Former NM state senator Bill O'Neill dies following cancer battle
His death Monday at a Santa Fe hopsital prompted an outpouring of condolences, including from Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland.
Sen. Antonio "Moe" Maestas, D-Albuquerque, who served with O'Neill in both the House and Senate, said O'Neill was loved by constituents and colleagues alike.
"He fought passionately for what he believed in while remaining authentic the entire time," said Maestas, who cited O'Neill's efforts to reduce recidivism by pushing bills removing barriers for formerly incarcerated individuals to get work after being released.
The former founder of a halfway house for individuals released on parole, O'Neill was first elected to an Albuquerque-based state House seat in 2008.
After four years in the House, he won election to an open state Senate seat in 2012 and held the seat until the end of last year, after losing his primary election race to fellow Democrat Debbie O'Malley.
During his time in the Legislature, O'Neill focused much of his attention on parole-related legislation, including a 2019 bill expanding a "ban the box" law that bars employers from asking job applicants right off the bat about criminal convictions.
"Nothing's more important than a good job, and it's oftentimes hard to coax this population into believing they could even have a chance," O'Neill said in 2016 about the issue.
But he also championed legislation seeking to make it easier for independent voters to cast ballots in New Mexico primary elections without having to change their party affiliations.
While he was not successful in getting such legislation to the governor's desk, lawmakers did pass such a bill during this year's 60-day session.
An Ohio native, O'Neill played football for Cornell University and was a regular participant in the annual legislative charity basketball game.
Before winning election to the Legislature, he was appointed as executive director of New Mexico's juvenile parole board by then-Gov. Bill Richardson in 2005.
O'Neill also authored several collections of poetries and books, including the 2021 novel "Short Session" that featured a state senator as the book's protagonist.
He also wrote a one-act play called "Save the Bees" that focused on partisan pressures and was based on his friendship with former state Sen. Cliff Pirtle, a Roswell Republican.
"His willingness to share the essence of serving in the Legislature through his gift with words was always appreciated and will be greatly missed by his Senate colleagues," the Senate Democratic caucus said in a Monday statement.
Keller, who served with O'Neill in the Senate, described his former colleague Monday as "our poet public servant."
"I'm grateful to have worked with him for 20 years, and he always brought an eccentric charm and wit to every conversation," Keller said in a statement.
No details on memorial services for O'Neill had been announced as of late Monday.
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