Ryan Lane

We live in a constitutional republic. No one person should have the authority to dictate commerce. Let the free market system work. Bad government policies always result in the poorest among us getting left behind. Here’s yet another example, unfortunately.

Gov's EV mandate doesn't make sense for many rural commuters OPINION: Many New Mexico residents will go to a neighboring state to purchase a new gas-powered vehicle, thus causing additional harm to our economy and business community.

Take a walk with me to honor two of the finest men I’ve known—not something I dare say lightly. Coach Kirk Carpenter (left). Coach Herb Stinson (right). Both inducted into the Aztec Hall of Honor recently, and on the same night. Which for me personally, is apropos, as Coach Carp coached me in high school baseball and Coach Stinson coached me in high school wrestling, both at Aztec High School. Both of these men have made indelible marks on my life. Both of these men have remained friends and mentors of mine well into my adulthood (yes, I am technically an adult 🤣). They have taught me many, many things. Frankly, the Ryan that you know today would not exist apart from these two men.

I actually first met Coach Carp as a freshman in high school, as he was the freshman football coach. I decided to come out late that season. Coach Carp said I could join the team but not until I completed 100, one-hundred yard sprints. An assignment he assumed would take me a week. Little did he know the stubborn and self-determined 14 year old boy he was dealing with! I finished them in one day. Utterly and completely exhausted, I staggered up to Coach Carp and reported I was finished and again asked if I could join the team. I’ll never forget the look of disbelief on his face. Needless to say I was in pads the next day. But the baseball field is where our relationship truly took root. Coach Carp had the highest of expectations of his players, and he held himself to that same standard of excellence. And he still does to this day. Coach Carp exuded passion for the game of baseball in such a way that it was contagious. He was a master at relating how the game of baseball mirrored life. Countless times after practice was over he would stay late and hit me extra ground balls or throw BP to me in the cage. I knew I needed to get better and putting in additional work was the only way this humble Aztec kid knew how. He never once complained about staying late, when I’m sure he would have rather been at home. And he never once said no. His commitment to developing boys into men was unparalleled.

Coach Stinson is a mythical figure, nationally, in the sport of wrestling. All of which is well deserved. There aren’t a lot of people that I’ve felt intimidated by in my life when I first meet them, but he is certainly one. Coach Stinson taught me the meaning of personal discipline, the importance of setting exceedingly difficult to attain goals, and how to work tirelessly to achieve those goals. I don’t miss wrestling for one second. It’s a brutal sport. But wrestling taught me more about life than any other sport or endeavor combined. And Coach Stinson was at the helm for those lessons. There is no question that had I not wrestled for Coach Stinson, I would not be near the man that I am today. I also learned the true meaning of mental toughness from Coach Stinson, which has paid dividends for me whether in business, the political realm, or taking a 100 mile jaunt through the mountains. You are capable of so much more than what your mind and body would have you believe. Coach Stinson helped me learn that lesson first hand.

Congrats to both men on being inducted into the Aztec Hall of Honor. Very well deserved.

I did about a ten minute segment if interested.

Amended Order - The Bob Clark Podcast House Republican Leader Ryan Lane comments on the amended public health order by the Governor concerning guns in New Mexico on News Radio KKOB

I gave an interview this evening regarding the Governor’s unconstitutional order regarding fi****ms Bernalillo County

Where do GOP lawmakers stand on calls for special session? New Mexico House Republican Leader Ryan Lane said that was a step in the right direction, but he wants more done.

Myself as Leader of the House Republicans and as a licensed attorney, together with Leader Baca in the Senate, will be filing a lawsuit this week in federal court to enjoin the Governor from enforcing what is clearly an unconstitutional executive order. No one person should decide which of your constitutional rights are valid and which are only privileges that can be removed unilaterally.

“Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?”

“A republic, if you can keep it.”

Franklin nailed it. If. Yes IF we can keep it. That is the responsibility and obligation of each new American generation. Let us seek to deny the odds of history and further our republic for the benefit of the next generation.

Exciting things coming to Aztec!

