Latest news with #HouseBill255
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Recent arrests of juveniles accused of murder rattle Roundhouse as session nears end
Mar. 20—SANTA FE — The recent arrests of juvenile suspects — including an 11-year-old boy — in connection with a 2024 hit-and-run homicide in Albuquerque have rattled the Roundhouse in the final days of this year's 60-day session. Several lawmakers cited the case Thursday in discussion of a youthful offender bill that critics say does not go far enough to address a recent increase in violent crime involving juveniles. "It's really disappointing to me this is all we could come up with," said Sen. Craig Brandt, R-Rio Rancho. "This can't be the answer." Even the bill's Senate sponsor, Democrat Antonio "Moe" Maestas of Albuquerque, acknowledged it had become a "political football" after a House committee added monthly stipends of up to $2,000 for former juvenile delinquents. Those stipends, which had been referred to as "homicide scholarships" by some GOP lawmakers, were stripped out of the bill late Wednesday by a Senate committee. During Thursday's debate in a different Senate committee, Maestas said he was only made aware of the stipends after they had been added to the bill. But he said the measure, House Bill 255, would still make improvements to the current juvenile code, including extending the length of probation for released underage defendants from 90 days to six months. "This gives more flexibility and strength to judges' discretion," Maestas said of the legislation, which still faces several more hurdles in order to make it to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's desk before the session ends Saturday. While the bill advanced to the Senate floor late Thursday, more sweeping proposals to crack down on juvenile crime have stalled during this year's 60-day session. That includes a bill backed by Bernalillo Country District Attorney Sam Bregman that would have expanded New Mexico's criminal code for violent juvenile offenders. That bill, House Bill 143, stalled in a House committee amid concerns about the rehabilitation of youthful defendants. However, supporters of such legislation have expressed alarm over a recent increase in juvenile crime in New Mexico, even as overall violent crime and property crime have decreased statewide. Specifically, a top deputy in the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office recently told lawmakers there was a 57% increase in cases involving juvenile criminal defendants from 2022 to 2023. Those figures have taken on different dimensions this week, after Albuquerque police officers arrested three juveniles in connection with the May 2024 death of 63-year-old Scott Habermehl in Northeast Albuquerque. Habermehl was biking to work when he was struck by a stolen vehicle. The three boys arrested in the case allegedly recorded a cellphone video in which they discussed intentionally hitting Habermehl. An Albuquerque Police Department spokesman said this week the juveniles — a 16-year-old, 13-year-old and 11-year-old — were identified after detectives learned about the video, which had been posted to social media. The governor and Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller both condemned the incident, with Lujan Grisham saying lawmakers' refusal to seriously address juvenile crime during this year's session was "unacceptable." On the Senate floor later Wednesday, Sen. Nicole Tobiassen, R-Albuquerque, read the names of victims killed by juvenile offenders and asked colleagues to observe a moment of silence. That included Bennie Hargrove, whose 2021 death on the grounds of Albuquerque's Washington Middle School prompted lawmakers to approve a firearm storage law. "This is something we need to remember in this body as we're passing legislation," Tobiassen said.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrats assail GOP branding of juvenile justice bill as 'homicide scholarship'
The state of New Mexico has garnered attention for its Opportunity Scholarship, which covers full tuition and fees for eligible students pursuing higher education. The state may be now known for a new type of scholarship, or at least that's the term floating around the Roundhouse. According to some Republicans, Democrats in the Legislature are trying to reward juvenile delinquents with a — get ready for this — "homicide scholarship." Moments before the House passed a juvenile justice bill Saturday that includes a monthly monetary stipend for formerly incarcerated youth who are trying to turn their lives around, Rep. Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, coined the phrase, which other Republicans continue to repeat. Montoya stood by the phrase Tuesday. House Bill 255 is "a perfect example of how progressives think about crime, that the individual doesn't need to be held responsible for their actions," Montoya said. "They need to be coddled, that they're somehow a victim themselves, and we need to make sure that they have an opportunity, and we need to do everything we can to rehabilitate them even when it means we do more for them than the victims." The bill states an eligible recipient of the monetary stipend under a three-year pilot project must be a New Mexican who is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident under the age of 26 "who is a former foster child, was adjudicated and incarcerated pursuant to the Delinquency Act or who participated in and aged out of the fostering connections program as provided in the Fostering Connections Act." "Frankly, most of us had missed that portion of it," Montoya said. "Then Rep. [Jonathan Henry, R-Artesia] goes, 'Does this really mean what it says?' And then everybody kind of perked up like, 'Wait a minute.' " Democrats defend stipends Camille Ward, a spokesperson for the House Democratic caucus, said the bill, which passed largely along party lines, takes a data-driven approach to addressing juvenile justice, increasing accountability for serious crime and providing services and resources to support and rehabilitate children. "New Mexicans deserve solutions, not slogans," she said in a statement. While youth convicted of first-degree murder would not meet eligibility requirements, according to Ward, she didn't rule out the possibility a youth convicted of second-degree murder or manslaughter might qualify. "The Higher Education Department will develop eligibility criteria and an application process designed to target those young people who have meaningfully engaged in the rehabilitation process and need this support to pursue education or employment as integrated members of our communities," she said. "Further," Ward added, "it is unlikely that any youth adjudicated for a serious violent crime would meet the current eligibility requirements outlined in the bill because of the length of their sentences and the minimum age requirement." The phrase has already become a talking point among Republicans who are portraying Democrats as soft on crime. "We now have what we're calling the 'homicide scholarship,' " Rep. Andrea Reeb, R-Clovis, said during a news conference Monday. "We're actually rewarding delinquent offenders, violent delinquent offenders, by giving them $2,000 a month for utilities and housing and free school," Reeb said. "It's ridiculous. I