Bill to criminalize lying to inspectors advances

SANTA FE — A proposal that would make it a crime to lie to state water inspectors cleared its first House hurdle Thursday.

The legislation, House Bill 142, was approved without opposition in the House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

It would make it a fourth-degree felony for an owner or agent of a public water system in New Mexico to make false statements or conceal information from the state Environment Department.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Nathan Small, D-Las Cruces. There’s also similar legislation pending in the Senate that is sponsored by Sen. Ron Griggs, R-Alamogordo.