Santa Fe, NM —This evening, House Bill 9 passed the New Mexico State Senate by a vote of (24-15) with Senate Republicans unified in their firm opposition. HB 9 now heads to the Governor's desk for consideration to be signed into state law. If enacted, this bill would further compromise New Mexico's deficient public safety, kill hundreds of New Mexico jobs, and potentially bankrupt several counties. Furthermore, it remains to be seen what the potential consequences may be from the federal government for New Mexico taking this disruptive step towards federal law enforcement.
Lastly, Democrats had the ability to support a Republican floor amendment that would have repaid counties in the inevitable event that they suffer serious economic damages due to the lost federal funding. Unfortunately, Senate Democrats decided against this common sense proposal to support local communities and defeated the amendment by a (20-19) vote.
In response to the passage of HB 9, Senate Republican Leader Bill Sharer (R-Farmington) has issued the following statement:
"This bill represents everything that's wrong with today's political environment. When virtue signaling, political theatrics, and childish antics are more important than public safety and the rule of law, you are in serious trouble. Unfortunately for the people of New Mexico, that is the state of our legislature, this is our reality. Democrats just made it clear to every New Mexican: they care more about politics than your livelihood and safety. It's simple, Republicans stand in defense of law enforcement officers and New Mexicans working in corrections or detention facilities, Democrats don't."
