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| Sen. Heinrich |
Sen. Heinrich is urging the Legislature to continue to advance SB 373 and HB 11 establishing an independent Child Advocate for the agency and get one to the Guv's desk, even as she threatens a veto.
The measures have been supported in initial votes by overwhelming margins.
Heinrich made his case on the socials:
Our children deserve every opportunity--and that starts with accountability, transparency, and functioning systems of support. That starts with honest assessments of what’s working and what’s not, and taking concrete action to do better for New Mexico’s children. That's why I support the Legislature's effort to establish an Office of the Child Advocate.
Our children deserve the very best. And we should all be willing to do everything we can to deliver exactly that. But too often, the systems set up to protect and care for our children aren’t up to the task, with life-changing impacts. We have to do better. . .
Heinrich is seeking re-election to a third term next year and also continues to juggle the possibility of running for Governor in '26.
MLG maintains an advocate would be ineffective and cause conflict within CYFD.
Numerous heinous child murder and abuse cases have pushed the backs of legislators against the Roundhouse walls as constituents clamor for action. Many of the victims were already known to CYFD yet they were still attacked and maimed or killed.
Meanwhile, the Guv and her allies are scrambling to block the advocate legislation with HB 461, a weak substitute for the independent Child Advocate bill that has won sweeping approval from lawmakers.
From HB 461:
The Office of Children’s and Families’ Rights would be administratively attached to CYFD and would be responsible for providing CYFD with independent and objective recommendations to improve the outcomes for and the well-being of children who are in foster care, including administering “the children’s and families’ grievance process, providing mediation services, providing civil rights consultation on cases, and recommending improvements to CYFD.
But how could the planned office provide "independent and objective recomendations" when it is "attached to CYFD" whose rotted culture is in need of urgent reform?
The independent Advocate would utilize office space at attorney general's office and would be appointed by a variety of legislators and the Governor. The Advocate could only be removed for serious wrongdoing. That's what the abused children of the state need and deserve--as did those that are now dead from abuse that could have been prevented.
HB 461 is a crutch for CYFD. SB 373 and HB 11 empowering a Child Advocate are a solution.
(The Senate approved SB 373 on a 30-8 vote, not unanimously, as we briefly reported in a first draft Thursday).
NM, DC AND CRIME
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| Rep. Vasquez |
He joined with senate Republicans in an unlikely alliance to block passage of a new criminal code approved by the DC City Council that was faulted for being weak.
President Biden supported nixing the code. It was blocked by an 84-14 vote. The vote was a shift in the Dem position that DC should be allowed to govern itself. (Sen. Lujan also voted to block passage).
Last month freshman Dem Rep. Gabe Vasquez joined with fellow NM Dem House members--progressives Stansbury and Leger Fernandez--in voting not to block the DC crime code.
The House vote was 260-162, with 42 House Democrats voting in favor of the GOP-backed proposal.
Vasquez's southern district now includes a wide swath of ABQ's Westside where crime is a top agenda item. Most recently shootings involving teens at West Mesa High School have made headlines.
We asked Vasquez's office for his thinking behind the vote. They said a statement was forthcoming but then backed off and and said no comment.
National media reported some House Dems voted against blocking the criminal code with the awareness that Biden would carry the day in the Senate.
Vasquez is expected to face former GOP Rep.Yvette Herrell in a rematch next year and it will be votes such as the DC crime bill that will keep her on the attack.
The Westside is already represented by conservative Dem City Councilor Louis Sanchez and GOP Councilor Dan Lewis. Herrell would like to tap into that vein of support. Vasquez handily carried the area in '22 and she needs to cut his ABQ margin to win the sprawling district.
ROUNDHOUSE GUNS
Meantime at the Roundhouse the one gun bill that the Alligators have been predicting would pass has done so. MLG will sign "Bennie's Bill" (HB 9) that was given final approval last week by the House 34 to 28. The act is aimed at protecting children by ensuring adults store their firearms safely. It is named after Hargrove, a middle school student who was murdered in 2021 by a classmate using his father's gun that was not stored properly.
The relative closeness of the vote--with some Dems joining the R's in voting against--signals that the major gun measures--such as raising the age to 21 for buying certain guns--will probably not make it this year. MLG has talked of calling a special session if the gun bills she supports are not approved.
ABQ JOURNAL WATCH
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| Karen Moses (Journal) |
Moses, 67, a UNM grad, who was Managing Editor for 22 years before assuming the top job, said:
It’s been an honor to work with so many talented individuals through the years, and be a part of an organization committed to making a difference in New Mexico.
Meanwhile, things are very different at the Journal that traces its origin back to 1880.
Several months ago those numerous (and lucrative) full-page ads from Dreamstyle Remodeling, owned by ABQ's Larry Chavez, disappeared after years of being the paper's primary advertiser.
And the paper is now publishing only two sections for its weekday editions, numbering just 20 to 25 pages--down from at least 35 pages or more.
To cut costs the paper in recent years paper has resorted to layoffs (2015), retirements of senior reporters who command high wages, shutting down their DC bureau, eliminating vending machines and inking a printing agreement with the Santa Fe New Mexican.
The relentless march of the Internet--while not appearing to put the Journal in immediate existential danger--does raise the issue of how committed the Lang family, who have owned and operated the privately held paper for decades, remains to operating with a hand tied behind their backs.
The paper has also been under ongoing pressure from local ad agencies over what they argue are too high rates as circulation for the print edition declines. No circulation numbers have been publicly released in years.
Retired radio talk show host and veteran NM politico Mike Santullo says:
Like many papers, the Internet has eaten the Journal's lunch. A sale at this point would not be a shocker. The main reason for the Langs to keep the paper is influence, not the profits which peaked long ago. But with the old New Mexico fading and the new multi-media landscape firmly planted, even that reasoning is suspect.
Santullo added that the ABQ Publishing Company has widespread real estate interests, presumably profitable, that can subsidize the paper.
The Journal report on Moses leaving did not include a statement from the publisher praising her service, unlike when Walz retired. The paper says it has launched a national search for an editor. They said starting pay would be as low as $125,000.
Like we said, things are very different at the ABQ Journal.
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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023
(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023