Legislative tidbits — Jan. 22

Days remaining in session: 27

Three strikes

House Republicans closed ranks Thursday to advance one of their crime-and-punishment bills, a measure that would add 11 felonies to the “Three Strikes” law for imposing life prison sentences.

All four Republicans on the House Regulatory and Public Affairs Committee voted for the bill by Rep. Paul Pacheco, R-Albuquerque. The three Democrats on the panel voted against it.

Pacheco says the existing Three Strikes law doesn’t adequately punish repeat offenders. So his bill would increase the number of crimes that would count as a “strike.” They would include voluntary and involuntary manslaughter, aggravated arson and aggravated burglary.

Pacheco’s bill moves next to the House Judiciary Committee. Rep. Bill Rehm, R-Albuquerque, also has introduced a bill to add more crimes to the existing Three Strikes law.

‘You’re done’

Santa Fe resident Bruce Wetherbee gave the House Regulatory and Public Affairs Committee an earful Thursday, saying Republican House members and Gov. Susana Martinez had failed the state by declining to accept a Senate compromise bill last year on immigrant driver’s licenses. “I can’t believe we’re still here,” Wetherbee told the committee, which was hearing a bill to provide driving privilege cards.

Wetherbee told the representatives they had not done their job. At that point, committee chairwoman, Rep. Yvette Herrell, R-Alamogordo, tapped her gavel, telling Wetherbee he was off point and he had to stop talking. He protested. She persisted. “You’re done,” Herrell said.

Sportsmen speak out

New Mexicans who use public lands for hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor activities arrived at the Capitol on Thursday with a simple message for legislators: “Keep public lands in public hands,” namely the federal government.

Sportsmen say they oppose ideas to transfer federally held lands to states. In New Mexico, they say, a forest fire could wipe out a state agency’s budget, given the relatively small resources compared to the U.S. Forest Service. Moreover, sportsmen say, they fear public lands would be sold off by the state, shrinking public access.

Rep. Herrell and Sen. Richard Martinez, D-Española, introduced a bill three years ago to shift control of federal lands to the state. Sportsmen say a similar measure could surface next year in New Mexico.

“These lands belong to all of us, and we strongly oppose any and all efforts to transfer this national heritage to the states,” said Garrett VeneKlasen, executive director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation.

Quotes of the day

“There are violent people on the streets that don’t care for themselves, don’t care for anybody else. They need to be locked away.”

— Veronica Garcia, mother of slain 4-year-old Lilly Garcia, testifying for Rep. Pacheco’s bill that would add felonies to the state’s “three strikes” law for sentences of life in prison.

“New Mexico’s a better state than this bill.”

— Former Santa Fe mayor David Coss opposing a measure to require undocumented immigrants to be fingerprinted and subjected to background investigations by the Department of Public Safety in order to obtain a driving privilege card.

— The Santa Fe New Mexican