Bernalillo County District Attorney speaks out on failed juvenile crime bills in the legislature
He said lawmakers have left him frustrated. 'I can tell there was absolutely not one single bill when it comes to changing children's code, the delinquency act, not one,' said Bregman. It's not the outcome he hoped for at the end of a 60-day session with two bills aimed at juvenile crime reforms failing to make it to the governor's desk.
Story continues below
Crime: Sentencing begins for group involved in fatal drive-by shooting of 5-year-old
Entertainment: When will ski resorts in New Mexico, southern Colorado close for 2025?
Rankings: Where does this New Mexico town rank among the 2025 'Best Places to Live'?
HB 255 would have toughened penalties and added rehabilitation resources but it failed a Senate vote. Despite that failure, House leadership said over the weekend that New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department reforms should help. 'First and foremost, I think fixing CYFD is addressing juvenile crime, you cannot talk about juvenile crime without ensuring that this state steps up and shows up for those children who are in situations where they are struggling,' said Javier Martinez, Speaker of the House, Bregman disagrees.
'I hope they changed a lot of things in CYFD for the better whatever that might be, but they did nothing about holding kids accountable, having some consequences nothing whatsoever,' said Bregman. The push for change comes after a mass shooting involving teens in Las Cruces Friday night and recent news of an 11, 13, and 15-year-old being charged for hitting and killing a bicyclist last year. 'We are going to hold everybody accountable that murdered that bicyclist on his way to work, we're going to hold them accountable and hold them to the full extent of the law,' said Bregman.
But Bregman notes gaps in the Children's Code continue to make difficult work for prosecutors. 'I want you to hold these young people accountable when they violate the law. And start when they first violate the law, when they steal their first car. Make sure they understand there's a consequence to that behavior. They're going to be accountable… So that down the road, we don't have situations where the first time they're being held accountable is when they're being prosecuted for murder,' said Bregman.
The governor has signaled that she could call another special session on crime and Bregman said he too is in support of the idea. Democrats in both the House and Senate said Saturday they don't think a special session on crime will work unless the bills are figured out ahead of time.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Texas Democrats tear ‘permission slips' imposed by Republican house speaker
Texas Democrats are tearing up 'permission slips' they signed in order to leave the chamber, joining state representative Nicole Collier ahead of Wednesday's vote on the controversial Texas congressional redistricting maps. The slips are part of new surveillance protocols set by Texas Republicans in the house chamber, stating that Democrats would 'be granted written permission to leave only after agreeing to be released into the custody of a designated [Texas department of public safety] officer' who would ensure their return to the chamber. The move follows a two-week quorum break that had delayed Republicans' effort to redraw the state's congressional districts to align with Donald Trump's push to reshape the US House map in his favor before the 2026 midterm elections. On Tuesday, Collier chose to remain confined inside the Texas house chamber until lawmakers reconvene on Wednesday, refusing to comply with what she condemned as a 'demeaning' protocol. Related: Thousands join US 'Fight the Trump Takeover' protests against Republican redistricting plans Collier was among dozens of Democrats who left the state for the Democratic havens of California, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York to delay the Republican-controlled legislature's approval of redrawn congressional districts sought by Trump. When they returned Monday, Republicans insisted that Democrats have around-the-clock police escorts to ensure they wouldn't leave again and scuttle Wednesday's planned House vote on a new political map. But Collier wouldn't sign what Democrats called the 'permission slip' needed to leave the house chamber, a half-page form allowing Department of Public Safety troopers to follow them. She spent Monday night and Tuesday on the house floor, where she set up a livestream while her Democratic colleagues outside had plainclothes officers following them to their offices and homes. Linda Garcia, a Dallas-area representative, said she drove three hours home from Austin with an officer following her. When she went grocery shopping, he went down every aisle with her, pretending to shop, she said. As she spoke to the Associated Press by phone, two unmarked cars with officers inside were parked outside her home. 'It's a weird feeling,' she said. 'The only way to explain the entire process is: it's like I'm in a movie.' The trooper assignments, ordered by Dustin Burrows, the Republican house speaker, was another escalation of a redistricting battle that has widened across the country. Trump is pushing GOP state officials to tilt the map for the 2026 midterms more in his favor to preserve the GOP's slim house majority, and Democrats nationally have rallied around efforts to retaliate. Gene Wu, the house minority leader from Houston, and Vincel Perez, a state representative of El Paso, stayed overnight with Collier, who represents a minority-majority district in Fort Worth. On Tuesday, more Democrats returned to the Capitol to tear up the slips they had signed and stay on the house floor, which has a lounge and restrooms for members. Cassandra Garcia Hernandez, a Dallas-area representative, called their protest a 'slumber party for democracy' and said Democrats were holding strategy sessions on the floor. 'We are not criminals,' Penny Morales Shaw, a Houston representative, said. Collier said having officers shadow her was an attack on her dignity and an attempt to control her movements. Burrows brushed off Collier's protest, saying he was focused on important issues, such as providing property tax relief and responding to last month's deadly floods. His statement Tuesday morning did not mention redistricting and his office did not immediately respond to other Democrats joining Collier. 