Rep. Chris Chandler visits Tuesday morning in the House Chamber with Matt Schmidt, CEO/President of Los Alamos Schools Credit Union, left, and David Woodruff, CEO/President of Zia Credit Union. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com

BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed 42 bills from the “Rocket Docket” into law Monday including two bills co-sponsored by District 43 Rep. Chris Chandler.

All of the bills went through the full legislative process in both chambers and had received five or fewer opposing votes in either chamber during the 2017 or 2018 legislative sessions.

HB 227, which Chandler co-sponsored with Rep. Jason Harper and Rep. Andrea Romero, will allow teachers to use their negotiated sick leave days before being penalized in their teacher evaluations.

Chandler has said that teachers from throughout her district feel the former polict was overly punitive, forcing teachers to go to work sick and/or leave their own sick children.

SB 191, a bill which revises the reporting requirements for lobbyists, was co-sponsored by Chandler and Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto.  The bill closes a loophole in current lobbyist reporting by requiring lobbyists to report expenses under $100.

Speaker of the House Rep. Brian Egolf Monday applauded the House of Representatives for the bipartisan work done to get the 42 bills signed by the Governor.

“We can make tangible change to improve people’s lives right out of the gate.  We can work together in a way that is not divisive, and come together in a bipartisan way. From the air center in Roswell to health centers in Albuquerque, these bills that have now been signed into law will make a difference in the lives of New Mexicans across our state,” he said.