New Mexico House Unanimously Passes Ban On School Discrimination For Hair Or Religious Headdresses
New Mexico House Democrats News:
Santa Fe – Thursday, the New Mexico House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation prohibiting schools’ discrimination or discipline of students based on their use of natural or protective hairstyles, or wearing of cultural or religious headdresses.
Similar to the CROWN Act passed in six other states, House Bill 29: No School Discrimination for Hair is sponsored by House Majority Floor Leader Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton (D-Albuquerque) and Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero (D-Albuquerque).
In addition to protecting the rights of New Mexican students, the bill also amends the state’s Human Rights Act to include “cultural headdresses” and “protective hairstyles” in the general ban on discrimination based on race.
January 30, 2021
A nondiscrimination bill to protect cultural hairstyles in the workplace and school settings received bipartisan support in the Senate Education Committee Friday.
The No School Discrimination for Hair bill passed unanimously in the Senate Education Committee Friday. More than one state senator expressed shock that discrimination around
cultural hair and hairstyles is still possible with impunity.
“We should’ve been doing this decades ago,” state Sen. Michael Padilla, a Democrat from Albuquerque, said.
Sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Harold Pope Jr., of Albuquerque, SB 80, protects children in public and charter schools and people in the workplace from discrimination based on cultural hair and hair styles, such as braids, locs, twists, and knots. Democratic state Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, also from Albuquerque and a co-sponsor of the bill, said the bill places “a duty on the [Public Education Department] to work with the school board.”
New Mexico House Kicks Off Historic 2021 Session
STATE News:
SANTA FE The New Mexico House of Representatives called to order its 55th Legislature at noon Tuesday.
This year’s 60-day session will be a historic first in state history, with the majority of the session taking place virtually due to COVID-19.
Recognizing the pandemic-related challenges facing New Mexicans, House Democrats are focused on delivering relief to hard-working families and small businesses, and solutions to uplift a generation.
Legislative priorities this session include economic recovery, health care, civil rights, rural infrastructure, climate change and education.
“We will not be deterred from doing the important work ahead of us. Our priority is economic recovery for small businesses and hardworking New Mexicans along with solutions that address the systemic challenges facing the people of New Mexico,” said Speaker of the House Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe) in his opening remarks.