EQNM Legislative Fellow - Chiara Cavaletto
Hey friends, It’s Chiara here. I am a Legislative Fellow. I am glad to report on what has been going on lately within the legislature. As you can imagine, the Roundhouse has been buzzing with activity as good/harmful bills are still being introduced.
At Equality New Mexico, we are clear on our mission: we are a state-based organization, and despite what is happening at the federal level, the best and most powerful things we can do to protect our communities are to build power in New Mexico, pass the best laws possible, and embolden New Mexico institutions to stand strong!
Here’s where things stand:
Progress is being made on several key issues at the Roundhouse. Comprehensive sex education took a step forward, passing the Senate Education committee, while efforts to restrict transgender athletes were blocked—a win for us! Legislation to limit housing application fees and expand Medicaid also advanced through committee votes. Meanwhile, new bills focused on immigrant safety and overdose prevention were introduced, and a measure to allow non-major party voters to participate in primaries cleared its first hurdle in the Senate.
Apart from our wins this week, there are also serious concerns about harmful legislation moving forward. A proposed digital age verification law would expand data collection and raise significant privacy issues. Yet another anti-trans bill was introduced under the guise of protecting women’s safety, adding to ongoing attacks on the trans community. Additionally, new restrictions on abortion access have been proposed, limiting the ability to prescribe medication to doctors only.
Keep an eye out for the soon to be introduced. Community Safety and Privacy Act. All of the protections we have put in place for LGBTQ people in New Mexico will mean nothing if Big Tech and the federal government get their way and continue to have access to information that identifies who we are, and what we do, without our consent. This data privacy protection is a critical piece of legislation to ensure that queer and trans New Mexicans, immigrants, and people who access reproductive healthcare cannot be prosecuted by hostile state governments around us or the current occupants of the White House.
Three things can you do this week to support our work in the roundhouse:
Emails to legislators
Calls to legislators
Post on social media
