SANTA FE, N.M. — New Mexico legislators raced towards the clock Friday to advance hard-fought proposals to safeguard abortion entry, ship tax reduction and restrict entry to weapons within the last hours of a 60-day legislative session.
Republicans within the legislative minority raised a collection of objections throughout a Home flooring debate to a invoice that goals to guard abortion suppliers and sufferers from out-of-state interference, prosecution or extradition makes an attempt.
In a victory for abortion rights advocates in New Mexico and states the place the process is banned, the Home secured last passage of that invoice, in a 38-30 vote with Republicans and a few Democrats in opposition. Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is anticipated to signal it. The governor already signed a regulation to dam native abortion-ban ordinances.
Lujan Grisham on Friday mentioned it was more and more necessary for New Mexico to broaden its protections for entry to abortion, together with gender-affirming health care, amid litigation backed by Republican-led states that threatens the nationwide availability of a number one abortion medicine.
“We’re broadening these protections to everybody who ought to be constitutionally protected to make their very own selections … in mild of, proper now, Republican attorneys basic and others making an attempt to limit entry to medicine abortion,” Lujan Grisham mentioned. “New Mexico stood up for science, for girls.”
Legislators have till midday on Saturday to ship different payments to the governor for consideration.
Votes had been pending Friday on gun management measures together with a prohibition on firearms at polling locations throughout an election.
Republican and Democratic legislators discovered widespread floor in a invoice that might permit state prosecution and apply felony penalties to straw purchases of firearms, through which a weapon is purchased legally with the intention to promote it to somebody who can’t lawfully possess a gun.
A 28-10 vote of the Senate despatched the invoice to the governor’s desk. Sponsors embody Republican Home minority leaders T. Ryan Lane of Aztec and former police captain and Republican state Rep. Invoice Rehm of Albuquerque.
It was unclear whether or not different gun payments would come to a last vote, together with a ban on assault rifles, a 14-day ready interval on most gun purchases and proposal to boost the minimal buy age to 21 for some firearms. Lujan Grisham signed a invoice final week that makes it against the law to retailer firearms in locations that youngsters might entry.
At a information convention Friday, Lujan Grisham acknowledged a robust tradition of gun possession in New Mexico, together with girls, and mentioned the state has steadily adopted gun security measures with that in thoughts since she took workplace in 2019.
“For those who take that context and also you have a look at common background checks, red-flag legal guidelines, the relinquishment of a firearm in sure home violence circumstances — and the safe-storage and the straw-sales buy invoice — we’re doing much more on weapons in a brief period of time than most states definitely round us,” she mentioned.
Within the closing days of the legislature, Republicans rallied round a invoice to overtake medical malpractice laws. The initiative goals to decrease insurance coverage charges for unbiased clinics and entice extra medical professionals to state, particularly in distant, rural areas. The Democratic governor helped negotiate provisions of the invoice and is anticipated to signal it into regulation.
The Democrat-led Legislature handed payments within the last days of the session that might enhance pay for statewide elected officers, together with the legal professional basic and secretary of state.
Amongst felony justice initiatives, legislators handed a invoice that might create penalties for organized retail crime and finish the potential for life jail sentences with out the potential for parole for crimes dedicated as youngsters.
A invoice that might get rid of courtroom charges that may have a disproportionate impact on the poor received Senate endorsement Friday on a 35-1 vote, advancing to the governor’s desk. Fines imposed as a punishment for an offense wouldn’t be waived.
Lujan Grisham has signed a invoice that ends the widespread follow of suspending driver’s licenses due to overdue courtroom money owed or missed courtroom hearings. Sponsors of the invoice, together with Republican state Sen. Crystal Diamond of Elephant Butte and Democratic Senate Majority Chief Peter Wirth, say that debt-based license suspensions are counterproductive.
One other invoice on the governor’s desk would use opioid settlement funds to supply therapy at county jails to inmates for drug addiction and alcohol dependency, by administering medicine together with methadone and buprenorphine that may cease drug cravings with out inflicting a euphoric excessive.
The governor on Thursday signed a invoice that can set up an workplace of renewable power to supervise the enlargement of wind and solar-energy manufacturing leases on state belief land.
The State Land Workplace would oversee the brand new division. The company that when centered on oil and pure fuel growth has expanded renewable power growth in recent times to supervise 27 leases for wind power manufacturing.