Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
A resolution passed by the Silver City Town Council recently led to a celebration on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2015, at the Silver City Museum, to honor on the Saturday closest to Feb. 15 each year, the unique territorial charter on which Silver City was founded and continues to use. Silver City is the only municipality in the state of New Mexico to have kept its original charter and to be able to work under its rules.
In legislative action, the compromise bill approved overwhelmingly by the Senate now awaits only a conference report and some minor changes and then House approval before it goes to Governor Susana Martinez for her expected signature. The revised measure would require undocumented immigrants in New Mexico to submit fingerprints before getting new state driving authorization cards. Those fingerprints would be given to the FBI for background checks.
Senate Bill 84, sponsored by Senator Linda Lopez (D-11-Bernalilo) passed the House unanimously on Monday. The bill allows a victim of criminal sexual penetration to apply for an order of protection after the perpetrator is released from prison without having to appear at the hearing.
The House of Representatives approved House Bill 99, bipartisan legislation to bring New Mexico into compliance with the REAL ID Act and end the practice of giving driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. By a vote of 65 to 1, the House agreed to concur with the bill as amended and passed by the Senate on Saturday. It now moves to the Governor’s office for her signature.
A photo Voter ID bill passed its first committee hearing Monday morning at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe. House Bill 312 was heard in the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee this morning. The bill calls for a photo Voter ID when voting in New Mexico elections. The ID is to be issued by a government entity, and can include a driver’s license, or an ID from an educational institution, or a federally recognized Indian nation, tribe or pueblo.
Today, SJR 1, a compromise on bail bond reform, unanimously passed the House of Representatives. The compromise resolution marks a major step forward for criminal justice reform and will grant judges the authority to deny bail to violent offenders, as well as protect non-violent offenders who are not a flight risk from being imprisoned solely because of an inability to afford the cost of bail.
