Committee OKs anti-hazing bill: A bill to curb the practice of hazing in New Mexico schools cleared its first hurdle Friday after being amended to apply only to colleges and universities.
Senate Bill 10, sponsored by Sen. Harold Pope, D-Albuquerque, and Rep. Pamelya Herndon, D-Albuquerque, would make hazing and a school employee’s failure to report incidents of it misdemeanor offenses.
The bill would also implement several hazing prevention measures in colleges and universities.
The bill faced a brief stall after first being heard in the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday, with opponents and lawmakers making the case it should not target juveniles and should rather be focused solely on college-age students.
Pope was amenable to making that change and returned Friday with an amended version cutting language including K-12 students.
“This legislation deals with just higher education,†he told lawmakers.
SB 10 competes with Senate Bill 148. That bill, sponsored by Sen. Moe Maestas, D-Albuquerque, would implement harsher penalties for hazers, scaling the severity of offense to the level of harm done.
Hazing that results in death, for example, would be a second-degree felony.
Immigrant and Workers Day of Action: Somos Un Pueblo Unido is planning a celebration at the Roundhouse with a march and rally at 10:30 a.m. Monday.
Newsletter signup
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
“We will celebrate immigrants’ invaluable contributions to New Mexico and demand stronger protections for immigrant workers and their families and deeper investments in workforce development opportunities for low-wage workers,†the organization said in a news release.
The march begins at Railyard Park, and the rally will be held on the east side of the Roundhouse.
Green light for health council funds: Known as House Bill 75, legislation that would appropriate $43 million from the state’s general fund for county and tribal health councils in New Mexico passed the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee on a 7-2 vote Friday morning.
The state funds would go to more than 43 Health Councils statewide after 14 years of being “deeply underfunded,†enhancing their capacity to implement innovative solutions, address health disparities and improve medical service accessibility, according to a statement from the New Mexico Alliance of Health Councils.
“We’ve known through past history that the councils have not been fully funded,†said Rep. Tara Lujan, D-·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe.
“What the councils have been able to do with that funding is really very effective.â€
Loan forgiveness multiplier: House Bill 69, which would institute a 4.35 multiplier to more quickly discharge federal loans under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, passed the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee on a 9-0 vote Friday morning.
Quote of the day: “My school counselor told me I’d go far. ‘Start walking now.’ “ — Senate security guard, after the Senate adjourned Friday afternoon.