Bills vetoed by former governor making their way through legislature

The bills, vetoed by former Gov. Susana Martinez, have been nicknamed the rocket docket.

About 20 of the bills were filed in the House, the other 30 were in the Senate. Nearly half of them have passed in committee are headed for a floor vote.

“This is a key moment where in this legislative session we’re not wasting any time,” said Rep. Nathan Small. “We’re taking these ideas that have been vetted, that have gotten all the way to the top of the mountain, didn’t receive a governor’s signature in the last administration.”

Rep. Small, a Democrat from Las Cruces, has a bill on the rocket docket to making farmers and ranchers eligible for economic development funds.

 “It’ll open it up to folks around the state, big folks but especially the small and medium-sized folks who are looking to get their start or maybe expand their business,” Rep. Small said. “We know this is going to create more value for those New Mexico producers”

Democratic Rep. Liz Thomson is sponsoring a bill in the rocket docket that would require medical providers to include a disclosure before performing a mammogram.

 “To include just a sentence in their report to generally women, but the patient, about their breast density because an increase breast density can have between a 1.2 and 2.1 times increased chance of breast cancer. And it also makes it harder to read a mammogram,” said Rep. Thomson.

House Republicans have criticized the rocket docket, claiming the 19 new representatives will be forced to vote on the bills without the chance to analyze and understand them.