Governor touts big wins, airs a few disappointments after end of 30-day session

SANTA FE — Over her seven-plus years as New Mexico governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham hasn't always gotten what she wants from state lawmakers.

But as her final regular session as governor wrapped up Thursday, Lujan Grisham sounded a largely upbeat tone on the output of this year's 30-day session — even while expressing disappointment over the failure of some crime and gun-related measures.

While previous New Mexico governors Bill Richardson and Susana Martinez saw legislators increasingly sour on their agendas by their final terms in office, Lujan Grisham said she was able to avoid such lame duck blues by letting legislative leaders chart the course for a busy agenda that included bills dealing with health care access, education and crime. 

"This session was not like that at all, and it has nothing to do with me," said the governor during a Thursday news session after lawmakers wrapped up their work.

Lujan Grisham also said she does not plan to call lawmakers back to the Roundhouse for a special session before she leaves office at the end of this year, though she left open the door to doing so if necessary.

She pointed specifically to bills enshrining state-subsidized child care for all working New Mexico families and overhauling the state's medical malpractice laws as key victories during this year's session.

"We are the only state in America to deliver that promise to families," Lujan Grisham said, referring to the universal child care initiative that will be initially funded by an $11 billion state trust fund.

"This is not the state of generational poverty ... this is, in fact, a place where the rest of the country sees opportunity," added the governor, who was set to travel to Washington, D.C., later in the day to speak about child-related issues at a National Association of Counties event.

Top-ranking Democratic lawmakers largely agreed with the governor's assessment, describing the session as quick-moving and impactful.

"It was a hard-charging, very productive legislative session," said Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, who predicted the approval of a universal child care funding plan would define the governor's legacy.

Republicans largely opposed the universal child care push, but celebrated approval of the medical malpractice legislation aimed at improving health care access and reducing hospitals' insurance premiums.

House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong, R-Magdalena, said a 2021 medical malpractice bill signed by the governor had thrown the state's health care system out of whack.

"Republicans have been touting for five years that the medical malpractice was broken, and I want to make sure that everyone knows who broke it," said Armstrong, who said Democrats were now trying to take credit for fixing the system.

In all, lawmakers passed 74 bills to the governor's desk during the session. Lujan Grisham has already signed several bills that were fast-tracked by legislative leaders, and will have until March 11 to act on the measures passed in the session's final days.

Lawmakers also approved three constitutional amendments that will be decided by New Mexico voters in November, including a plan to pay legislators a salary for the first time in state history.

"This has got to be one of the most consequential sessions we've had," said House Speaker Javier Martínez, D-Albuquerque, who added affordability was a key focus for Democratic lawmakers.

Divergent views on public safety bills

While her overall reaction was positive, Lujan Grisham expressed disappointment that several public safety bills fell short of approval at the Roundhouse, including a proposal to expand the state's criminal code for juvenile offenders.

"I think there's a lot more public safety that we have to do," the governor said.

But Democratic leaders pointed out they did pass several bills aimed at making New Mexicans feel safer.

One of those measures, Senate Bill 3, would change the process for court-ordered mental health treatment for defendants deemed to pose a threat to themselves or others.

In addition, Martínez cited approved bills targeting New Mexico's three federal immigration detention facilities and restricting the sharing of certain automatic license plate camera data.

"A lot of our communities are in fear of law enforcement today," the House speaker said during a post-adjournment news conference attended by leaders of immigrant advocacy groups.

However, Republicans said the bill barring New Mexico local governments from contracting with the federal government to run immigration detention centers would have devastating effects.

Rep. John Block, R-Alamogordo, estimated the bill would kill 300 jobs in Otero County, which is home to the largest ICE detention center in the state.

“But this also means that the ramifications are for all the jobs around the area,” Block said. “That means ancillary jobs, that means gas stations are going to go, that means economies are going to shrivel up and die.”

Before adjourning Thursday, the Legislature passed a bill appropriating millions of dollars to help the communities affected by the expected closure of the detention centers in the coming year. While backers of the bill, Senate Bill 273, described it as a temporary lifeline, GOP lawmakers described it as a largely token measure.

Meanwhile, Lujan Grisham also rued the demise of a hotly debated gun bill, saying she tried unsuccessfully in the session's final days for a proposed assault weapon ban to be separated from other provisions in the bill dealing with firearms dealers. 

"I was disappointed that didn't get over the finish line," Lujan Grisham said.

But Republicans celebrated their role in defeating the bill, which they described as overly burdensome and likely to invite a court challenge.

Senate says farewell to Morales

Lawmakers entered the final day of the session with the fates of most high-profile bills already decided, after approving an $11.1 billion spending bill and a tax package featuring $10,000 income tax credits for New Mexico physicians late Tuesday.

With the heavy lifting done, they spent much of the session's final day on Wednesday debating lower-profile bills and memorials.

In the Senate, both Democrats and Republicans praised outgoing Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, whose job duties include presiding over the chamber. He will also leave office at the end of this year.

Morales, a former state senator, thanked a number of former senators — both alive and deceased — for their contributions to the state and said he'd tried to bring a steady hand to the chamber.

He also said lawmakers had done meaningful work during the 30-day session to address cost-of-living issues and expand economic opportunity.

"At the completion of this legislative session, New Mexicans are going to be in better shape in many ways," he said.

Dan Boyd covers state government and politics for the Journal in Santa Fe. Follow him on X at @DanBoydNM or reach him via email at dboyd@abqjournal.com.