Mexico's Senate commissions on Constitutional Points and Legislative Studies approved President Claudia Sheinbaum's 'Plan B' electoral reform bill on March 24, following its presentation a week earlier. The measure passed with 24 votes in favor and 11 against after over five hours of debate and now heads to the full Senate, despite PT opposition to the 2027 revocation referendum date.
Building on the 'Plan B' initiative presented by Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez on March 17—after the more ambitious 'Plan A' failed in the Chamber of Deputies—the United Commissions of Constitutional Points and Legislative Studies approved the bill Tuesday. Votes were 11-5 in Constitutional Points and 13-6 in Legislative Studies, totaling 24-11.
The reform proposes reducing municipal councilors to 1-15 with gender parity, standardizing public salaries to the president's level (without cutting INE or party budgets), and advancing the revocation referendum to June 6, 2027, coinciding with midterm elections for 17 governorships.
Opposition was fierce: PAN's Ricardo Anaya called it 'rubbish' tied to crime; Marko Cortés labeled it hypocritical; MC's Luis Colosio Riojas criticized revocation rules; PRI's Claudia Anaya Mota warned of cuts. PT objects to the referendum date overlapping elections, prompting Morena's Ricardo Monreal to question their shift. Sheinbaum framed potential failure as exposing privilege defenders.
With Morena-PT-PVEM support, full Senate passage is likely.