Days remaining in session: 1
Cannabis charges: People convicted of marijuana-related crimes could request expungement of their records under a bill the Senate passed Thursday.
New Mexico’s Cannabis Regulation Act requires automatic expungement of cannabis-related crimes. But New Mexico courts have struggled to meet the requirement, saying it's a big lift since there are as many as 155,000 cannabis-related criminal cases that need to be examined.
"The way that we set up this automatic expungement assumed that there were processes within our courts to really be able to identify those charges," said Sen. Katy Duhigg, D-Albuquerque. But, she said, it "isn't working."
Duhigg said House Bill 314 doesn't put the onus on an individual to get their record expunged but gives them an option to speed up the process.
"The courts will still be doing their own work to identify those charges and address them," she said. "If they don't want to wait while the court is doing that process, then they could go to the courts and say, 'Hey, I want to flag mine for you. I've already identified it for you. Please address this one first.' ”
Gov. signs renewable energy bill: Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed House Bill 95 on Thursday, making permanent the existence of a renewable energy office within the State Land Office.
“As renewable energy becomes an increasingly important part of New Mexico’s energy future, we have to make sure that this burgeoning industry has the support it needs to flourish,” said Rep. Tara Lujan, D-Santa Fe, one of the bill’s sponsors. “With our economy and climate at stake, we have a responsibility to ensure we deliver on New Mexico’s potential to be a clean energy leader.”
Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard established the office in 2019. Since then, it has increased its annual revenue from wind and solar power generation to over $12 million in fiscal year 2022, and more than tripled the amount of energy under lease, according to a news release from the Governor’s Office.
The bill passed the House 48-19 and the Senate 27-8. Some Republicans opposed it both times, worried it would "codify the Green New Deal into the State Land Office," as Rep. John Block, R-Alamogordo, put it in a February tweet.
Organized retail crime: The Senate passed a bill Thursday designed to crack down on organized retail crime.
"This is a collaboration … to change the shoplifting statute, add the crime of aggravated shoplifting and also retail theft crime, to allow officers, prosecutors and judges hold people accountable for multiple shoplifting [crimes] in multiple stores," said Sen. Moe Maestas, D-Albuquerque.
House Bill 234 heads back to the House for a concurrence vote on amendments.
Gas bill grounded: Sometimes quirky bills still show up in legislative committees with just days left in the session. One such bill was Senate Bill 75, which simply says there should be no prohibition on selling unleaded fuel at airports.
That doesn't mean we can pull up in our four-wheeled vehicles and gas up if we happen to be at the airport and they have unleaded gas to sell. It's aimed at fueling unleaded fuel-driven airplanes, like the type Sen. William Soules, D-Las Cruces, flies when he comes to Santa Fe for the legislative session.
The House Transportation, Public Works and Capital Improvements Committee was scheduled to hear the bill Thursday morning. But "they never got a quorum," Soules texted later that day. Since the session ends at noon Saturday, it's unlikely SB 75 will take flight this year.
Soules is not the only private pilot in the state Legislature. Sens. George Muñoz, D-Gallup and Joe Cervantes, D-Las Cruces also have pilot licenses, as does Rep. Larry Scott, R-Hobbs.
School health centers OK'd: The House of Representatives voted 40-25 on Wednesday night to approve Senate Bill 397, which will support the opening of school-based health centers in New Mexico public schools.
The centers are designed to provide behavioral and physical health support to students including preventive care, mental health care, crisis intervention and treatment of chronic conditions.
“Whether they have urgent injuries, chronic illnesses, or behavioral health needs, every New Mexico student needs access to health care,” Rep. Christine Trujillo, D-Albuquerque, said in a news release issued by the House Democratic caucus. “Sometimes school-based health centers are the only places families can turn to when their kids need medical care.”
SB 397 now goes to the governor's desk for her signature.
Quotes of the day: For some reason, Thursdays have turned out to be the best day for capturing a quote of the day — or quotes, in this case:
"Patty, don't try to kill the bill!" — Rep. Patty Lundstrom, D-Gallup, telling lawmakers on the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee about text messages she got from doctors asking her not to stop a last-minute legislative effort to address medical malpractice payout caps.
"I don't have that information or knowledge. That's not part of this bill." — Sen. Siah Correa Hemphill, D-Silver City, after Sen. Pat Woods, R-Broadview, asked her to explain Obamacare.
"I just want to congratulate the senator for carrying the most boring bill of the session." — Sen. Cliff Pirtle, R-Roswell, after Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto, D-Albuquerque, presented a bill to amend portions of New Mexico's real property law, specifically relating to scrivener’s affidavits.
"Today Dems presented SB 442 on the House Floor to give the governor a raise; I suggested a pay cut." Rep. Stefani Lord, R-Sandia Park, on Twitter.
"Money may grow on trees in Santa Fe — I don't know — but everywhere else, people have to work for it." — Sen. Pat Woods, R-Broadview, on a $500,000 study to analyze the impact of expanding Medicaid eligibility.
"I'm just trying to think. My brain is a little foggy this morning." — Sen. Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque, struggling to answer a question Thursday after a floor session Wednesday ended close to midnight.
"I like to boss people around." — Avery Stewart, the 7-year-old granddaughter of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, on why she enjoyed visiting the state Capitol.
