A New Mexico lawmaker whose son was murdered by a juvenile expressed outrage this week after her criminal justice bill was rejected in favor of what she and some critics on the right are calling a “homicide scholarship” program.
State Representative Nicole Chavez of Albuquerque stated on Thursday that she is “sickened” by the developments. “New Mexico Democrats voted to hand offenders like my son’s killer $2,000 a month—some twisted reward for shattering my family,” Chavez said, referencing the moniker “homicide scholarship” first used by state Representative Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, earlier this month.
Fox News reports that the bill in question would provide a monthly stipend for certain former convicts under the age of 26 seeking educational opportunities or other rehabilitation programs, according to multiple reports. The bill outlines the allocation of funds toward programs assisting adjudicated delinquents and establishing a panel to determine the next steps for a convict released from a juvenile facility.
Chavez had originally sponsored HB 134, aimed at delivering justice and accountability, but expressed frustration that lawmakers refused to engage in discussions. Her bill, which had the support of Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, was effectively blocked by Democrats in the House—including some who were initially supportive of it.
Chavez’s HB 134 sought to reform New Mexico’s decades-old juvenile justice laws by moving certain violent crimes, such as first-degree murder committed by younger teens, to adult court. Although Governor Lujan Grisham and some Democratic prosecutors supported the bill, a committee of four Democrats tabled it, preventing further progress as the legislative session nears its end.
“This is not progress—it is a knife in the heart of every parent who has buried a child,” Chavez declared. “New Mexico Democrats have turned their backs on victims and their families, choosing instead to reward the very criminals who destroyed our lives.”
Instead of Chavez’s bill, the so-called “homicide scholarship” bill, HB 255, was passed by the House earlier this month. Representative Montoya told the Santa Fe New Mexican that the bill exemplifies progressive attitudes toward crime, arguing that it prioritizes rehabilitation over accountability and offers more support to offenders than to victims.
