Santa Fe, NM - Today, House Republicans will fight to put more teeth into New Mexico's "three strikes" law to keep dangerous criminals off the street. But the big question remains: Will Senate Boss Michael Sanchez continue to fight for the bad guys?
New Mexico has one of the highest rates of violent crime in the country, and if Sanchez has his way, dangerous criminals will continue to wreak havoc on our families instead of being behind bars where they belong.
Last year Sanchez and Senate Democrats killed a laundry list of house bills that would have kept New Mexico communities and children safer. The proposals included:
- House Bill 535 would have increased mandatory minimum sentencing for second degree murder and third degree felony.
- House Bill 182 would have increased the penalties for crimes against children.
- House Bill 125 would have expanded the crime of criminal sexual communication with a child to include sending the child obscene pictures of any persons intimate areas.
- House Bill 207 would have increased the age of child enticement from 13 - 15 to 13 - 16.
- House Bill 440 would have made each depiction of child pornography an individual offense.
Too many New Mexico families have been victimized by violent repeat criminals. House Republicans will continue their fight to keep violent criminals behind bars so they can't continue to devastate New Mexico families. Rep. Paul Pacheco's "three strikes" bill will be heard in House Regulatory and Public Affairs Committee today. The bill would keep dangerous career criminals in jail by expanding the list of offenses that would qualify violent repeat offenders for mandatory life sentencing.
House Republicans are sponsoring a number of bills this session aimed at protecting New Mexico families.
Read more about why New Mexico needs to strengthen laws to keep violent criminals behind bars here: "Crime law overhaul a must in NM to combat violence"
Or here: "Report: NM ranks 2nd in nation for violent crime"
And here: "Victims' families unite"