Senate Judiciary Committee Kills Balance of Power Legislation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 6, 2023

Contact: Joaquín Romero

joaquin.romero@nmlegis.gov

(505) 506-5798

Senate Judiciary Committee Kills Balance of Power Legislation

Democrats again abdicate role of the Legislature as a check on the Executive

SANTA FE — Senate Bill 65, sponsored by Senate Republican Leader, Senator Greg Baca (R-Belen), was tabled today on a 5-4 vote of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill was previously passed by the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee with unanimous bipartisan support.

“I am incredibly disappointed to see the lack of consistency from my colleagues on how they view our constitutional responsibilities,” said Senator Baca. “We either have a duty to represent the best interest of our communities or we do not. Today, Senate Democrats again affirmed the abdication of our constitutional duty to check the extraconstitutional duties taken by the executive during times of emergency.”

“We have seen what unrestrained powers look like when the interests of one politician are put above the people who elected them and it is not good,” added co-sponsor Senator David Gallegos (R-Eunice). “This is not about one governor; this is about the next emergency that will inevitably hit unpredictably and non-uniformly across our state. Other states manage to go to their legislatures for this check. It seems the only reason we will not accept this duty is a lack of political courage.”

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