Over 3,000 New Mexicans participated in committees in Weeks Five and Six
SANTA FE — With less than two weeks remaining in the 2021 Legislative Session, the New Mexico House of Representatives continues to move quickly on legislation while involving thousands of New Mexicans throughout the process.
As of March 7, the New Mexico House of Representatives has worked efficiently on the 312 bills introduced into its chambers since the beginning of the session. About 289 bills have had a hearing in a House committee and out of that total, 129 have made it through the committee process, passed the House floor, and are now in the Senate for consideration. In weeks five and six, over 3,000 New Mexicans participated in the committee process. During those weeks, New Mexicans have called into committees by phone or Zoom from 29 of the state’s 33 counties.
“We came into this unprecedented session with heavy expectations from our constituents to respond effectively to this pandemic,” the Majority Floor Leader Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton, D-Albuquerque, said. “Government is not known to turn on a dime, but I think the House has surprised some in our ability to stay productive and move critical legislation that helps New Mexicans recover from this pandemic through a complicated process.
“We’ve worked to get these bills right,” she said.
“It has been a monumental task by all involved in the House to adapt to the realities of this pandemic and do the people’s business safely and efficiently,” Speaker of the House Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, said.
“We are now in the final stretch of this historic session and we can’t let our foot off the gas. Though we hope to never have to do a session completely virtually again, the level of expertise and professionalism legislators and staff have shown throughout is truly commendable.”
Prior to the start of the session, the House set a guideline for five bills per member in anticipation of a process impacted by virtual participation and remote voting. With that change, members have prioritized legislation directly dealing with relief and recovery for hardworking New Mexicans and small businesses and allowed for ample time for public comment and participation. Legislation totaling over $800 million in pandemic relief has now been signed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Members of the public can track legislation on the New Mexico Legislature website, access committee meetings and House floor sessions via the Webcasts tab, or participate by Zoom to provide public comment on committee hearings.
Staff Reports