North Main Extension Ribbon Cutting. Thanks to NM State Senator Steven Neville and NM House of Representative Ryan Lane for the honors of cutting the grand opening of the North Main Extension. Thanks to Governor Lujan Grisham for helping fund the project and for our current and past City Commissioners for making this project a priority.

Entrepreneurship. We talk to our kids about college. We talk to our kids about getting a W2 job. But we don’t talk enough to our NM kids about a third path, one that has the potential to create a viable path out of poverty. Entrepreneurship. And it can be combined with the first two!

Some of my favorite Thanksgiving quotes:

"Pride slays thanksgiving, but a humble mind is the soil out of which thanks naturally grow. A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves." --Henry Ward Beecher

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” --G.K. Chesterton

"Thanksgiving, man. Not a good day to be my pants.” -- Kevin James

I am incredibly humbled and honored to share that yesterday my friends and colleagues in the NM House Republican Caucus selected me to serve as their next Leader. Being a humble Aztec kid, it’s hard to not feel like I’m punching above my weight (I am!). But I’m committed to working tirelessly, being open to sound advice & counsel along the way, and being a problem solver. There is much at stake and our children deserve a better future. Genuine thanks to Rep. Townsend & Rep. Montoya for their work in leadership together over the last four years. New Mexico owes you a debt of gratitude.

Today we celebrate a couple of the most important people in my little world—my oldest son Claudio turned the big 2-0 and my amazing mother continues to age so beautifully. Their b days are actually a day apart but we split the difference. I love both of these humans greatly. ❤️🎂🙌

We just passed out about a thousand pieces of candy for Aztec’s Safe Treats. Party on Wayne!

A child’s zip code should not dictate his or her future.

Happy birthday to my boss lady! 40 is the new 40, turns out!

Nothing like a small pick me up before we go on the floor. Thank you Vanilla Moose for some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had. Proudly made in by Rep. Ryan Lane and his family.

This bill was debated last night on the House floor. I'm glad it passed the House and is now heading over to the Senate. It's vital that our judiciary remain independent and free from interference in the judiciary process.

House adopts bill to prohibit threats against judges SANTA FE — The state House late Friday passed a bill that would make it a crime to threaten a judge — action that came after New Mexico judges reported harassment and threats of sexual violence. Republican Rep. Ryan Lane of Aztec said lawmakers heard testimony from judges in committee hearings a...

Today I successfully moved to table HB 9 in House Appropriations & Finance Committee—the so called “safe” gun storage bill. The only safe thing this bill accomplishes is keeping criminals safe while they’re breaking into your home. Good riddance to bad rubbish!

Yes. I voted for the budget (HB 2). Yes. The budget is $8.457 billion. Yes. That's an increase of 13.8 percent. Yes. There are particular appropriations within the 235 page bill that I disagree with. Those are the ugly truths and I do not shy away from them. Why, then, did I vote in favor?

In my mind, there are two important principles in reviewing a governmental budget. First, as legislators we have an obligation to make sure there is enough in reserves to be able to responsibly govern for the next few years if revenue decreases (if the price of oil plummets, for example). Second, I believe as legislators we have the following moral obligation to the tax payers: when the government takes your money in the form of taxes, once there is a safe level of reserves, those excess dollars should be put back to work in our local communities. For the government to simply sit on those excess dollars and not put them back to work for our communities I believe is bad policy and not fair to the tax payers.

Despite the spending increases I described above, the amount remaining in reserves is $2.57 billion. That is the highest reserve balance coming out of a regular session in the history of our state. That $2.57 billion amounts to 30.3 percent of recurring appropriations. To give some perspective, in 2017, the reserve amount after the regular session was 0.7 percent. And despite the increases described above, the Legislature still added $272 million into reserves.

I did not take this vote lightly, as I knew that people would question this vote. And rightly so! I would expect nothing less from the people of San Juan County. I will say that I don't have any pet projects in this bill. I didn't make any backroom deals with Democrats in exchange for voting in favor of this bill. Rather, after much, much thought I settled on the fact that $2.57 billion in reserves is more than sufficient; and to continue saving just to save in lieu of putting those dollars back to work in our local community was not the correct decision from my perspective. Not everyone will agree with my decision, and I would not expect that anyways. But I can honestly say that my decision was based on the above principles.

