Latest news with #HaroldPope
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘A good place to work': Westside ABQ lawmakers open offices, part of modernization push
Albuquerque-area lawmakers cut the ribbon Saturday to mark the official opening of their new legislative offices at CNM Westside, part of a broader modernization push. Lawmakers Sen. Harold Pope, center, along with Rep. Charlotte Little, second from left, and Rep. Joy Garratt, while share the office space. (Photo by Patrick Lohmann / Source NM) A trio of Albuquerque-area Democratic lawmakers opened an in-person office space in a community college campus Saturday, one of several recent office openings that the legislators hope will boost services for constituents and also build momentum for a professional, paid Legislature in the near future. Newly hired district legislative aides for Sen. Harold Pope, state Rep. Joy Garratt and state Rep. Charlotte Little will regularly work from a newly leased office space at Central New Mexico Community College's Westside campus. The office is in the 'WSII' building on the north side of campus. Thanks to a provision in the state budget two years ago, at least 20 House lawmakers have opened individual or shared office spaces since late last year in or near their districts, according to Pamela Armstrong, spokesperson for the office of House Speaker Javier Martinez (D-Albuquerque). More offices are expected to open soon, she said. The same provision allowed lawmakers to hire paid legislative aides. NM legislative recap Feb. 12: It's still too cold to harvest, but the session is heating up Garratt, whose District 29 covers from Albuquerque's West Side to Laguna Pueblo, told Source New Mexico at the Saturday ribbon-cutting that, outside of the obvious benefit of the office being 'a good place to work' where constituents can reach their representatives year-round, the new office could demonstrate to the public why a more professional, modern Legislature is needed. 'Step one is actually having a staff person. Step two is having a space other than Starbucks, Panera Bread and a local coffee shop. Step three, and this is something I've worked on for three sessions, is modernization, paid legislators,' she said. New Mexico's remains the only unpaid Legislature in the country, though lawmakers receive per diem payments during the session and for interim committee meetings. Lawmakers and good-government advocates say paying lawmakers would elicit better candidates and reduce the influence of lobbyists or other outside interests. 'I think if people see the effectiveness of being able to easily contact your state legislator, I think there would be greater public support,' Garratt said. 'If we do our jobs. They'll see it's beneficial. People don't know their state legislators. I got an angry phone call yesterday saying, 'Congressman Garratt, what are you going to do about the Trump budget?'' Lawmakers this year considered a joint resolution, which, if approved by voters, would create a commission that would determine and approve lawmaker salaries. But it never made it out of the Senate. An independent review of the legislation noted that a base salary of $50,000, for example, for 112 lawmakers would be cost taxpayers about $5.6 million annually.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
While you were sleeping: into the final Friday
Sen. Harold Pope (D-Albuquerque) carried House Bill 128, which would create the local solar access fund to provide grants for solar energy systems, one of a slew of bills passed in the evening session Thursday. (Danielle Prokop / Source NM) Thursday veered into Friday with the New Mexico Senate remaining on the floor until nearly 1 a.m. The House, after a long night and a nine-hour floor session, tapped out just before 10 p.m. In the evening session, the Senate passed House Bill 128, which would create the local solar access fund to provide grants for solar energy systems; House Bill 296, which would make it easier for out-of-state public accountants to practice in New Mexico; House Bill 101, which would permit law enforcement to carry firearms at polling places; House Bill 93, which would allow utilities to apply for grid improvement projects to the Public Regulation Commission; House Bill 439 which would require emergency dispatcher training for Telecommuter CPR training; House Bill 140, which would update the definition of Hazardous Waste to include PFAS from firefighting foams, and allows the New Mexico Environment Department the authority to mandate cleanup; and House Bill 178, which would make a series of changes to state laws related to nursing, such as clarifying the scope of practices and expanding the Board of Nursing powers. One bill that did not clear the floor, House Bill 255, would have allowed 14 to 18-year-olds to be prosecuted as adults for voluntary manslaughter, in an amendment by the House Judiciary committee, and increased sentences for children in secure facilities. The debate on the bill, which stretched towards 1 a.m. followed a March 19 news release from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham imploring the Legislature for failing to pass 'any substantive legislation to deal with juvenile crime.' Her message followed and cited the high profile arrests of teenagers accused or murder in the hit-and-run death of a cyclist last year. Earlier in the day, Sen. Linda López (D-Albuquerque) removed herself from sponsoring the bill on the floor. She introduced an amendment to strike voluntary manslaughter from the bill, which failed. HB255 failed in a 13-24 vote. The House, after hitting the three-hour debate limit, passed Senate Bill 83, a bill which would employ $10 million dollars —split across seven state agencies — to address climate change; and Senate Bill 23, which would raise royalty rates for oil and gas for the first time in nearly five decades. 