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Expungement, Electoral College bills signed by governor

SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Wednesday signed into law a package of bills that will reshape parts of New Mexico’s criminal justice system — allowing people to seek expungement of their criminal records, limiting the use of solitary confinement in jails and prisons, and promoting the sharing of data among law enforcement agencies.

The burst of action also includes approval of “ban-the-box” legislation that prohibits employers from asking job-seekers about their criminal history on an initial application.

The governor also signed a host of bills touching on other topics — included approval of a measure adding New Mexico to a compact of states planning to award their Electoral College votes to whichever presidential candidate wins the national popular vote.

Lujan Grisham, a Democrat who took office Jan. 1, faces a Friday deadline to act on bills passed in the final days of the 2019 legislative session, which ended March 16.

She said Wednesday’s approvals include “several smart criminal justice reform initiatives that will help prioritize our public safety resources and allow rehabilitated New Mexicans the opportunity to reintegrate into our shared community.”

Here’s a look at some of what she approved Wednesday:

— House Bill 55, agreeing to elect the president by national popular vote, if enough other states also sign onto the compact to form a majority in the Electoral College.

— House Bill 267, calling on the New Mexico sentencing commission to create a data-sharing network that makes it easier for police, prosecutors and other agencies to track offenders who use aliases or commit crimes in different communities throughout the state.

— House Bill 364, prohibiting the use of solitary confinement for inmates who are under 18 or pregnant. There would also be limits on solitary confinement for inmates with a serious mental disability.

— House Bill 370, allowing people to seek court approval to wipe an arrest or conviction from their records, in certain circumstances.

— House Bill 546, outlining new rules concerning violations by oil and gas operators and management of “produced,” or brackish, water.

— Senate Bill 96, prohibiting employers from asking about criminal history on an initial applications. They could still ask applicants about their history of arrests or convictions later in the hiring process, but not on the initial application. Employers could also make clear in an advertisement that they will conduct a background check or that a conviction could disqualify them from employment.

 

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