A few highlights from the bill: increase in salaries to state police officers; teacher pay raises; increase in judge's salaries to make vacant judicial positions more attractive to qualified attorneys in private practice; $10 million for career & technical education (welding, shop, etc.); funding for police retention bonuses.

In the days of social media, people enjoy hurling insults from the sidelines. I remain unwavering in my commitment to representing the people of San Juan County in this arena we call the Roundhouse. Black eyes and bloody noses are expected. And I remain committed to serving the people based on what I view is in the best interest of the people of San Juan County without regard to the pressure applied by both sides of the political aisle.

Met with an amazing constituent today. Young people are inspiring. The world tends to beat us down and squelch any semblance of ambition and improving the world we live in. Our youth are a good reminder that there is still hope and it’s not too late to work for change. Don’t embrace the crustyness and pessimism of the world. Our children deserve better. New Mexico deserves better.

A couple of other bills I'm either sponsoring or co-sponsoring you may be interested in:

HB 86--This bill creates a new police officer retention fund. Essentially, it creates a bonus structure aimed at keeping our invaluable officers right here in New Mexico. At years 5, 10, 15, and 20, officers receive a 5% bonus of whatever their base pay is. I have received overwhelming support from law enforcement in San Juan County on this bill, which I greatly appreciate. This bill passed unanimously out of its first committee and is waiting a hearing in its second committee.

HB 100--If a police officer is killed in the line of duty, this bill increases the death benefit paid to the fallen officer's spouse or children. Currently, the amount is set at $250k. This bill would double it to $500k.

HB 99--This bill creates a new class 4 felony for threatening a judge with great bodily harm or threatening a judge for the purpose of disrupting the judicial process. Unfortunately, this is becoming an issue here in New Mexico. It's vital that we keep the judicial process objective. Judges should not have to fear for their safety or their family's safety based on the decisions they render. This is an effort to not only keep judges safe, but to continue to be able to attract great candidates to become judges. This bill has its first hearing this coming Saturday.

Take a couple of minutes to read this if you care about elections in New Mexico.

Us humanoids love gossip! I am a co-sponsor of SB 6 and there's already tons of misinformation flying around about this bill. Let me attempt to bring some clarity to what this bill does and does NOT do. To be clear, this is a bill that attempts to strengthen New Mexico's voting system. Is it the best possible piece of legislation to address every conceivable issue with New Mexico's voting laws? Of course not. That's not the world we live. I do believe, however, that SB 6 provides some important changes to our voting laws.

What SB 6 does NOT do:
- Does NOT allow for 16 year old's to be able to vote. I have a son who is about a month away from being 16. I love him dearly and would die for him without hesitation, and he's an incredibly bright and promising young man. But he has zero business voting in elections at his age. Enough said.
- Does NOT allow for straight party voting. You should research and think independently about each candidate. Not just pull a lever for support of one party.
- Does NOT outlaw or prohibit the use of paper ballots. There is some language in the bill that strikes through phrases like "paper ballot," but if you actually read the text itself along with the context of the bill you will see that the striking of this language is actually making the law more broadly applicable--not just paper ballots but all candidate contests and ballot questions.

Now. What improvements does SB 6 make to our existing election laws? There are a number of important changes but let me just highlight a few of them:

1) SB 6 Requires the Secretary of State to develop a program to clean and maintain accurate voter rolls. If this was the only thing accomplished with this bill it would be worth it.
2) For election day voter registration, a photo ID is required in order to register. Now is this as strong as requiring a photo ID in order to be able to vote? Certainly not; but it is a step in the right direction and will help curtail same day registration shenanigans.
3) This bill creates an election security program with cybersecurity requirements, assessments, and the monitoring of the functionality of our voting systems. It is important that we know that our voting machines are operating correctly and that when I cast my ballot I know that it is being counted the same as everyone else's vote.
4) Voter absentee applications cannot be provided by third parties. If you want to vote via absentee ballot, by all means. But you need to be the person requesting the absentee ballot. This change would prohibit politically motived third parties from handing out unsolicited absentee applications and other similar shenanigans.

