Free Republic

The Formidable Five are no longer. The stunning defeat Tuesday of four of five conservative-leaning Democratic state senators targeted by a progressive coalition marks the end of an era within the state Capitol, and political observers say the ideological shift could be pronounced when the Legislature opens its 2021 session in January. “This will definitely move the Democratic caucus to the left,” said longtime New Mexico pollster Brian Sanderoff. Add the defeat of Sen. Richard Martinez — who voted against two key progressive bills this year — to the mix, and the conservative wing within the Democratic caucus in the...

NM state senator shocked by DWI arrest: ‘Are you serious?’ ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A New Mexico state senator expressed surprise when he learned he was being arrested on a drunken driving charge, slurring his speech as he lay in an emergency room and saying to an officer, “Are you serious? Jesus Christ.” The comments from Sen. Richard Martinez, D-Espanola, appeared in police lapel video released Monday. Police said he crashed his Mercedes SUV on Friday night into the back of a vehicle that had two people inside stopped at a red light in Espanola, north of Santa Fe.

Similar bills in the NM House and Senate would make it a crime to sell a firearm without conducting a background check .... It would help keep guns out of the hands of felons, people with documented mental health problems, illegal immigrants and others who couldn’t purchase a gun from a licensed gun shop. SB 8 is being carried by Majority Leader Peter Wirth and Judiciary Committee chairman Richard Martinez, both Democrats. Now, if you go into a reputable gun shop and purchase a firearm, a background check is required. If you agree to purchase one in a parking lot...