Larrañaga and Sen. Stuart Ingle, will allow local law enforcement agencies to fill staffing shortages while they recruit and train new officers. It passed tonight by a bipartisan vote of 38 to 29.
“Passage of this legislation will help our law enforcement agencies to quickly raise staffing levels and put more officers on patrol,” Larrañaga said. “This is a prudent and narrowly-targeted measure to address emergency law enforcement shortages. I hope the Senate will agree to support this effort to boost the strength of our law enforcement departments across the state.”
The bill would allow most law enforcement agencies to rehire retired certified law enforcement officers in patrol positions. Smaller law enforcement agencies would be authorized to rehire retired officers to any position.
Only law enforcement officers who retired on or before December 31, 2015, would be eligible for rehire under this proposal. The bill would also require a 90-day break in service. Rehired law enforcement officers would be allowed to collect their pensions, but they would not be able to accrue additional pension benefits. Officers rehired under the legislation would only be able to work an additional five years.
According to the New Mexico Municipal League, municipalities representing 78 percent of New Mexico’s population support the measure, as well as 39 mayors and 100 percent of New Mexico Sheriffs.
House Representative Signals Progress on Bail Reform
Santa Fe, NM – Negotiations continue on two different proposals to reform New Mexico’s bail bond system. The two items, Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 1, sponsored by Sen. Peter Wirth, and House Joint Resolution (HJR) 13, sponsored by Rep. David Adkins, are both currently pending action in the House of Representatives.
“We must past bail reform this year. I have reached out to my colleagues in the Senate to come to an agreement on the best possible resolution to place before the voters in November,” Adkins said. “I have asked the House to suspend action on my resolution as we negotiate so we can move forward on one bill, SJR 1, and acknowledge the important work Sen. Wirth has done on this issue.”
HJR 13 passed both the House Regulatory and Public Affairs Committee and the House Judiciary Committee, and it is pending action by the full House of Representatives. The Senate endorsed SJR 1 last week and sent it to the House for final approval. The House Judiciary Committee gave SJR 1 a “Do Pass” recommendation earlier this week, and it is awaiting action by the House Regulatory and Public Affairs Committee.
“I am optimistic we’ll be able to resolve the differences between our proposals and present a single resolution to House soon,” Adkins said.
House Democrats AWOL from Committee Meeting, Stall Legislation
Santa Fe, NM – This morning every Democrat on the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee was AWOL, effectively stalling the legislative process.
“The people who elected us expect us to show up for work and get our business done,” said Rep. Jim Smith, Chair of the committee. “We have eight days left in this session, and we shouldn’t waste precious time on silly political games. This childish ploy to obstruct legislative action is irresponsible and inexcusable.”
The committee was scheduled to consider a bipartisan measure to reform the capital outlay process and a bill that would require political candidates and appointed officials to supply information on consulting work on their financial disclosure statements.
Legislators absent from this morning’s meeting included Reps. Eliseo Alcon, Doreen Gallegos, James Roger Madalena, Antonio “Moe” Maestas, Ken Martinez and Debbie Rodella. After waiting for the absentee legislators for about 45 minutes, the meeting was postponed due to the lack of a quorum
