The New Mexico House of Representatives unanimously passed a rail safety bill in March designed to address the ongoing problem of blocked grade crossings in the state. Members of the BLET’s New Mexico State Legislative Board (NM SLB) spent significant time and effort in support of the legislation.
Blocked rail crossings in New Mexico have been a problem for years, and the issue has gotten worse as trains have become longer and longer.
House Memorial 41 was passed by a vote of 63-0. It requires:
- The New Mexico Department Of Transportation (NM DOT) to assess blocked train crossing times across the state and work with rail providers statewide to propose operational changes to limit blocked crossing times;
- The NM DOT to confer with railroad services using each crossing and unions representing employees of those railroads; and
- The NM DOT to report its findings and conclusions to the appropriate interim committees that studies transportation by September 1, 2025.
The bill’s main sponsor was Representative Day Hochman-Vigil (House Majority Whip). Brother Clem Harris, Chairman of NM SLB, said, “Her leadership and guidance was an indispensable part of the process.”
HM41 came as a result of working with the railroads ahead of the session. Harris said an important reason for BLET’s support is that the memorial recognizes rail labor as a stake holder in the process and allows railroad workers to have a voice on where the problems really are.
“This is a huge win for rail labor in New Mexico for addressing the concerns of the membership legislatively at the state level,” Harris said. “Additionally, this memorial represents a first legislative win for the NM SLB and is also our first effort in building the bridges necessary to work on legislation that is important for our members.”
BLET members who worked to support the bill were Charlie Jeffcoat (Legislative Rep of Division 811), Steve Seale (Legislative Rep of Division 192), and John McGregor (Local Chairman of Division 192-Amtrak). “Without their help, this legislation would not have passed,” Harris said. “I also want to thank the Brothers on our Legislative Board for their help and guidance leading up to and throughout the session. Our success comes as a result of everyone on our board participating and helping out.”