Legislative Review: Zamora has a plan for school security

Editor's Note - With the New Mexico Legislature scheduled for a 60-day session starting Jan. 17, The News asked area lawmakers what to expect. This is one in the series.

District 63 representative Marin Zamora has a school safety bill he’s ready to introduce in the upcoming 60-day legislative session in Santa Fe: Firearms trained school faculty and staff will be allowed to carry firearms on school grounds.

Republican Zamora, who lives in Clovis, has opened a file on his proposed legislation.

“Employees of a school that are trained and qualified to be able to carry will be allowed to carry on school grounds,” Zamora said. “It’s not going to be mandatory, it will be optional.”

Zamora, who assumed the District 63 post in 2019, said the reason for a bill like that is some counties can’t afford school resource officers.

“Usually in those counties the sheriff patrols the towns,” Zamora said. “There could be situations where the sheriff may be on one side of the county and something is happening on the other side of the county.”

Zamora said he plans on heading up to Santa Fe two days before the 60-day session begins Jan. 17.

Zamora believes there will be a caucus meeting before the session begins.

“We’ve rented a little place, a little casita,” Zamora said. “It gives a little more privacy, it doesn’t make you feel like you’re cooped up in a hotel.”

Zamora describes District 63 as a “very, very diverse district.”

“ We have the city of Clovis, Cannon Air Force Base, Portales, ENMU,” Zamora said. “There’s Fort Sumner, Vaughn, Santa Rosa, the Anton Chico land grant and a small part of San Miguel County.”

Zamora spoke of the area’s agriculture, the dairies, the ranching and the small towns that have trouble running their municipal staffs because the personnel just aren’t there.

Zamora said there has been some pre-session talk about what is going to be covered in the upcoming session.

“We’re hearing there will be crime bills,” Zamora said. “We will see some more school safety bills regarding increased security.”

Zamora said he’ll be introducing a bill to help non-profits keep a little more of their money to combat inflation.

“We’re going to be hearing bills involving water, how it’s shared and such,” Zamora said.

Zamora has heard Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is planning “something” regarding abortion.

“The Republican party stands strongly against abortion as I do myself,” Zamora said. “We do not know exactly what the governor is planning or what her strategy is.”