House Bill 211 – Redistricting Act, sponsored by Representative Rebecca Dow (R- Grant, Hidalgo & Sierra) and Representative Natalie Figueroa (D-Bernalillo) is scheduled to be heard before members of the New Mexico House Appropriations and Finance Committee. The legislation reflects the intent of the New Mexico Redistricting Task Force.  The House Judiciary Committee meets 11:30am, Tuesday, 3/16. Visit http://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00293/harmony for a link to participate in the hearing.
 
Senate Bill 15, sponsored by Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Bernalillo) and Speaker of the House Representative Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe) is on the calendar to be heard for final passage by the House of Representatives.

Both Senate Bill 15, sponsored by Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Bernalillo), and House Bill 211, sponsored by Representative Rebecca Dow (R- Grant, Hidalgo & Sierra) and Representative Natalie Figueroa (D-Bernalillo), were approved by members of the New Mexico House Judiciary Committee.
 
In a straw poll, the public attending the hearing had greater favorability of HB211 than SB15. HB211 will now head to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee.
 
An amended version of SB15 will head to the House Floor for deliberation. It has not been scheduled but could be heard as early as tomorrow.  During the HJC Committee meeting, Representative Damon Ely offered amendments that were accepted and approved by the bill’s sponsor and committee. Amendments addressed greater inclusion when appointing members of the redistricting commission, clarification on the structure for public input, consideration of tribal boundaries, and various date adjustments. All of these items were consistent with recommendations from the New Mexico Redistricting Task Force.
 
Lawmakers did not, however, consider the full set of amendments to SB15 offered by reformers. Items not yet addressed in the legislation include prohibitions on incumbent protection and use of partisan data, allowing split precincts when needed to preserve communities of interest (an issue particularly affecting Navajo Nation), and accountability by lawmakers to document whether their amended maps adhere to redistricting criteria. Some of these items may be addressed through floor amendments.

 The future of a New Mexico redistricting commission may be determined in the House Judiciary Committee tomorrow (Friday), 11:30am. Senate Bill 15, sponsored by Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Bernalillo), and House Bill 211, sponsored by Representative Rebecca Dow (R- Grant, Hidalgo & Sierra) and Representative Natalie Figueroa (D-Bernalillo) are both scheduled to be heard tomorrow.
 
Key issues that need to be addressed includes current language in SB15 that disenfranchises Native American populations and Independent voters. (Additional details in this news release and this fact sheet on Native American concerns.)
 
Information is posted on how to participate in the House Judiciary Committee.
 
In advance of the House Judiciary Committee meeting, Retired Chief Judge of the New Mexico Court of Appeals the Honorable Roderick Kennedy issued this statement:
 
The New Mexico Redistricting Task Force made its cross-partisan recommendations after extensive study of best practices in redistricting. We were interested in fairness for everyone, regardless of party affiliation. HB211 contains those practices, where SB15 has left some out. We believe SB15 can be amended into a more fair bill that meets the needs of New Mexicans.  
 
Specifically, if only precincts are considered as the building blocks of districts, Native American voters can see their communities divided in ways that limit their fair participation in elections. Much better information about real communities is available, and should be used.
 
Both bills call for independent committees to develop the new maps, rather than sitting lawmakers. However, SB15 allows lawmakers to amend the maps without even requiring them to explain why or explain how they met redistricting criteria. Under that bill, the legislature would not have to meet in open meetings under the Senate bill, either.
 
Last, there is no good reason to use information about the partisan makeup of districts or where an incumbent lives in the process of drawing a district, two old-school practices that the current version of SB15 fails to prohibit. Allowing those things lessens the legitimacy of the public’s need to have its voice heard and its votes counted. 
 
At minimum, SB 15 should be amended to include these best practices for New Mexico, because the best is what we deserve.

The New Mexico Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 15 – Redistricting Committee.  SB15 Sponsor Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Bernalillo) made one amendment related to timing but didn’t at this point adopt  any additional changes being recommended by members of the New Mexico Redistricting Task Force. According to a news release, the current legislation disenfranchises Native Americans and Independent voters. SB15 is now headed to the House of Representatives for consideration.
 
Related legislation, House Bill 211 sponsored by Representative Rebecca Dow (R- Grant, Hidalgo & Sierra), may be on the schedule to be heard in the House Judiciary Committee later this week. 
 
RedistrictNM.org has created an online petition calling on the legislature to Amend SB15 to address many of the concerns raised by the New Mexico First Redistricting Task Force.

The Senate Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 15-Redistricting Act on a unanimous vote, spending nine minutes on the legislation (including public comments).
 
Several recommendations and concerns offered by the public addressed aspects of the original legislation (SB199) that didn’t make it into the current compromise version, SB15. 
 
Dick Mason, Action Chair of the League of Women Voters of New Mexico, said, "We are grateful to the Senate Judiciary Committee for passing SB15, as well as for hearing our concerns about transparency and accountability. These issues will be important during the Fall Special Session when the Legislature will consider the redistricting maps recommended by the Citizen Redistricting Committee. We are hopeful our concerns will be addressed as SB15 moves forward."
 
Some of the key items that need to be addressed in the bill, recommended by the statewide New Mexico Redistricting Task Force, include:

• Assurances on Native American participation, and consideration of their past concerns about district lines dividing tribal lands
• Legislature transparency during the special session that reviews the maps, as noted in Mason’s quote above
• Legislature accountability by providing the written evaluations of final maps, as is required of the citizen commission
• Prohibitions of consideration of incumbency and partisan data when drawing voting boundaries

 
The legislation’s next stop is for consideration by the full New Mexico Senate, hopefully over the next few days.