Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and bipartisan lawmakers joined with law enforcement agencies from around the state on Wednesday to highlight crime fighting initiatives for the 60-day session.
The Governor is endorsing seven pieces of legislation including a focus on tackling organized retail theft, stronger rules to keep dangerous criminals from being released on bail pending trial and banning the purchase of assault weapons.
Other bills she is endorsing include Republican House Minority Leader Ryan Lane’s bill to close the state loophole on straw gun purchases, the Benny Hargrove Act, allowing gun violence victims to sue their manufacturers and $100 million for the law enforcement recruitment fund.
Lujan Grisham says it’s going to be a bipartisan effort to get crime fighting legislation passed.
“We are building a public safety investment strategy for the short term and the long term in the state. That’s going to take every single one of us, every single day,” she said. “We are going to work collectively to get as many of the best ideas up here as possible and my goal is to be in a position to sign as many of these efforts as possible.”
Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth and House Speaker Javier Martinez joined the Governor along with several other lawmakers who have introduced the legislative priorities.
House Minority Leader Ryan Lane says while there are things Republicans won’t agree with from the Democrats, tackling New Mexico’s crime problems needs to be an all hands approach and we need to put politics aside and judge each piece of legislation on its merits.
