Bills to Improve Public Safety & Criminal Justice System Pass House Judiciary Committee
Legislation would help recruit law enforcement & public attorneys, and reduce burdensome court fees for low-income New Mexicans
Santa Fe, NM - The House Judiciary Committee passed two bills today that would make communities safer and improve the way our criminal justice system functions.
House Bill 357 would establish a fund to help recruit and retain municipal and county law enforcement officers, as well as prosecutors and public defenders. Funds would go toward raises for current officers, relocation expenses for newly hired officers, and recruiting initiatives.
“Adding more officers to our local police forces is an impactful, necessary step we can take to make our neighborhoods safer right away,” said lead sponsor Rep. Meredith Dixon (D-Albuquerque). “Not only does this improve the capacity of our law enforcement throughout the state, it ensures we have adequate resources across our criminal justice system.”
HB 357 is also sponsored by Minority Leader Ryan Lane (R-Aztec), Reps. Day Hochman-Vigil (D-Albuquerque), Gail Armstong (R-Magdalena) and Joy Garratt (D-Albuquerque). It unanimously passed the committee and now moves to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee.
House Bill 139, sponsored by Rep. Micaela Lara Cadena (D-Mesilla), would require criminal and traffic courts to consider a convicted person’s ability to pay before imposing court fines and fees. These fees can be hefty and burdensome for low-income New Mexicans, often driving them further into debt, which can in turn lead to recidivism.
The bill also expands community services shown to reduce recidivism, including job training, education and rehabilitation programs, and increased monetary credit for completed community service hours.
“Everyone loses when we force courts to be revenue centers, cops to be bill collectors, and already struggling families to choose between paying for rent and basic necessities or excessive court fees,” said Rep. Cadena. “Fees are an inefficient and unreliable source of government revenue, and they perpetuate the criminalization of poverty - keeping New Mexicans in a never-ending cycle of debt and court involvement.”
HB 139 passed the House Judiciary Committee with a bipartisan 8-2 vote. It will now advance to the House Floor.
Both HB 357 and HB 139 are components of House Democrats’ comprehensive plan to improve community safety across New Mexico.
The Roundhouse is open to the public for the 2023 session. Members of the public can also view floor sessions and committee meetings on the New Mexico Legislature’s Webcasts tab, and provide comment via phone or Zoom as directed on the daily schedule.
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