Our projects for the 2021 Regular Legislative Session:
Information on other sessions can be found here: 2022, 2023.
We STRONGLY OPPOSE Senate Bill 48 which would take our democracy backwards by repealing many 2019 voting rights laws and adding more barriers to the ballot box.
Update 2/22/21- Senate Bill 48 has been edited heavily with a substitution bill in the Senate Rules Committee that removed most of the barriers we objected to. We agree with most of the substitution bill but we still oppose SB48 because it rolls back full Same Day voter Registration (SDR). Passing SDR in 2019 was an important step forward for our democracy by removing a significant barrier to voting – the outdated 28-day registration deadline. We do not want to go backwards. Tell the Senate Judiciary Committee members that you oppose SB48 unless it brings back SDR.
2021 Session Progress on HB 74 – Voting Rights Restoration
▶️ Town Hall Livestream Event! 2/18/21 5:30pm
We heard from a panel of people who have firsthand experience navigating the current broken system of disenfranchisement, and we discussed why this bill is important to our state’s democracy.
Panelists: Alyssa Luna, Justin Allen, Kelly Garcia, Fernando Trujillo & David Reza. Moderator: Leila Salim.
Watch the recorded video from our Inclusive Democracy NM page live event.
1/11/21- House Bill 74 restores the voting rights of people with felony convictions upon release from incarceration. Sponsored by Gail Chasey, it was introduced and referred to the House State Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee (HSEIC) and the House Judiciary Committee (HJC).
1/27/21: HB74 passed the HSEIC by a vote of 6-3.
2/3/21: HJC amended the bill and passed it by a vote of 6-4.
2/11/21: House of Representatives discussed the bill on the House Floor for three hours, adopted a minor amendment, denied another amendment, then passed the bill by a vote of 44-24. The bill now awaits scheduling in the Senate Rules Committee.
2/18/21: Town Hall Livestream event. Watch the recording!
3/20/21: The bill died in the Senate, never having been heard in committees. But passing in the House is a huge step. Please call your Senators, especially the chairs of Senate Rules and Judiciary, to urge them to hear this bill next year!
2021 Session Updates for SB 412 – Lowering Voting Age
2/18/21— Senate Bill 412 was introduced and referred to the Senate Rules and Judiciary committees. Sponsored by Senator Carrie Hamblen, SB412 expands the definition of a qualified elector to include 16- and 17-year-olds who would otherwise become qualified electors when they turn 18. This gives them the right to vote in state and local elections.
2/25/21— Watch Generation Justice’s Kyle Gonzales interview with Isabella Baker of Transform Education NM about 16vote and SB 412.
3/3/21— In Congress, an amendment to HJR 1, the For The People Act, introduced by Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley, Jan Schakowsky, and Grace Meng, proposed lowering the federal voting age to 16. The amendment failed but a majority of House Democrats voted in favor showing tremendous progress for the youth franchise movement.
3/5/21— Senate Bill 412 was amended by the Senate Rules Committee and received a Do Pass recommendation! Read our statement on the amendments and its passage through the first committee.
3/14/21— Retake Our Democracy released their radio interview with our youth advocates Artemisio Romero y Carver and Castille Aguilar from YUCCA and the 16vote Coalition. They discussed YUCCA’s youth activism, their climate justice work, and the 16vote movement. Watch it here or listen here.
3/15/21— The Santa Fe New Mexican published an Op-Ed by youth advocates Brianna Lujan and Artemisio Romero y Carver. Read it here.
3/15/21— Four youth activists spoke in a live virtual press conference to answer questions. Watch the live recording here.
3/20/21— The 2021 Legislative Session ended with SB 412 never having been scheduled to be heard in its 2nd committee – Senate Judiciary. We are disappointed it did not go further but we look forward to further spreading the word and growing our movement. Join us!