Prefiling ends, county's legislators start off session with controversial bills

SANTA FE — The 2025 legislative session is off to a productive start for Sandoval County’s representatives and senators with a few of them prefiling and sponsoring bills.

Legislators’ deadline to prefile was Jan. 17, and they have until Feb. 20 to file bills.

So far Rep. Kathleen Cates has filed the most bills with 17.

She has also sponsored a Senate bill regarding non-major party voters in primary elections. Sens. Natalie Figueroa and Peter Wirth and Rep. Cristina Parajon are also co-sponsoring it. The bill, if passed, would allow voters who have not designated a major political party affiliation on their voter registration to vote in primary elections. Ultimately this would mean voters who identify with minor parties, decline to state or as an independent need only request a ballot from either major party without their registration status. This allows them to also apply for an absentee ballot as well.

However, it stipulates that a voter can only request one party ballot from in the primary.

That isn’t the only controversial bill Cates is sponsoring. She brought back her ban on book bans proposal during the pre-filing period. This time labeled the Librarian Protection Act, the bill proposes that a public library wouldn’t be eligible to receive state funds unless it adopts policy complying with the library bill of rights and prohibiting the banning of books or other library material.

Cates has also proposed a bill that would require juvenile delinquency firearm records to be included in background checks when adults apply for a gun license or purchase a weapon.

Also among her bills are a rate increase to service providers that receive reimbursement from certain Medicaid waiver programs, non-functional turf installation prohibition, requirements for county redistricting and other bills.

Cates also reached across the aisle and co-sponsored a bill with Rep. Alan Martinez a bill that require facilities that receive state funding to install universal adult changing stations. It has been labeled as the Traveling with Dignity Act and would apply to existing and newly constructed facilities.

Martinez has one other bill presented as a House joint resolution. It would amend Article 12 of the State Constitution by replacing the Public Education Commission with a state board of education. The board would appoint a superintendent of public instruction to carry out the policies of the board and to provide for an independent state chartering authority for state charter schools.

He also sponsored a Senate bill that would restore the 2% cost-of-living adjustment for certain retired residents.

Rep. Josh Hernandez introduced one bill that would prohibit credit card fee tip deductions. It is an amendment to the minimum wage act to prohibit employers from deducting credit card fees or costs from employee tips.

Newly elected Rep. Catherine Cullen did not have any filings as of Jan. 23.

As far as the Senate goes, Sen. Craig Brandt was the only one of the county’s senators to have filed or co-sponsored anything. The newly elected Jay Block and Cindi Nava did not have any as of Jan. 23.

Brandt, contrarily, had six filings and co-sponsored bills. Three of his filings centered on crime, including a crime swatting act that increases penalties on the practice; a requirement of service providers to provide location data in 911 emergencies, including when there is risk of death or serious physical harm; and an amendment to the racketeering act relating to gang activity, criminal sexual acts, escape from jail, tampering, impersonating, etc.

He has also proposed a bill that would create a three-year career development success pilot project in the Public Education Department.

Two of Brandt’s bills are centered around public and behavioral health. One asks for reform and investment in behavioral health, declaring it an emergency. The other asks for appropriations to be made for public health and safety initiatives, providing grants to judicial district courts, municipalities and tribal councils and pueblos within the state.

For more specific information on these bills, visit nmlegis.gov and search for filed legislation.