After political venting, lawmakers put final touches on special session

SANTA FE — New Mexico lawmakers wrapped up a two-day special session on Thursday that revealed islands of bipartisanship amid a sea of political turmoil — and an acknowledgement that more hard choices lie ahead.

Facing big federal budget changes, legislators approved bills dealing with vaccines and rural health care funding during the special session, along with a $161 million spending package bolstering food assistance programs, food banks and public television and radio stations.

Those bills are expected to be signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who called lawmakers back to Santa Fe for the special session, by as soon as Friday, a spokesman said.

“We refuse to let New Mexico families fall through the cracks because Republicans in Washington have abandoned their responsibility to the American people,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement after lawmakers adjourned.

While Democrats described the special session as a success, Republican lawmakers were less upbeat, with Senate Minority Leader William Sharer, R-Farmington, saying, “This so-called special session just wasn’t that special.”

The special session’s final day played out much differently in the two legislative chambers, as the Senate moved quickly to approve a bill dealing with health care coverage before adjourning midday Thursday.

In contrast, debate on several bills in the House was delayed after members spent nearly three hours making politically tinged speeches.

Revisiting a familiar criticism, multiple House GOP lawmakers aired grievances about the special session’s agenda and being excluded from pre-session negotiations between Governor’s Office staffers and top-ranking Democrats.

They also railed against time limits imposed by Democratic committee chairs for each legislator to ask questions about bills.

“We represent half of this state and it seems like the Democratic leadership doesn’t give a darn,” said House GOP floor leader Gail Armstrong of Magdalena during a Thursday news conference.

During the House floor session, Rep. Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, spoke about the definition of terms like fascism and racism, while also criticizing a social media post made by House Speaker Javier Martínez, D-Albuquerque, that lambasted President Donald Trump and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

The House speaker did not directly address that criticism, but said he never ignores meeting requests or phone calls from Republican lawmakers.

“I am sorry that you all don’t feel like you’ve been included,” Martínez said. “It was not on purpose.”

He also contrasted the Legislature’s special session work with the ongoing federal government shutdown that reached its second day on Thursday.

“While Washington sits in dysfunction, this Legislature and in particular this caucus continue to show how we can work with civility and on behalf of New Mexicans,” Martínez said during a news conference after the special session ended.

U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., also attended the House Democrats’ news conference, describing the New Mexico Legislature as the nation’s only legislature to take action in response to the looming federal cuts.

Session full of ‘temporary fixes’

While describing the special session bills as urgently needed responses, top Democrats said more work needs to be done in a state with one of the nation’s highest percentagesof residents enrolled in Medicaid.

Martinez described the bills as “temporary fixes,” while also saying, “No state in the nation can withstand the immensity and the cruelty of these cuts (in the federal bill).”

In addition, House Democratic floor leader Reena Szczepanski of Santa Fe said lawmakers will have to “go back to the drawing board” to ensure state residents have access to health care.

While most of the bills passed will take effect immediately upon Lujan Grisham’s signature, Senate Bill 3, a measure giving the governor’s administration more authority to set state-level immunization requirements, fell short of a necessary two-thirds vote threshold in the House.

As a result of the 43-26 vote, the bill would not take effect until Dec. 31 — or 90 days after the special session’s adjournment.

Lujan Grisham criticized Republicans for that delay Thursday, saying it could lead to limited access to the COVID-19 vaccine for children for the rest of this year.

“There is no good reason for Republicans to make New Mexicans wait 90 days for vaccines they need to protect their health,” the governor said. “I’m deeply disappointed in Republicans for voting to restrict vaccines, but our Department of Health remains committed to vaccine access.”

House Majority Whip Dayan Hochman-Vigil, D-Albuquerque, said the legislation would safeguard parents’ ability to protect their families from infectious disease.

“State lawmakers are making sure that science-based vaccines are both readily available and affordable to New Mexicans who want to take advantage of their benefits, no matter what happens on the federal level,” Hochman-Vigil said.

While the vote on the vaccine bill broke down along party lines, with Republicans voting in opposition and Democrats in favor, other bills received bipartisan support.

That includes a measure, Senate Bill 1, expanding the allowable uses for a state rural health care delivery fund. The bill passed without a single “no” vote in the Senate and just three dissenting votes in the House.

Meanwhile, several legislators expressed optimism about possible breakthroughs on two hot-button health care issues during the 30-day session that starts in January.

Those issues, interstate medical compacts and changes to the state’s medical malpractice laws, were left off the special session agenda by Lujan Grisham as part of an agreement with leading Democratic lawmakers.

But leading Senate Democrats and Republicans both said in recent days they plan to fast-track bills dealing with the medical compacts — and possibly other issues — to the governor’s desk during the 30-day session.

Special session costs

The special session was the seventh such session called by Lujan Grisham since the governor took office in 2019.

The governor did not immediately weigh in on the special session Thursday, but said at the session’s onset it was intended to protect New Mexico residents who “need help the most.”

As for the special session’s cost, Lawmakers authorized a total of $240,000 to pay for staffing, security and other expenses, though not all of that money might ultimately end up being spent.