SANTA FE, N.M. – We’ve seen massive proposals fly through the House and Senate in just a matter of hours. While we are not that close to the wire just yet, it appears legislative leaders are hitting the gas pedal on two more public safety bills. Both build on that public safety package already signed by the governor.

That package includes a bill banning gun conversion devices on the state level. Those devices can turn semi-automatic weapons like a handgun into a fully automatic weapon.

Law enforcement leaders say they’re becoming a serious problem in New Mexico, but it appears banning those devices is only step one.

A complimentary bill blocking the sale of those gun conversion devices online in New Mexico is flying through the Roundhouse in these final few days. It cleared the Senate Tuesday and is already waiting for a House floor vote.

“Early on, we made it unlawful to possess these devices that convert weapons into automatic weapons. The goal here is to make subject to civil penalties and liability the manufacturing and the marketing of those devices here in New Mexico,” said state Sen. Joseph Cervantes. 

Meanwhile, the governor and Senate lawmakers are hustling to get another bill targeting repeat offenders across the finish line before time runs out.

That public safety package includes a massive plan to rework the state’s criminal competency laws, giving the courts more options for suspects deemed incompetent to stand trial.

The Senate approved a second bill Thursday, reworking the state’s definition of “harm to self” and “harm to others,” making it easier to get those New Mexicans into behavioral health or substance abuse treatment programs.

“The competency bill is to determine whether you’re competent or not. This is now saying, ‘Even if you’re not competent to stand trial, we’re still going to take care of you. We’re going to take you off the street and try to take care of you,’” said state Sen. William Sharer. 

The Senate already approved a version of this bill last week, but it got stuck waiting for a House committee. So Senate lawmakers approved a duplicate version Thursday with hopes of getting it into a different House committee, hopefully giving it a fighting chance before time runs out.

JUVENILE CRIME

A Democrat-backed bill working to expand resources and intervention programs for at-risk youth – and recently released juvenile suspects – cleared another Senate hurdle this week. But it still needs to clear a few more votes before Saturday.

This is the bill House lawmakers approved after killing Bernalillo County DA Sam Bregman’s plan to increase the consequences for violent juvenile suspects.

“For youth that commit those very serious crimes, they can still be held to account under the current system. What we’re building in this House, and that we’ve sent to the Senate, allows for those young people to become rehabilitated, to ensure that our communities are safe, you know, and that our other kids, right? Kids, there are a lot of kids that are not in the juvenile justice system. We want to keep them just as safe, and this is a way to do it,” said Speaker of the House Javier Martinez. 

The governor is not patient though, saying “I am appalled that with less than a week remaining in the legislative session, lawmakers have not passed any substantive legislation to deal with juvenile crime. Their refusal to seriously debate these issues during the 60-day legislative session is unacceptable when lives are at stake.”