Our entire state legislature is on the ballot right now. This is a good time to look deeper to see how our Las Cruces area representatives and senators have voted in the Legislature.
Our local representatives currently seeking re-election are Micaela Lara Cadena, Joanne Ferrary, Tara Jaramillo, Jenifer Jones, Angelica Rubio, Raymundo Lara and Nathan Small.
Our local senators who are currently seeking re-election are Joseph Cervantes, Crystal Diamond Brantley, Carrie Hamblen, William Soules and Jeff Steinborn.
Due to greatly increased crime in Las Cruces over the last few years, crime reduction is one of the most important areas our legislators need to address. Repeat offenders are one of the biggest problems in Las Cruces. In court, many repeat offenders are deemed incompetent to stand trial, so they are just released back onto the streets where they commit crime after crime after crime. For instance, from a public records request, one of the top repeat offenders in Las Cruces has more than 120 charges for aggravated assault, drug dealing (meth), battery, trespassing, shoplifting and more.
Our state senators and representatives had the opportunity to work on crime laws during the governor’s recent special session in July. The governor specifically wanted the legislature to pass laws to stop repeat offenders from being continually released back onto the streets. However, at the special session, only Senator Diamond Brantley and Rep. Jones were willing to work on crime laws. All others refused to work on crime laws at the session. Representatives Cadena, Ferrary, Jaramillo, Lara, Rubio and Small all voted to refuse to allocate $10 million for border security to stop the flow of fentanyl into New Mexico. Senators Cervantes, Hamblen and Steinborn all voted to adjourn the special session without hearing any crime laws.
In 2023, the legislature and governor signed into law the requirement that schoolteachers help children access transgender and abortion care with no parental notification and no age restrictions. According to law HB 7, schools can be fined $5,000 per instance if teachers or nurses “interfere” with access to care by talking to children’s parents about their transgender or abortion procedures. The following representatives and senators voted for this law: Reps. Cadena, Ferrary, Jaramillo, Lara, Rubio and Small; Senators Cervantes, Hamblen, Soules and Steinborn. Only Senator Diamond Brantley and Rep. Jones voted against this law which cuts parents out of these crucial decisions that can affect the rest of their children's lives.
Earlier this year in 2024, the legislature passed and the governor signed into law HB 41, which imposes fuel standards that are expected to raise gasoline prices in New Mexico by 50 to 80 cents per gallon. The following representatives and senators voted for HB 41: Reps. Cadena, Ferrary, Lara, Rubio and Small; senators Hamblen, Soules and Steinborn. Senator Cervantes did not vote on this law. Senator Diamond Brantley and Reps. Jaramillo and Jones voted against this law, which will raise gas prices in New Mexico.
These voting records of our legislators matter. With all of our senators and representatives on the ballot, Las Crucens have a chance right now to decide whether they want more of the same, or whether they want to vote for change.
Sarah Smith is Vice Chair of the Coalition of Conservatives in Action in Las Cruces and co-leads the New Mexico Freedoms Alliance.