As of Wednesday, Jan. 31, at least 641 bills, resolutions and memorials had been introduced at the 2024 New Mexico Legislative session.
Among them were bills submitted by Otero County Rep. John Block, a Republican who took the seat in 2022. Block sponsored 30 pieces of legislation targeting controversial topics like the death penalty, abortion and pretrial detention.
The New Mexico Legislature will wrap the 30-day session Feb. 16, during which it primarily focused on the passage of a budget for the upcoming fiscal year while wrestling with record levels of revenue driven by the oil and gas industry in the state.
Among the handful of policy bills introduced by politicians during the session were gun rights, paid family medical leave and oil and gas regulation reform.
Most of the bills bearing Block’s signature have stalled in committee. Here’s a breakdown of the bills Block said residents should keep an eye on.
House Bill 51
House Bill 51 that is a reintroduction of 2023’s H.B. 163, according to Block, which would give small businesses a 25% credit on gross tax receipts.
The bill was referred to the House Commerce Committee and House Taxation and Revenue Committee where it is stalled.
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House Bill 110
Block introduced House Bill 110 which would limit certain types of abortions, a reintroduction of the 2023 House Bill 258 which proposed criminalizing abortions. HB 258 was postponed indefinitely.
HB 110 targets healthcare employees that don’t warn their patients of a heartbeat.
“A health care provider who knowingly performs an abortion and thereby kills a human fetus without determining, according to standard medical practice, whether the fetus has a detectable heartbeat; without informing the pregnant woman of the results of that determination; or after determining, according to standard medical practice, that the fetus has a heartbeat is guilty of a third-degree felony resulting in the death of a human fetus,” read the bill language.
HB 110 was stalled in the committee assignments process.
House Memorial 10
House Memorial 10, titled “Foster Children Task Force,” would create a joint taskforce among the Children, Youth and Families Department and Health Care Authority Department to tackle placement of foster children.
“Also, in the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee (HGEIC), HM 10, I am co-sponsoring with many other representatives, will bring a solution to children sleeping in N.M. Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD) offices. The memorial passed the committee unanimously,” Block said.
The memorial received a “do pass” recommendation from the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee.
Impeachment, death penalty, gun permits and pretrial detention
Block sponsored several other stalled pieces of legislation alongside fellow Republicans.
House Resolution 1 proposed the impeachment of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The resolution was referred to the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee and House Judiciary Committee where it stalled.
House Bill 78 proposed the permitless carry of firearms by adults. It stalled in the committee assignment process.
House Bill 77 asked the Legislature to reinstate the death penalty in New Mexico. It stalled in the committee assignment process.
House Bill 44 would have created an avenue for defendants to rebut pretrial detention orders if proven they are dangerous. It stalled in the committee assignment process.
Senate Bill 17
While Block did not sponsor Senate Bill 17, he said he was an avid supporter of it.
Senate Bill 17 introduces ways to sustain and improve hospital care statewide, including addressing funding.
“SB 17, the Health Care Delivery and Access Act (HDAA) would increase the federal Medicaid matching dollars available to the state to support statewide hospital access, workforce and quality and is funded through a hospital assessment,” said Pamela Blackwell with New Mexico Hospital Association Government Relations and Communications.
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In a news release from the New Mexico Hospital Association, the bill will have some of the best benefits for the state.
“Improve recruitment and retention of providers and workers, provide enhanced quality of care to patients, continue to reinvest any gains into services for our communities,” said Blackwell in the release.
Updates on pieces of legislation can be found at nmlegis.gov.
Juan Corral can be reached at JCorral@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter at @Juan36Corr.
