A bill that would have banned bullfighting in the state was turned back to a legislative commission after lawmakers were not able to reach a majority.
After a lengthy discussion and with an Assembly chamber full of residents against and for the prohibition, Assemblyman David Ruvalcaba, an Institutional Revolutionary Party member from Tijuana, introduced a bill to return the measure back to a commission.
The proposal received 12 Yea votes, 8 Nay, and two abstentions.
The bill sought to erase the term “domestic” from the Domestic Animal Protection State Law.
The prohibition would have left by the side other species sports like “Charrería” or Mexican rodeo, and cock fighting, given federal law protects them as part of Mexico’s cultural and sports patrimony.
The bill would have become law on Jan. 2017.
The measure has been addressed by the Legislative Environment Commission on public hearings held statewide.
Assemblyman Alejandro Corella, a Mexicali member of the National Action Party, said the bill has to be heard and consulted among citizens and specially his constituents from District 3.
Report underlines state insecurity
A report recently released underlined Baja California in terms of insecurity that left the state in 29th place among the 32 Mexican states.
Vision for Humanity and the Institute for Economics and Peace released its Peace Index Mexico 2016, in which Baja California lagged behind Guerrero, Sinaloa, and Morelos among the most insecure states nationwide.
The state scored 3,057 points in the index.
Baja California also scored high in homicide rates, violent crime, violent crime committed with weapons, suspect incarceration without a sentence, police funds, organized crime and judiciary efficiency.
According to the index, Mexico improved 0.3 percent in the last year. However, the annual progress rate remained still, the institute said.
Violent crimes and organized crime reduced 8 and 10 percent, respectively, but the murder rate increased 6 percent.
The index is made with several sources, polls, and technical support from a panel of experts.
Since 2011, the highest point in the war against drug smuggling, the nation’s peace level increased 13 percent.
Actually, residents in 25 states live in more peaceful places than in 2011, with decreased of almost 30 percent in violent crime, homicides, and crimes from organized crime bands.
The report says 85 percent of Mexicans live in more peaceful states than in 2011.
The document also says that Baja California, along with the states of Nayarit, Durango, Nuevo León, and Chihuahua, have observed some of the largest advances in terms of peace in the past five years.
The institution said 93 percent of crimes are not reported by victims and in some cases figures delivered to at least two different federal agencies do not match with each other.
Independent candidate gets green light
Justices with the Elections Court of the Federal Judiciary Branch approved an appeal filed by a young Mexicali woman who attempted to register her legislative candidacy.
According to the document approved by justices Thursday, the Baja California State Electoral Institute Council must accept the candidacy of Daylín García Ruvalcaba for District 3 of the state Assembly.
The district –which has been under control of the National Action Party almost since 1989- was won three years ago by now Mayoral candidate Gustavo Sánchez Vázquez.
García Ruvalcaba’s candidacy was denied by the elections authority due to the fact that she did not reach the 3 percent of district voters’ signatures according to the State Independent Candidacies Law.
The decision was turned down by justices given federal law mandates the required signatures must be 2.5 percent.
The State Elections Council has five days to accept García Ruvalcaba’s candidacy papers and approve her registration.
“Today, willingness, the spirit and desire to make things on a different way have won,” García said. “A group of young citizens backed by 2,730 people who signed in favor of change have demonstrated that neither inequality nor barriers are obstacles to build for society.”
Dozens of citizens tried to register as independent candidates, but most of them were denied registration for lack of enough signatures to file.