'New Mexico is home to some of the most sought-after natural resources in the world, yet we're currently charging well below even the standard market rates,' sponsor Rep. Matthew McQueen (D-Galisteo) said on the floor. 'By simply charging what our state's prime mineral interests are actually worth, we can increase payments to our schools, hospitals, and universities by hundreds of millions of dollars.' The bill would raise an additional estimated $50 to $75 million each year. If signed, the increases would only apply to new oil and gas leases on certain tracts of land in July 2025. The House also passed Senate Bill 37, which would create a separate fund to allow the state to purchase water rights or leasing, without those funds expiring for the Strategic Water Reserve. The Strategic Water Reserve, established in 2005 is a program that allows the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission to buy, lease or accept donated water to keep flows in New Mexico's rivers for two purposes: to send downstream and comply with interstate stream compacts; or to benefit endangered species. SB37 would allow a third purpose: to ensure that water can help recharge aquifers; and would allow the state to prioritize water that could have supplementary benefits, such as recreation or cultural uses, if it meets one of the three primary purposes. Advocates celebrated the bill's passage and urged the governor to sign the bill. 'New Mexico's waters are becoming increasingly difficult to manage under the impacts of climate change,' Conservation Voters New Mexico Conservation Director Zoe Barker said in a statement.'This modernized Strategic Water Reserve will help keep streams flowing for the benefit of wildlife, recreation, cultural resources and downstream deliveries.' BTW, the Strategic Water Reserve should not be confused with the Strategic Water Supply, House Bill 137, the once contentious bill that now addresses brackish water development. The bill is still awaiting a full hearing in the Senate. Strategic Water Supply slides over to Senate SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers discuss bill that would criminalize hazing in New Mexico
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – A month after NMSU fired its athletic director for failing to stop hazing and sexual assault amongst the men's basketball team, lawmakers will now reconsider an effort to make hazing a crime. Albuquerque Democrat Senator Harold Pope tried this bill last year, but it never got a full vote. However, this time Pope thinks lawmakers can get it done. 'They can no longer turn a blind eye to this and say boys will be boys or this is just what happens in athletics,' said Senator Harold Pope, (D-Albuquerque). Lawmakers push to create Slot Canyon Riverside State Park in southern New Mexico Saying hazing culture needs to end at New Mexico schools, Senator Harold Pope is now re-introducing the 'Anti-Hazing Act,' a bill aimed at keeping hazing from happening in higher-ed. 'New Mexico is one of the states that doesn't have anti-hazing laws, so we've wanted this for a while. I think unfortunately these instances that have happened, that brought it even more to the forefront,' said Sen. Pope. The effort comes a month after the attorney general released a scathing report about what happened with the New Mexico State University men's basketball team two years ago. Investigators say three players spent months targeting team members with sexualized attacks. The bill would make a code of conduct and a hazing prevention committee at New Mexico universities and require annual reports on hazing incidents. It would also make hazing a misdemeanor. 'I think it's really the accountability piece. My hope is that no one ever gets a misdemeanor. My hope is that we change the culture when folks are coming to the school whether they be an employee or a student they are trained on hazing is unacceptable,' said Senator Pope. Attorney General Raul Torrez has urged lawmakers to push hazing legislation this session. 'We think it's a necessary element of any comprehensive package, but I do want to stress the fact that it's far past time for New Mexico to move on these issues,' said Raúl Torrez, New Mexico Attorney General. Senator Harold's bill would also require universities and colleges to give students and staff hazing prevention education at the start of each academic year. Lawmakers debated the bill in a first committee Wednesday where some raised concerns about how the law was written and how it could also apply to minors in middle or high schools when the intent is to address hazing in higher education. The bill is expected to be brought back to the committee by the end of the week. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Two competing anti-hazing bills pending before Legislature
Two pending bills — Senate Bills 10 and 148 — are vying to curb hazing in New Mexico schools. The bills, which come amid high-profile incidents in both K-12 schools and higher education institutions in New Mexico, would create different criminal penalties for hazing. Under Senate Bill 10, sponsored by Sen. Harold Pope and Rep. Pamelya Herndon, both D-Albuquerque, hazing and failing to report incidents of it would be misdemeanors. Under Senate Bill 148, sponsored by Sen. Moe Maestas, D-Albuquerque, the level of the crime would escalate based on the harm done, starting with a misdemeanor charge and ending with a second-degree felony if the hazing results in death. SB 10 is scheduled to go before the Senate Education Committee Wednesday morning. SB 148 is in the Senate Judiciary Committee but had not yet been scheduled for a hearing as of Tuesday afternoon.
