5 new NM legislative committee chairs appointed due to post-election reshuffling

SANTA FE — The opening day of New Mexico’s 60-day legislative session brought changes to the Roundhouse committee landscape.

House Speaker Javier Martínez, D-Albuquerque, announced three new committee chairs Tuesday, while also shifting Rep. Kristina Ortez, D-Taos, to a new committee leadership post.

Ortez will take over the reins of the House Agriculture, Acequia and Water Resources Committee from Rep. Susan Herrera, D-Embudo, who said she voluntarily relinquished the position in order to be appointed to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee.

Under legislative rules, House and Senate committee chairs are not allowed to serve on the chambers’ respective budget committees.

“I knew that when I asked for this committee (assignment),” Herrera told the Journal. “I wanted to get back on it.”

Meanwhile, Ortez had previously led the House Rural Development, Land Grants and Cultural Affairs Committee, but that panel will now be chaired by fellow Democrat Linda Serrato of Santa Fe.

The other new House committee chairs for the next two years are Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero, D-Albuquerque, who will lead the House Labor, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, and Rep. Art De La Cruz, D-Albuquerque, who was appointed to lead the House Transportation, Public Works and Capital Improvement Committee.

Under New Mexico’s legislative system, committee chairs can decide when — and if — to hold hearings on bills assigned to their panels, giving them significant influence over what proposals advance to the full chambers for a final vote.

In the Senate, two new committee chairs were announced.

Sen. Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque, will lead the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee, while Sen. Carrie Hamblen, D-Las Cruces, was tabbed to lead the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee.

At least some of the committee changes were prompted by lawmakers’ resigning or deciding not to seek reelection last year.

Former Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, decided not to run again before lawmakers redrew political boundary lines during the once-per-decade task of redistricting in 2021. He was the chair of the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee.

And former Rep. Eliseo Alcon, D-Milan, who was the chair of the House Labor, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, stepped down last year due to health concerns and died earlier this year. The House held a moment of silence for him after convening on Tuesday.

“He championed New Mexico’s veterans, service members and their families. He was a champion of tribal sovereignty,” Martínez said of Alcon. “He was a champion of our economy and our environment.”

Rep. Dayan Hochman-Vigil, D-Albuquerque, had to give up chairing the Transportation, Public Works and Capital Improvement Committee because she moved to a leadership role, winning election as House Democrat’s new whip.