Tension among governor and New Mexico lawmakers as end of legislative session nears
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'Legislators have been exhausted by the excuses, exhausted by repeatedly hearing from different cabinet secretaries about their intention to try to make improvements there. I think its an important step one that will hopefully take us to a place where kids in state custody are better protected,' said New Mexico Attorney General, Raúl Torrez.
The governor signed into law the bill creating 'Office of the Child Advocate,' a public agency responsible for investigating complaints against CYFD. It would also be able to refer cases to the Attorney General for prosecution, something that the governor expressed opposition to in a letter to lawmakers saying, that having the AG's office involved 'weaponized' the office against CYFD and that it was 'a thinly-disguised vendetta' by the legislature against the governor.
Juvenile crime reform was also a big topic this session, but the last bill left on the issue, HB 255, failed to pass the Senate floor Thursday night with lawmakers disagreeing over how much to strengthen penalties, versus creating more support systems, sparking a heated reaction from sponsor Senator Moe Maestas (D-Albuquerque).
'We have to represent the consciousness of this state and not hang our hat on one provision of a 31-page bill that is the epitome of compromise,' said Sen. Maestas.
Other bills on their way to the governor's desk include a proposal to let districts decide the number of days in a school year, HB 65, and a bill requiring districts to create rules for student cell phone use in schools, SB 11.
Lawmakers also passed bills aimed at helping communities affected by wildfires, including the Wildfire Prevention Act, SB 33, which focuses on tree thinning and creating buffer zones to protect homes. And a bill offering zero-interest loans to communities for recovery.
A hotly debated topic on the House floor Friday afternoon was whether to allow voters not affiliated with a major political party to vote in the party primary of their choice. That bill, SB 16, passed 36-33.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Revenue forecast: NM took in $390 million more last year than previously projected
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"We'd like to see those filled up as soon as possible," Propst told members of the Legislative Finance Committee at a Tuesday meeting in Las Cruces. Moving more state dollars into the trust funds could be the primary focus of a special session Lujan Grisham is expected to call next month. Top Governor's Office staffers have been meeting with legislative leaders in recent weeks about a special session spending package that could exceed $400 million, according to lawmakers involved in the discussions. The federal budget bill signed by President Donald Trump could lead to more than 90,000 New Mexico residents losing health care coverage and the possible closure of rural hospitals, state health officials have warned. The federal budget bill is projected to cost the state an average of $206 million per year over the next five years, executive and legislative branch economists projected. Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup, the LFC's vice chairman, said he's especially concerned about federal changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, and said most state agencies should expect largely flat budgets in the coming year. "We've put a lot of money out into the economy, but we haven't seen the returns," he said during Tuesday's hearing. Muñoz also expressed concern that some of the state's revenue growth has been caused by rising inflation, which boosts state gross receipts tax revenue but negatively affects consumers. But Lujan Grisham described the new state revenue estimates as good news, given the state's future funding challenges. "Today's announcement that our state can expect nearly a half-billion dollars in additional revenue will help us protect the essential services for New Mexicans that Washington has abandoned," the governor said in a statement. Positive trends amid looming uncertainty Despite the uncertain future, the revenue estimates released Tuesday show positive recent state labor trends. New Mexico averaged 1,817 new jobs created per month over the first six months of this year, with 2,900 jobs added in June alone, according to Taxation and Revenue Department data. Much of that job creation was in the construction, health care and education fields. Meanwhile, the state lost jobs in the leisure and hospitality industry and also saw its number of federal workers decline. The state's overall growth in gross receipts tax revenue and positive investment returns were among the reasons the state took in more revenue during the fiscal year that ended in June than was projected eight months ago. "The base is higher, but the expectation for growth is lower," said state Taxation and Revenue Department Secretary Stephanie Schardin Clarke. Surging oil production in southeast New Mexico's Permian Basin has been a primary driver of the state's revenue boom over the last several years, while also allowing lawmakers to set aside millions of dollars in the newly-established trust funds for future use. Despite a recent dip in oil prices, the New Mexico State Land Office announced Tuesday it had broken a revenue record from oil and gas leases, driven by a newly implemented 25% royalty rate on certain extraction activities in the Permian Basin. The agency recorded $256 million in revenue at an August auction, in which 10 leases were offered in Lea and Eddy counties. Nine of the leases included the new rate. Preparing for 'rainy days' Looking ahead, legislators are projected to have roughly $485 million in "new" money during the coming fiscal year — a figure that represents the difference between projected revenue levels and current total spending. 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Appeals court tosses New Mexico's seven-day waiting period for gun buys
Aug. 19—New Mexico's seven-day "cooling off" period for most gun purchases violates the Second Amendment right to bear arms, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday. A three-member panel of the Denver-based court reversed the decision by U.S. District Judge James Browning of Albuquerque, who refused to grant a preliminary injunction in July 2024 to halt enforcement of the law. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, in a statement on Tuesday, appeared to favor appealing the ruling, a sentiment echoed by state Sen. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, who co-sponsored the measure during the 2024 legislative session. "We have tried very hard in the Legislature to stay within the lanes that the U.S. Supreme Court has put up," Cervantes told the Journal. "The challenge is that the Supreme Court keeps changing the goal posts." 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"Even though the potential to reduce impulsive gun violence might be true, once we acknowledge that the Waiting Period Act likely burdens Second Amendment activity, that potential is outweighed," wrote the appeals panel. The appeals court found that the law applies "a blanket burden across all of society, assuming that everyone is dangerous or unstable before they can exercise their Second Amendment right." In her statement, Lujan Grisham said the decision was "deeply disappointing, plainly wrong and likely to cost lives in New Mexico. New Mexico's waiting period law was carefully crafted to minimize gun violence while respecting Second Amendment rights." She said the dissenting opinion in the ruling even notes that New Mexico's law "is likely to save approximately thirty-seven lives per year." 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