February 7, 2024

After revote, proposal targeting governor’s emergency powers tabled

The House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee rejected a joint resolution clawing back the governor’s executive powers while giving more power to the legislature on a revote. The committee tabled HJR 8 along a party-line 5-to-3 vote on Tuesday. The committee originally approved HJR 8 with no action on a 4-to-3 vote Monday. The […]

Nicole Maxwell

The House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee rejected a joint resolution clawing back the governor’s executive powers while giving more power to the legislature on a revote.

The committee tabled HJR 8 along a party-line 5-to-3 vote on Tuesday.

The committee originally approved HJR 8 with no action on a 4-to-3 vote Monday. The resolution was then expected to be heard in the House Judiciary Committee.

The resolution aimed to amend the state constitution to limit emergency declarations from the governor to 90 days unless the governor calls a special session in which a three-fifths vote from both the House and Senate is needed to pass an emergency declaration extension.

Republicans have criticized the emergency declaration powers since the COVID-19 pandemic and even redoubled those criticisms after a controversial public health order by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham targeting gun violence.

On Monday, Rep. Dayan Hochman-Vigil, D-Los Ranchos, voted via Zoom and that vote was not acceptable and so a revote had to occur.

This is because legislative rules state that votes can only be taken within the meeting and not outside of it. Therefore, since Hochman-Vigil was not in the meeting in person, her vote was not acceptable.