McSorley Introduces Bill to Create Office of Peace

From Stop the War Machine e-newsletter:
Office of Peace in New Mexico

NM Senate Bill SB 277: Senator Cisco McSorley wants to create the Office of Peace dedicated to peacemaking, justice and human rights as well as a Citizen Peace Advisory Council. There will be a director of peace appointed by the Governor with the consent of the senate. Duties are listed and $250,000 appropriation requested. 10 pages in length.

Duties include:

1. Manage the office and direct the resources and skills of the office to four areas - prevention, management and resolution of conflict; public education; policy; and public information.

2. Organize and participate in public dialogues throughout the state, providing a diplomatic method for addressing controversial issues and conflicts.

3. Analyze and build upon existing policies and program and develop new approaches for preventing, managing and resolving social conflict - including spouse abuse, child abuse and mistreatement of the elderly, school and gang violence, hate crimes, disputes between the police and community members, natural resource disputes within and between communities, disputes within and between government agencies.

4. Develop a peace education curriculum 5. Gather information on effective community peace-building activities and disseminate the information

The citizens peace advisory council will include the director and 10 appointed members for 4 year terms.

1. One member from a peace advocacy organization 2. One member from a religious or spiritual organization 3. One member from a local, county ot state law enforcement agency 4. One health professional with expertise in behavioral and public health issues 5. One member from an environmental and energy conservation organization with expertise in alternative energy use.

6. One veteran who has served in an armed conflict 7. One public school educator 8. One representative affiliated with the arts 9. One youth representative between the ages of 15 and 24 10. One member appointed by the secretary of Indian Affairs.

Questions? Contact Loralucero@aol.com

Editor's Note: You can track this bill and read it in its entirety at the linked page at the NM Legislature website. The Legislature's main webpage is located at:

https://legis.state.nm.us/lcs/

I have a permanent link to the site in the right-hand sidebar on this page, near the top. Check it out. It has a wealth of information to help you find and track bills, find out to which committees they've been assigned, which NM House and Senate districts you're in, and how to contact your state representative and senator.