ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman has been rallying lawmakers to pass sweeping juvenile justice reform since October.

“The most significant thing we can do on crime in the Legislature this year is truly amend the Children’s Code to deal with the unbelievable spike in juvenile crime that we’re seeing out there,” Bregman said.

The public safety package that passed in the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday is six bills rolled into one. None of them include juvenile justice reform. Its absence didn’t go unnoticed.

“If they don’t pass anything when it comes to juvenile crime, it leaves a big hole in people’s guts, like what’s going on here? Because this is a big problem,” said Bregman.

But there is a bipartisan juvenile justice reform bill – HB 134. It would expand what is legally called a “serious youthful offender” which would allow juveniles to be charged as adults for more crimes. It’s currently sitting in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee and hasn’t been scheduled to be heard within the next week.

“As time goes by, you start to lose the idea that you have any momentum or that it’s moving forward,” Bregman said.

There is a juvenile bill on the agenda for Saturday. It’s an effort to rename the Juvenile Corrections Act to the Juvenile Community Connections Act. It would also set aside money for programs providing services for youth in detention or CYFD and establish a panel to determine what comes next for a juvenile sentenced to a detention facility.

In the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday, Republican Rep. Nicole Chavez said the public safety package didn’t go far enough to address juvenile crime. Committee Chair, Democratic Rep. Christine Chandler said the Children’s Code bills hadn’t been vetted yet.

“I think we need the time and deliberative process to work on that bill, and I’m sorry people are disappointed that we didn’t rush it through, but rush doesn’t mean good,” Chandler said.

But Bregman said that doesn’t cut it. He’s been working with lawmakers on juvenile justice reform since October.

“I will accept whatever the Legislature decides to do, but what I won’t accept is disinformation when it comes to well this is being rushed upon them or something like that,” said Bregman. “This has been in front of them for months.”