Santa Fe, NM - Last night during debate on a bipartisan bill that would allow local governments to establish curfews in order to better protect New Mexico's children, House Democrat Patricia Roybal Caballero belittled and blatantly over-looked New Mexico's crime problem by saying, "We don't see anything running out of control."

The facts show that Caballero is wrong - something must be done to fight crime in New Mexico. According to the Attorney General, New Mexico ranks second in violent crime rates in the nation. In addition, Albuquerque's murder rate reportedly increased 53 percent from 2014 to 2015.

House Bill 29 is a response to Albuquerque's increase in crime which highlights the need for this bill. Last June, Steven Gerecke was gunned down in his driveway by six minors at 3 a.m. Then one month later, Isaiah Albright, a 14-year-old student was shot and killed around 2 a.m. by another minor on Albuquerque's Westside.

The bill would allow local governments to impose curfews on minors under the age of 16 from midnight to 5 a.m. It passed the House Floor on a bipartisan vote of 44-21. It would allow officers to detain minors, and it would provide guidelines on how law enforcement should handle children who are caught violating a curfew.