The State Senate Judiciary has given it’s endorsement of the Voters’ Rights Bill, but not before making some major changes.
Gone is making Election Day a state holiday although making a school holiday remains.
The Committee also dropped automatic voter registration and compiling a list of eligible, but non-registered New Mexicans.
The Rules Committee had already removed th eprovisionto alow 16-year-olds to vote in municipal elections.
Other minor changes were agreed to as well.
While not thrilled with all the changes, bill sponsor Senator Peter Wirth says he’s satisfied as the bill moves through the process.
”In this ‘game’ it’s about moving forward and we’ve got one more committee that we need to move through and this bill will be on the floor,” he said. “The rumors that this piece of legislation was dead certainly should not be listened to. We’re moving forward and I’m very confident we’re going to get through Finance and get this on the floor on the Senate and get it across the line.”
Wirth hopes the bill will be heard in the Finance Committee before the end of the week so it can get to the Senate Floor.
UPDATE -- The Finance Committee is scheduled to hear the bill Thursday afternoon.
