Legislators in New Mexico recently sent nearly 250 bills to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for her signature.
The governor has until April 7 to sign them into law or veto them, according to Source New Mexico. If the governor doesn’t sign or veto the bills by that date, they will be “pocket vetoed.” The governor has signed at least 25 of the bills into law as of March 18.
Among the 241 bills that the House and Senate passed and the governor signed into law is a bill that addresses the misuse of firearms and penalizes adults who negligently store their guns. If an adult negligently allows their gun to fall into the hands of a child who causes serious harm or kills someone with the gun, the adult gun owner could be charged with a fourth-degree felony. Those in favor of the law say it is aimed at ensuring guns are properly stored in a locked safe, secured with a trigger lock, according to KRQE.
Another bill prohibits courts from putting minors aged 14-18 in jail for life without parole and another bill allows New Mexicans who fail to appear in court to keep their driver’s license.
Several bills focus on environmental issues. One provides a state task force to negotiate with the federal government on issues regarding radioactive waste storage and allows small communities to access water more easily through a shared utility system, KRQE reported.
Lawmakers also passed a bill to prohibit public bodies from discriminating against New Mexicans who want reproductive healthcare, including abortion. Another bill would remove deductible charges for breast exams from some health plans.
Several bills focused on education and included increases in educational assistants, who would earn a minimum of $25,000 per year, according to KRQE.