Legislative Roundup
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Castration talk on Fox News: State Rep. Stefani Lord, R-Sandia Park, appeared Thursday night on Fox News with Tucker Carlson to discuss a bill that would allow a court to order a convicted sex offender to undergo chemical castration as a condition of their parole.
Carlson kicked off the nearly 4-minute segment by asserting Democrats from 30 years ago would be “shocked” at what has happened to their party.
“If they could fast-forward decades, they wouldn’t recognize it,” he said. “All of a sudden, the party as a party is aggressively sexualizing children, not just drag queen story hours … but pushing graphic sexualization in schools on little kids. And at the same time, many of our leaders are refusing to punish pedophiles.”
Lord said the majority of New Mexicans are moderate Democrats.
“But unfortunately,” she said, “we’ve got some progressive Democrats that are pushing forward some radical ideology.”
Lord told Carlson said she’s tried to introduce amendments on bills that are “soft on criminals” that wouldn’t let pedophiles off the hook.
“Every amendment I presented was shot down, literally,” she said, adding her chemical castration bill is intended to keep pedophiles away from children.
“So have you considered calling it puberty blockers?” Carlson asked sarcastically. “If you did that, maybe every Democrat in New Mexico would vote for it.”
Lord laughed, saying, “That’s a great idea.” She said she was a Democrat until 1997 and no longer recognizes the party.
“I’m very passionate, and it comes from my heart. I just don’t want pedophiles to get any special treatment or to be allowed early out of prison,” she said.
Late afternoon surprise: House Republicans met Friday to elect a new minority whip: Rep. Greg Nibert, R-Roswell.
The move came just two months or so after the caucus met to choose new leadership, including Rep. Ryan Lane, R-Aztec as minority leader and Rep. Jason Harper, R-Rio Rancho, as whip.
Reached by phone Friday afternoon, Harper said, “I wish Rep. Nibert much success and all my best.” He declined further comment.
In a news release issued by House Republicans, Nibert said he was honored to be selected and is looking forward “to working to support New Mexico’s best interest as we debate public policy this session.”
Lane said in the news release the caucus is thankful for Harper’s service and “know that he will remain an integral part of our caucus.
“Our caucus remains resolved to upholding conservative principles and working to make sure that New Mexicans see results and not just political grandstanding.”
Harper has served in the Legislature since 2013 while Nibert has served since 2017.
Saturday action: The House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee is meeting at 9 a.m. Saturday at the state Capitol to consider several environmental bills, including one — House Bill 183 — that would move the Department of Game and Fish to a division under the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, replacing the State Game Commission with the Game Advisory Board.
That’s the only legislative event scheduled for Saturday.
Speaking by phone, the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Matthew McQueen, D-Galisteo, said the “Department of Game and Fish is governed by a politically appointed board and it has been left ineffective. This would change that. … I would like to separate that department from the politics of answering to a political board.”
For details on the bill or the hearing, visit www.nmlegis.gov and click on the “What’s Happening” link and then click the House Committees link.
Get out the indie vote: A bill that would amend the Election Code to allow voters who are unaffiliated with a major party to select a majority party ballot for the primary election — without changing their registration status — cleared its first legislative hurdle Friday when the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee voted 5-4 to move it forward.
House Bill 54, sponsored by Reps. Natalie Figueroa and Meredith Dixon, both Democrats from Albuquerque, next goes to the House Judiciary Committee.
In an interview after the vote, Figueroa said current Election Code mandates are “shutting out” registered voters “and that is not OK”.
Similar efforts have failed in the past, but in 2020 the Legislature approved Senate Bill 4, which allows voters who register with no major party to vote in a primary — as long as they were willing to register as a Democrat, Republican or Libertarian before casting a ballot.
Of the 300,000-plus people who could have taken advantage of that in last year’s primary election, just over 2,100 did. Figueroa said voters should not be asked to change party status for one day just to vote in primary elections.
Animal crackers: As the self-proclaimed “token city girl” on the Agriculture, Acequias and Water Resources Committee, Rep. Marian Matthews, D-Albuquerque, said she wants to make a fashion statement about her love of animals.
She often wears socks with animals on them. On Friday, buffaloes adorned her socks. On other days you might find whales, bees, sloughs, elephants and giraffes.
“I’m eclectic,” Matthews said of her animal choices. “At least I can show my roots.”
Quote of the day: “Unfortunately, I don’t know all the lyrics to the song that you quoted. You caught me off guard on that one.” —vocalist and musician Roberto Griego, when asked to sing “Las Mañanitas” to Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque. Griego, known as “the voice of New Mexico”, was recognized as a New Mexico local legend with a Senate memorial Friday and sang a few lines from another birthday song he recorded.