Despite a request by state Rep. Bill Rehm (R-Albuquerque) to veto portions of an anti-crime bill passed by the New Mexico legislature this year, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed House Bill 68 (HB 68) into law.
Rehm asked the governor for a line-item veto of Section 30 of the bill, which he said was "a reduction of current penalties for use of a firearm in relation to a drug transaction or during the commission of aggravated burglary.” In a letter, Rehm added that the issue could later "become a campaign issue of being 'soft on violent criminals.'"
In Albuquerque, more than 40% of murders involved brandishing a firearm and drug deals gone bad, Rehm told the New Mexico Sun.
The legislator said that a home invasion is an example of aggravated burglary.
"Both of these are very violent encounters and deserve strong penalties," Rehm said.
House Bill 68 was sponsored by Democratic state Reps. Meredith Dixon, Pamelya Herndon and Marian Matthews from Bernalillo County, according to nmlegis.gov. It made a number of changes to the state’s criminal code, including increasing penalties for violent offenders, recruitment and retention stipends for police officers, and the removal of a statute of limitations on second-degree murder charges.
Rehm is retired from both the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and Albuquerque Police Department, according to his biography on his website. He has served in the state legislature for 16 years.
“The governor and Democrat’s weak-on-crime package has obviously failed to address the crisis the state is facing," Rehm said. "My request and the NM district attorney's request to veto two sections of HB 68 was out of concern that violent criminals will continue to game the system with the weak laws that passed. And in the 30-day session, we failed to address the revolving bail door system. Unfortunately, many New Mexicans are now well aware that crime is being used as a campaign tool by Democrats, who have no intention of making our communities safer.”