'I will keep fighting': Gov. doubles down on special crime session, despite concerns from lawmakers

“Shame on you.”

That was the message of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to legislators that have yet to get on board with her agenda for the special session on crime, “on behalf of the business owners and the people living here.”

The session begins Thursday.

At a Monday press conference in Albuquerque, Lujan Grisham doubled down on her proposals for the special session as evidence mounted of division between the Legislature and the executive branch. The governor and Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller joined nearby business owners outside an encampment at First and Alvarado.

“I will keep fighting,” Lujan Grisham said.

The five bills slated for the special session agenda, so far, include changes to the state’s criminal competency laws, a bill relating to civil commitment, a ban on panhandling in narrow medians, enhanced penalties for felons owning firearms and a bill on law enforcement data collection. Although much of the discussion Monday focused on homelessness, none of the five bills, as drafted, specifically reference homelessness — and the theme of the special session is crime. A handout of bill summaries previously provided to the Journal said the bills were not “criminalizing homelessness.”

Lujan Grisham rejected criticisms about the proposals. State House and Senate leadership released a statement Monday detailing concerns about liberty and unintended consequences for vulnerable populations, and last week, several dozen advocacy groups called on the governor to cancel the special session.

“I’ve got legislative policymakers and lawmakers who have a sense that the mayor and I, and others, aren’t really considering this issue from an affordability (standpoint) and a place of compassion,” Lujan Grisham said. “We’ve brought our team members with us to say that is unequivocally untrue.”

Lujan Grisham said anyone in the area who wanted help with housing, behavioral health or addiction would be able to get it.

“We ought to be coming together as a state,” Lujan Grisham said. “We can be compassionate. We can provide tough love. We can solve affordability issues, but we have to do that collectively as a state.”

Keller, a former state senator, said there’s never enough time to tackle big issues during the 30- or 60-day sessions, and the city needs statewide changes to see an improvement in public safety.

William Johnson, from ABQ Best Equipment Service, said he has owned the First Street business since 2005. Around 2013, he said he noticed more homeless people in the area. Now, he fears for the safety of himself and his employees.

“Some days are better than others,” Johnson said. “Some days are literally fighting for our lives out here to make a living.”

The owner of a nearby upholstery shop, Louise Chavez, said she feels “unsafe” and that people camping on the sidewalk deter walk-ins to her business.

Lujan Grisham’s senior policy advisor for public safety, Ben Baker, read out the phone numbers of Democratic leadership at the roundhouse, including Rep. Gail Chasey, Sen. Peter Wirth and Rep. Javier Martínez — some of the same legislators who were simultaneously holding a press conference in Santa Fe with concerns about the special session. Lujan Grisham urged New Mexicans to call leadership to express support for the special session.

Priscilla Montaño’s experience with homelessness ended several years ago. She joined the Monday press conference to ask questions. She still volunteers with homeless people in the area — Montaño carried a folio full of resources to help some of them.

Montaño said setting up a safe outdoor area for people to camp in would help with at least “50% of the problem.”

“If I can do it, anyone can do it,” Montaño said.