I know the issue of "voter integrity" and "voter fraud" get people fired up, and rightfully so. But I can tell you that I am genuinely working to improve the voter laws of New Mexico. It would be a lot safer for me politically to simply not work on these kinds of bills, stay on the sidelines, and never risk taking any political heat. That's not the kind of man that I am and that's not the kind of legislator I will ever be. Frankly, I think New Mexicans are tired of these types of politicians. I know I am. I'm in this arena to battle for what I believe is best for New Mexicans and not necessarily what gets me re-elected. Those things don't always coincide, unfortunately. But what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but forfeit his soul? I appreciate you all!

Here's a list of bills I'm helping sponsor. I'll try to update the progress (or death!) of these bills along the way.

HJR 3: This joint resolution would amend the state constitution to require the Governor for the State of NM to call the Legislature into a special session if an emergency order goes beyond 90 days, otherwise the order terminates. It would also allow the Legislature to end an emergency order upon the vote of 3/5 of the Legislature. It only allows for an extension of 60 days without convening the Legislature again. The rationale for this joint resolution is the allow the people of NM to be involved in extending emergency powers instead of allowing one person to make that decision on behalf of all New Mexicans.

HJR 5 This joint resolution would amend the state constitution to allow for open primaries. This will allow independents to have a voice in primary elections.

HB 25: This bill removes the statute of limitations for second degree murder. It's currently six years. The reason for this change, at least in my mind, is that as time goes on, it can be difficult to prove first degree murder; and if it is beyond six years before the identity of the murder can be determined, then he/she cannot be prosecuted for second degree murder. This bill would give prosecutors more options.

HB 48 & HB 49: These bills will exempt Social Security income from state taxation.

HB 76: This bill will allow veterans to exclude up to $30k of military retirement pay from state income taxes.

I love America 🇺🇸 Protesters this AM rolling into the Capitol. Whether I agree with the message, I love seeing freedoms being expressed

Truth, Rep. Ryan Lane

The 30 day session of the NM Legislature kicks off this Tuesday at noon. As I did during our 2021 sixty day session, I will try and post updates on more notable bills as much as I’m able. Please tag your friends (or people that you want to inflict pain with my posts?!? 😂) that may have an interest in keeping up with what’s going on in NM at the state level. I’m sure all of you students of NM history already understand this, but in NM, during even years (like 2022), only bills can be introduced that have to do with 1) the budget or 2) is a topic on the “Governor’s call,” meaning a list of bills and/or subjects that she wants the Legislature to consider. This is all spelled out in the NM Constitution. We haven’t seen the official call yet, but we’re told it includes crime bills, hydrogen hub bills, and some tax changes, among others. As always, I appreciate the overwhelming support the amazing people of San Juan County give time me.

It's incredible to me that starting today in our nation's capital, you have to be vaccinated to dine-in, go to the movies, workout at the gym, etc. We're seeing the codification of separate classes in what is supposed to be the very center of the free world.

I did an interview with KRQE that will air this evening, talking about the Special Session of the NM Legislature that started today, as well as the topic of the federal ARPA funds being budgeted during this session. I’ll link to the story in the comments if you’re unable to watch it live.

Beware your politicians posting today about SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESS all the while being okay with the closure of “non-essential” businesses (but not national chain stores!), mandating paid sick leave on private employers (but not for government employers!), advocating for a $15 minimum wage . . . . New Mexicans deserve better.

I hope you have a fabulous Thanksgiving! Some favorite Thanksgiving quotes:

"Pride slays thanksgiving, but a humble mind is the soil out of which thanks naturally grow. A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves." --Henry Ward Beecher

“When we learn to read the story of Jesus and see it as the story of the love of God, doing for us what we could not do for ourselves—that insight produces, again and again, a sense of astonished gratitude which is very near the heart of authentic Christian experience.” --N.T. Wright

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” --G.K. Chesterton

"Thanksgiving, man. Not a good day to be my pants.” -- Kevin James