Legislative tidbits — Jan. 21

Days remaining in session: 28

Legalized discrimination?

Equality New Mexico, a gay-rights organization, and the American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday denounced a bill that they say promotes discrimination. House Bill 55, sponsored by Reps. David Gallegos, R-Eunice, and Nora Espinoza, R-Roswell, would allow a business owner to refuse service to customers whose sexual orientation goes against the business’ religious beliefs, such as a photographer who doesn’t want to take pictures at a gay wedding.

Rabbi Neil Amswych of Temple Beth Shalom in Santa Fe told a reporter after the conference: “The Bible is very clear. Leviticus 19:18 tells us that we should show love to our neighbor as we would have it shown to us.’”

Later in the day, Sen. Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, said that even if the bill passes the House of Representatives it would be “DOA” in the Senate. “We’re just not going to go there,” Wirth said.

The bill is in the House Rules & Order of Business Committee, which will decide whether it can be considered during this session. Gov. Susana Martinez didn’t mention it in her State of the State speech Tuesday. During a 30-day session, only bills directly related to the budget and state finances and those with a message from the governor can be considered.

Electronic privacy

Wirth and Rep. Jim Dines, R-Albuquerque, have teamed up to sponsor a bill meant to protect New Mexico citizens’ electronic data. Their yet-to-be-introduced bill, which they have dubbed the New Mexico Electronic Communications Privacy Act, would require law-enforcement agencies to obtain a warrant before before accessing the personal electronic data of New Mexico citizens.

Information stored on computer servers owned by corporations or stored on your cell phone or tablet device would be covered.

“It’s bringing the law on privacy and the Fourth Amendment current with the technology,” Wirth said.

Dines said he has been interested in this issue since he went to a meeting about cyberspace as a lawyer in the early ‘90s. “I realized the law was not going to be able to keep up with these rapid developments in technology.

The bill, expected to be introduced in the Senate as early as Thursday, contains emergency exceptions in which law enforcement would not need to have a warrant to access information. These exceptions include cases in which someone’s life is at stake.

Neither lawmaker knew whether Gov. Susana Martinez would give a message for the bill to allow it to be heard in the 30-day session.

Feeding the Legislature

With no votes in opposition, the House on Wednesday passed the $22.8 million HB 1, known as the “Feed Bill,” which pays for the costs of the legislative session.

In addition to the per diem payments and gas expenses for lawmakers and staff salaries, the bill would fund the Legislative Council Service, the House and Senate chief clerk offices and several interim committees, including the Legislative Finance Committee, Legislative Education Study Committee and the Senate Rules Committee.

The bill goes next to the Senate, which is expected to pass it and send it to the governor for her signature.

Quote of the day

“When we show violence to the unborn, we show violence to everyone.”

— Allen Sánchez, executive director of the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops, during an anti-abortion rally marking the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion.

— The Santa Fe New Mexican