
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed civil rights reforms Wednesday that eliminate police immunity from prosecution in state courts, in response to protests and concerns about police brutality that swept the nation.
The Democrat-sponsored legislation has implications for an array of state and local government agencies, from social services agencies to school districts. The bill was backed by an unusual coalition of advocates for policing reforms and social justice causes.
They include the civic-minded founders of Ben & Jerry's ice cream and the conservative-backed nonprofit group Americans for Prosperity. Lujan Grisham signed the bill amid the trial of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on murder charges in the May 25, 2020, death of George Floyd.