After Las Cruces tragedy, governor weighs special session focused on juvenile crime

SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Saturday excoriated lawmakers for not passing bills dealing with juvenile crime during this year’s 60-day session, saying she would likely call the Legislature back for a special session in the wake of a shooting in Las Cruces that left multiple people dead.

Describing herself as angry, frustrated and grieving, the governor eschewed the typical jubilant post-session news conference for a more somber event alongside Lt. Gov. Howie Morales.

Lujan Grisham vowed to hold accountable the perpetrators of the late Friday shooting at a Las Cruces park that left three dead and at least 15 injured, but also criticized Democratic lawmakers for their response to legislation increasing criminal penalties.

“They promised a lot more in this session on public safety,” Lujan Grisham told reporters. “The longer we wait, the more victims we have.”

“Accountability is missing in New Mexico and has been for quite some time,” the governor later said.

As for the timing of a special session, she said she had not decided for certain when she might call lawmakers back to Santa Fe. That decision will be made after taking time to process the Las Cruces tragedy and assist the families of victims, she said.

Meanwhile, House and Senate Republicans also called Saturday on the governor to call a special session on violent crime and health care access, saying their proposals on the issues were rebuffed by Democrats during the session.

“Republicans made attempt after attempt to pass meaningful crime legislation, but we were blocked at every turn,” House Minority Whip Alan Martinez, R-Bernalillo, said during a Saturday news conference.

But top-ranking Democratic lawmakers said they had approved legislation aimed at addressing deeply rooted societal issues that contribute to juvenile crime.

Specifically, House Speaker Javier Martínez, D-Albuquerque, cited a bill creating an outside oversight office for New Mexico’s troubled Children, Youth and Families Department.

“You cannot talk about juvenile crime without ensuring that this state steps up and shows up for those children who are in situations where they are struggling,” Martínez said.

He also said Democratic lawmakers had stood firm against proposals to lock up youthful defendants and treat them as if they were “disposable.”

As for the possibility of a special session, Martínez said legislators would try to work collaboratively if such a session is called.

But he cautioned that rushing such a session without ample time for negotiations could lead to a “waste of taxpayer dollars” and a “waste of people’s time.”

Special session could force tough votes

The governor also called lawmakers back to Santa Fe last year for a special session focused on crime and public safety issues. But the Democratic-controlled Legislature largely rejected the governor’s agenda, with lawmakers arguing the proposals had not been fully vetted.

During this year’s session, legislators moved quickly to pass a package of crime bills and an overhaul of New Mexico’s mental health and substance abuse treatment system to the governor’s desk shortly after the session’s halfway point.

“We kind of did two 30-day sessions back to back with our approach this year,” Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, said shortly before lawmakers adjourned Saturday.

But despite the urging of the governor, few public safety bills were approved during the final weeks of the session, as several bills dealing with juvenile crime either stalled or were voted down by lawmakers.

A proposed assault weapon ban also died without a hearing in a Senate committee, though lawmakers did approve an expansion of the state’s red flag gun law that Lujan Grisham is expected to sign.

New Mexico Chief Public Defender Ben Baur said Saturday there is no easy fix to issues such as easy access to firearms for juveniles.

“The idea that legislators passing these laws is going to solve these social problems is, I think, putting too much faith in government,” Baur told the Journal.

He also said that increasing criminal penalties for youthful offenders would lead to increased incarceration rates, but not necessarily less crime.

“Treating young children like adults and thinking that’s going to solve our community problems is just wrong,” Baur said.

But the governor said New Mexico must take a different approach to the issue and disputed that supporters of get-tough laws are seeking to lock up youthful offenders for the rest of their lives.

“Wishing we didn’t have a violent juvenile crime problem doesn’t resolve a violent juvenile crime problem,” Lujan Grisham said.

Crime debate casts shadow on other action

While she focused most of her post-session news conference on juvenile crime issues, Lujan Grisham also cited other bills passed by lawmakers during the session that began Jan. 21.

She indicated she likely will sign a bill making it easier for New Mexico’s 330,000 or so independent voters to cast ballots in primary elections, but expressed concern about a tax package that lawmakers approved during the session’s final evening.

However, most of the governor’s remarks focused on public safety bills, as she said fewer than 10 of the 270 bills dealing with crime and penalties that were filed made it to her desk for final approval.

The list of crime bills that were passed includes measures expanding New Mexico’s anti-racketeering and embezzlement laws that Lujan Grisham said she had to lobby legislators to approve.

“That’s not how this should work if it’s a shared priority,” said the governor, who accused several Democratic committee chairs of bottling up crime-related legislation. “That’s not typically what you need to do to move the needle.”

This year’s session marked Lujan Grisham’s last 60-day session as governor — and possibly her last, best chance at getting the Legislature to approve her agenda.

Lawmakers will convene for a shorter 30-day session focused on budget issues next year, which will be the final year in the four-year term Lujan Grisham was elected to in 2022.

But the governor said she’s not done yet, hinting at the likely special session by saying, “We will do more, sooner rather than later.”