mean, we are encouraging, actually, people to be delinquent offenders and serious violent offenders." Lorilynn Violanta, co-executive director of NMCAN, a youth leadership and advocacy organization, said calling the monetary stipend in HB 255 "a scholarship for those who cause great harm like homicide is a pretty big overexaggeration." "They're talking about lifting up these talking points about murderers, but the reality is many of the young people who are experiencing youth detention are in there for less serious offenses," Violanta said. "How do we actually understand that and recognize that communities need to be properly resourced first in order for children to meaningfully thrive?" Rehabilitation vs. accountability To qualify for the stipend of up to $2,000 a month, a participant must be enrolled in a postsecondary educational program, participating in an apprenticeship or workforce development program recognized by the state Workforce Solutions Department or participating in a program or designed to promote employment or remove barriers to employment, according to the bill. Ward said helping young people who are aging out of foster care or formerly incarcerated find their footing and become productive members of society makes everyone safer. "This is about providing continuity of care for the most at-risk young people in New Mexico, who may not have stable families or any other support systems," she said. Montoya, however, said the bill prioritizes rehabilitation over accountability for violent offenders. Asked whether youthful offenders deserve a second chance, Montoya said they do. "But why do they deserve more chances than the ones who are doing right and don't get into criminal activity?" he asked. "That's going way, way, way too far to offer them something we don't offer everybody else." Montoya said the bill rewards bad behavior. "We have such a crime problem in New Mexico, and in my mind, this bill is a perfect example of why," he said. Editor's note: NM Politics Check is an occasional series that shines a light on public officials or public policy news in New Mexico.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Mexico Legislature passes 23 bills over weekend
Students look over a gathering for African American Day at the Legislature on Feb. 14, 2025. (Photo by Julia Goldberg / Source NM) Nearly two dozen pieces of legislation advanced through chamber votes or committee hearings in the New Mexico Legislature over the weekend. The House of Representatives on Friday night passed House Bill 9, known as the Immigrant Safety Act, which would prohibit state agencies and local governments from entering into agreements used to detain people for violations of civil immigration law, and would require any existing agreements to end as soon as possible. The legislation still needs to pass through the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee before reaching a vote in the full Senate. 'Behind each detention bed is a human being—parents separated from children, workers torn from their communities, and asylum seekers who fled violence only to face new trauma in detention,' New Mexico Immigrant Law Center Director of Policy and Coalition Building Jessica Martinez said in a statement. 'By passing the Immigrant Safety Act, the House has chosen to stand on the right side of history. We urge the Senate to act swiftly to complete this important work and end New Mexico's complicity in this harmful system.' On Saturday, the House passed House Bill 255, which would expand community-based services already provided to young people exiting juvenile detention to include children and young adults in the Children, Youth and Families Department's custody; and extend how long someone remains on supervised release from juvenile detention. 'Evidence shows us that focusing on intervention and rehabilitation will lead to better outcomes for our children, while addressing the root causes of juvenile crime in our state,' lead sponsor Rep. Liz Thomson (D-Albuquerque) said in a statement. 'HB 255 helps us guide our at-risk youth down a better path, by providing them with key resources proven to be more effective at deterring crime and reducing recidivism than punitive measures alone.' On Saturday morning, the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee passed Senate Bill 52, which would align mileage reimbursements for lawmakers and their staff with the U.S. General Service Administration rate; a substitute version of Senate Bill 118, which would require the Motor Vehicle Division to distribute to other state agencies' organ donor application materials; Senate Bill 318, which would regulate firearms and destructive devices under consumer protection law; Senate Bill 352, which would make confidential photographs taken by medical investigators; Senate Bill 377, which would create a special license plate for New Mexico's professional soccer team, New Mexico United; Senate Bill 408, which would raise the threshold for when a state agency needs to seek competitive bids on a contract; Senate Bill 413, which would allow the State Investment Council to spend more on the Private Equity Investment Program; Senate Bill 422, which would set aside $5 million for grants to nonprofits providing affordable or transitional housing and other services for homeless people; and Senate Bill 460, which would allow the State Investment Council to make zero-interest loans to film production companies. The Senate Finance Committee on Saturday morning passed Senate Bill 219, which would establish a program for medicinal use of psilocybin mushrooms. Later on Saturday, the Senate passed Senate Bill 169, which would set aside $24 million for preparing sites for business development; Senate Bill 353, which would ensure potential search-and-rescue incidents are reported to the Department of Public Safety; and Senate Bill 81, which would provide property insurance to homeowners and businesses who struggle to get private insurance due to high risks from things like wildfires. The Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 480, which would require the Public Education Department to track all school-aged people who haven't graduated from high school within four years from entering ninth grade; Senate Bill 39, which would prohibit prior authorization or step therapy, when insurance companies and pharmacy benefit management companies refuse to cover a specific drug until after the patient has tried cheaper alternatives, for off-label medications or therapies for rare diseases; and Senate Bill 252, which would allow all licensed social workers to provide telehealth services. On Saturday afternoon, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 78, which would allow certified nurse anesthetists to practice independently; Senate Bill 303, which would remove the need for gaming machines to meet standards set by Nevada and New Jersey and instead require them to meet standards set by the state; Senate Bill 457, which would set aside $20 million for civil legal services to low-income people; Senate Bill 302, which would strengthen background checks for Gaming Control Board contractors; and Senate Bill 375, which would allow early discharge for people who comply with probation and makes other changes to parole. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
