Broad crime bill wins legislative approval in New Mexico

And it revamps oversight of police misconduct investigations under a new nine-member board appointed by the governor that law enforcement officers, a judge, a civil rights attorney and public and private-sector criminal defense lawyers.

Democratic Sen. Joseph Cervantes of Las Cruces said the bill should have quick and long-lasting effects on policing and crime rates.

“When we add ankle-bracelet monitoring, 24-hours, seven days a week statewide — those are going to have immediate effects,” he said. “The long-term perspective is (that) violence prevention grants, law enforcement training, law enforcement retention, those are going to take a great deal of time.”

The bill wraps in new criminal penalties aimed at protecting state and local judges and their immediate families from threats and the malicious sharing of personal information such as home addresses. That provision responds to concerns not only about the physical safety of judges but also efforts to sway or disrupt judicial proceedings.

Criminal penalties are enhanced for possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, brandishing a weapon in commission of an illegal drug transaction and aggravated fleeing a law enforcement under certain circumstances.

On Wednesday, the Democratic-led Legislature approved a record-setting $1 billion annual budget increase that bolsters spending on public schools, Medicaid, public safety initiatives and an array of grants, loans and tax breaks to private industry.