Heinrich ‘heartsick’ over Trump order
President Donald Trump’s executive order that bans refugees from certain countries from entering the United States caused waves Monday in the Roundhouse.
Two House Democrats — Reps. Bill McCamley of Mesilla Park and Daymon Ely of Corrales — rose to give impassioned rebukes of Trump’s order, while U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich told lawmakers he was “heartsick” about it.
“We are not a country that discriminates based on how you pray,” Heinrich said in a speech on the House floor that was not attended by all lawmakers.
Heinrich, who was elected to the Senate in 2012, also appeared to criticize Gov. Susana Martinez while discussing New Mexico’s budget woes, though he didn’t mention her by name.
“It would be easy if the poll-tested policies that build a political resume aligned with a better and brighter future for New Mexicans,” Heinrich said in his speech. “But that approach has failed to produce results.”
In response, a Martinez spokesman blamed “Washington politicians” for not securing more federal military spending. — Dan Boyd, dboyd@abqjournal.com
PET FOOD FEE: A proposal to impose a new fee on dog and cat food to raise money for spay and neuter programs moved a little closer to a floor vote on Monday.
House Bill 123 is sponsored by Carl Trujillo, D-Santa Fe.
“Dogs and cats are basically nonpartisan,” he told the House Business and Industry Committee, which voted 7-4 to support the measure.
Trujillo estimated the fee would cost the typical consumer about $1.50 a year for each dog or cat they buy food for, assuming the pet food companies pass on the cost. It would raise about $830,000 a year to fund sterilization programs — with the goal of keeping homeless pets out of public shelters, where about half are eventually euthanized.
The bill now heads to the House State Government, Veterans and Indian Affairs Committee. — Dan McKay, dmckay@abqjournal.com