NM weighs exemption from daylight saving time

SANTA FE — New Mexicans would no longer “spring forward” each March under legislation heading to the House floor. Instead, New Mexico would join most of Arizona and stick with Mountain Standard Time all year long.

That means that for almost eight months of the year, New Mexico would share the same time as California and other states in the Pacific time zone. New Mexico would also be two hours behind Texas — rather than just one hour — during those months.

Generally speaking, there would be an extra hour of light in the morning rather than the evening if New Mexico exempts itself from daylight saving.

Supporters of the bill said they hate changing their clocks twice a year — because it’s hard on people’s health and sleep patterns.

Rep. Roberto “Bobby” Gonzales, a Taos Democrat and retired educator, said the time change is particularly tough on children and can affect their performance at school.

House Bill 73, sponsored by Gonzales, cleared the Judiciary Committee on a 10-3 vote Monday and now heads to the House floor.

In the Senate, meanwhile, a separate proposal would put New Mexico on Mountain Daylight Time all year. That proposal is sponsored by Sen. Cliff Pirtle, R-Roswell.

VOTER REGISTRATION: Two proposals moving through the House are aimed at making it easier for New Mexicans to register to vote.

Both proposals, sponsored by Democratic lawmakers, passed the House Judiciary Committee on Monday and are heading next to the House f loor.

One measure, House Bill 84, would automatically register people to vote when they get their driver’s licenses or IDs at the Motor Vehicle Division, unless they opt out or are ineligible.

The other proposal, House Bill 86, would allow people to register to vote on Election Day or at early voting sites. Under the current system, the registration period closes four weeks before Election Day.

Democratic Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, who supports both proposals, said the bills would reduce barriers to voting while maintaining adequate safeguards to ensure only qualified voters are able to cast ballots.

It’s a common source of complaints, she said, for people to show up on Election Day only to find out they failed to register in time.

“There’s no reason not to do this in this state,” she said. “We have the technology.”