SANTA FE – Gov. Susana Martinez’s regular list of legislative priorities was joined by a number of public safety initiatives that confirmed that this year would be a session with a lot of tough on crime rhetoric.

Martinez, a former prosecutor, spoke about the need to curb crime and spoke about how increased sentencing is the way to do that during her “State of the State” address Jan. 19.

She laid out this and two other issues—education and jobs—as priorities at the top of her speech, which she read off Teleprompters on Tuesday afternoon.

She spoke passionately about the deaths of two police officers while in the line of duty, officers Nigel Benner of Rio Rancho and Dan...

The House of Representatives wasted no time in passing the bill that pays for the legislative session.

The Feed Bill is annually HB 1, and contains funding for running the legislative session, including salaries for legislative staff.

The bill also pays for interim activities, including interim committees and studies by legislative staff.

The House introduced the Feed Bill shortly after the governor’s State of the State Address Jan. 20.  The House then sent the bill to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee, which passed the legislation quickly on Tuesday afternoon.

Then the House passed the legislation on a 61-0 Wednesday morning. It now heads to the Senate, where it is...

SANTA FE – Two New Mexico lawmakers announced sponsorship of a bill on Jan. 19 that would require New Mexico law enforcement to obtain a search warrant in order to obtain personal electronic records.

Sen. Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe and Rep. Jim Dines, R-Albuquerque, announced their co-sponsored legislation, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, in the Roundhouse.

ACLU-NM Director of Public Policy Steve Allen said constant technology advancements creates ambiguity when it comes to accessing personal records.

“The golden age of convenience has also made this the golden age of surveillance,” Allen said.

Allen said the Senate bill, which does not have a number...

Two New Mexico state Senators filed a motion in their ongoing legal battle with the City of Albuquerque regarding the city’s practice of seizing cars after DWI arrests but before convictions.

The Institute for Justice filed the motion on behalf of Sens. Lisa Torraco, R-Albuquerque, and Daniel Ivey Soto, D-Albuquerque, and asked district court judge to expedite a ruling based solely on the law.

“It basically says we don’t need to do any discovery,” Ivey Soto told NM Political Report on Jan. 20. “So, we’re saying, ‘Judge, read the law.’”

The referenced law is one that Gov. Susana Martinez signed in 2015 with the intention of ending the practice of taking personal...