'Rep Collier's choice to stay and not sign the permission slip is well within her rights under the house rules,' Burrows said. Under those rules, until Wednesday's scheduled vote, the chamber's doors are locked, and no member can leave 'without the written permission of the speaker'. To do business Wednesday, 100 of 150 House members must be present. The GOP plan is designed to send five additional Republicans from Texas to the US House. Texas Democrats returned to Austin after Democrats in California launched an effort to redraw their state's districts to take five seats from Republicans. Democrats also said they were returning because they expect to challenge the new maps in court. Republicans issued civil arrest warrants to bring the Democrats back after they left the state 3 August, and Greg Abbott, the Republican governor, asked the state supreme court to oust Wu and several other Democrats from office. The lawmakers also face a fine of $500 for every day they were absent. Democrats reported different levels of monitoring. Armando Walle, a Houston representative, said he wasn't sure where his police escort was, but there was still a heightened police presence in the Capitol, so he felt he was being monitored closely. Some Democrats said the officers watching them were friendly. But Sheryl Cole, an Austin representative, said in a social media post that when she went on her morning walk Tuesday, the officer following her lost her on the trail, got angry and threatened to arrest her. Garcia said her nine-year-old son was with her as she drove home and each time she looked in the rearview mirror, she could see the officer close behind. He came inside a grocery store where she was shopping with her son. 'I would imagine that this is the way it feels when you're potentially shoplifting and someone is assessing whether you're going to steal,' she said. Associated Press contributed to this report Solve the daily Crossword
Boston Globe
5 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Susan Collins to get Hollywood treatment at fundraiser with Democrats
The fundraiser will be held at the home of Sherry Lansing, a former Paramount Pictures chair and prominent liberal donor, according to three people with knowledge of the fundraiser. Lansing's home in the Bel Air neighborhood is a mainstay on the philanthropy and Democratic fundraising circuit, hosting the likes of Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis of California on her patio, which opens to sweeping views of Los Angeles. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Lansing is set to co-host the event with Casey Wasserman, the sports and entertainment mogul and chair of the Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee, which is handling logistics for the Summer Games in 2028. Wasserman is a longtime Democratic giver as well, but he has taken steps to ingratiate himself with the right as of late, giving Olympic medals to President Donald Trump at the White House this month and donating to some Republicans during this election cycle. Advertisement Casey Wasserman, chairman of LA28, presented medals from the 1984 Olympics to President Trump in Washington on Aug. 5. Alex Brandon/Associated Press The Bel Air event has attracted some attention in Hollywood because Democrats will need to topple Republicans such as Collins if they have a chance at retaking the Senate. It is unclear how strong a candidate Democrats will field in Maine. On Tuesday, a political novice, Graham Platner, announced his entry into the Democratic primary. Advertisement Wasserman and Lansing decided to participate in the Southern California fundraiser because it was set up as a bipartisan host committee, with two Democrats and two Republicans, according to a person close to them. One of the Republicans is Harry E. Sloan, a former chair of MGM and a current member of the Lionsgate board. Sloan was once a prominent backer of moderate Republicans such as John McCain, but in recent years he has also made six-figure contributions to Democrats, including to back the 2024 presidential campaigns of Joe Biden and then Kamala Harris. Sloan's wife, Florence, a filmmaker with similar giving patterns to her husband, is also listed on the invitation. The other Republican hosting the event is Michael Burns, vice chair of the Lionsgate film and television studio. 'I'm proud to have supported my dear friend Senator Collins for many years,' Burns said in a text message. 'She remains a clear-thinking, bipartisan moderate in a world that, at least for the moment, is something far different.' Lansing, Wasserman and Sloan did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Collins' campaign had no comment. Tickets for the reception run from $3,500 to $10,000. Collins is also expected to attend finance events in Northern California around the time of the Bel Air fundraiser, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Explainer-Does Trump have the power to ban mail-in ballots in U.S. elections?
By Jack Queen (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump wants to ban mail-in ballots in federal elections, a form of voting popular with many Americans. About three in 10 ballots were cast through the mail in the 2024 general election, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Trump, a Republican, does not have clear legal authority to do this, though his allies in Congress and state governments could enact policies barring the practice. Here is a look at Trump's authority and how the law could be changed. CAN TRUMP UNILATERALLY BAN MAIL-IN BALLOTS? Only states and the U.S. Congress can pass laws regulating elections. A unilateral ban by the president on mail-in ballots would likely exceed Trump's limited authority to enforce existing law. In a Monday social media post, Trump said mail-in ballots are susceptible to fraud and that he would lead a movement to ban them, beginning with an executive order bringing "honesty" to the November 2026 midterm elections. Republicans have filed scores of lawsuits seeking to end mail-in voting in recent years, citing possible fraud. Democrats generally support mail-in ballots as a way to expand access to voting. Voter fraud in the U.S. is extremely rare, multiple studies have shown. White House representatives provided a general statement about Trump's election policies but did not answer questions about his legal authority to ban mail-in ballots or what an executive order would say. COULD TRUMP'S ALLIES BAN MAIL-IN BALLOTS? States are responsible for administering their votes under the U.S. Constitution, and Republican-controlled legislatures could pass laws banning mail-in ballots so long as they do not conflict with federal law. Congress could ban the use of mail-in ballots in federal elections and override state laws protecting their use, but Trump's Republican Party has slim majorities in Congress and would face difficulty getting past opposition by Democrats. Republicans hold 53 Senate seats. To pass a mail-in ballot ban they would need to end the filibuster, a longstanding tradition requiring 60 of the chamber's 100 members to approve most legislation. State and federal laws banning mail-in voting could be challenged in court as unconstitutional impediments to voting. WHAT OTHER POWERS DO PRESIDENTS HAVE OVER ELECTIONS? Presidents in the U.S. have some discretion in enforcing election laws, and Trump could try to use those powers to end or restrict mail-in voting, though it is unclear how. In June, a federal judge blocked parts of an executive order by Trump requiring voters to prove they are U.S. citizens and attempting to prevent states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day. The Trump administration is appealing. "The Constitution does not grant the president any specific powers over elections," said U.S. District Judge Denise Casper, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama.
