Commentary: 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).
In a 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