Support House Bill 68

Cyclist favorable HB68 is on the House Consumer and Public Affairs Hearing Agenda for Thursday Feb . Note from Jennifer Buntz: HB 68 passed through Consumer and Public Affairs Committee and is on to Judiciary sometime next week.

The hearing will be held in Room 315 at 1:30 pm.  Consider attending if you can.

http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/fileExists/sessionAgeCalendar/hSched.pdf

PLEASE contact members of this committee to ask for their support of HB68.

The members and their contact information is as follows:

Representative Gail Chasey                        Chair            gailchasey@msn.com                (505) 986-4844

Representative Antonio "Moe" Maestas    Vice Chair   rep16@moejustice.com             (505) 986-4464

Representative Thomas A. Anderson         Member      kb5ysg@arrl.net                           (505) 986-4451

Representative Dennis J. Kintigh               Member        askdennis@denniskintigh.com (505) 986-4453

Representative Bill B. O'Neill                      Member         oneillhd15@fastmail.us             (505) 986-4254

Also, contact our own Rep. Jeanette Wallace:            wallace@losalamos.com                  (505) 986-4452

You can read the bill at www.dukecitywheelmen.org

House Bill 68, introduced by Representative Rick Miera, (Dem. ABQ). is legislation aimed at increasing penalty options at sentencing for drivers found guilty of careless driving that resulted in severe bodily harm or death. Currently, unless the driver is intoxicated or found to meet the stringent definition of “reckless driving” the penalty options are not commensurate with the devastating consquences. House Bill 68 would allow stiffer penalties to be used, up to $1,000.00 in fines and/or up to one year probation/jail for careless, un-intoxicated drivers who cause severe bodily harm or death. Under current law, even when a crash causes severe bodily harm or death, but remains “careless driving” the maximum fine is $300.00 and maximum probation/jail time is up to 90 days. 

In support of House Bill 68, the New Mexico Motorcycle Rights Organization (NMMRO) proudly joins forces with Duke City Wheelmen Foundation (DCWF) and the Bicycle Coalition of New Mexico (BCNM). Although HB68 is not specific to crashes that involve motorcycles or bicycles, many times these collisions are determined to be a result of “careless driving” even though the cyclist or motorcyclist has suffered great bodily harm or is killed. This joint effort is being done in memory of fellow cyclists and motorcyclists who have been severely injured or killed where the at-fault drivers received very minimal penalties. Among them are cyclists James Quinn, Heather Reu, and David Sciera and motorcyclists Donald Harris, Mickey Maldonado and Paul Souther.