Governor announces special session focused on federal budget impact to start Oct. 1
鈥� Dan Boyd,
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will call lawmakers back to the Roundhouse starting Oct. 1 for a special session focused on a state-level response to federal spending reductions to Medicaid and food assistance programs.
The Governor's Office announced the special session date Thursday, after weeks of intrigue and uncertainty about whether such a session might be called.
The special session, which will be the seventh called by Lujan Grisham since she took office in 2019, could allow lawmakers to 鈥� at least temporarily 鈥� blunt the impact of federal bills signed by President Donald Trump, by providing stopgap funding for a rural health care fund and public broadcasting stations.
"New Mexicans should not be forced to shoulder these heavy burdens without help from their elected officials," Lujan Grisham said in a statement. "After discussions with legislative leaders, we鈥檝e resolved to do everything possible to protect essential services and minimize the damage from President Trump鈥檚 disastrous bill."
Republican lawmakers reacted to the special session news by criticizing the Democratic governor for not including crime-related issues and changes to New Mexico's child welfare system on the special session agenda.
"It appears to me to be a taxpayer-funded anti-Trump rally," Senate Minority Leader William Sharer, R-Farmington, said in an interview, while pointing out most of the federal funding changes to Medicaid and food assistance programs are not scheduled to take effect until 2027 or later.
"If we're going to have a special session and try to solve a problem, then we should try to solve a problem," Sharer added.
Top Governor鈥檚 Office staffers have been meeting with Democratic legislative leaders in recent weeks about a special session spending package that could exceed $400 million, according to lawmakers involved in the discussions.
That funding would come from nearly $3.5 billion in unspent money in state reserve funds, as state revenue levels have surged to record-high levels in recent years.
The federal budget bill signed by Trump in July could lead to more than 90,000 New Mexico residents losing health care coverage and the possible closure of rural hospitals, state health officials have warned. In addition, the federal budget bill is projected to cost the state an average of $206 million per year over the next five years, executive and legislative branch economists projected.
But GOP lawmakers have questioned those estimates, while citing tax breaks and other provisions in the federal bill that could benefit New Mexico residents.
The "One Big Beautiful Bill," the large tax package signed into law this July, trimmed close to $1 trillion from Medicaid, Medicare and subsidies from the Affordable Care Act and $230 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, spending over the next 10 years.
Special session outlook
The special session will be the first called by Lujan Grisham since a July 2024 session focused on crime-related issues that ended with the Democratic-controlled Legislature adjourning without taking action on most of the governor's proposed agenda.
That prompted the governor to say legislators should be "embarrassed" for their unwillingness to pass sweeping public safety legislation.
Top-ranking Democratic lawmakers appear to be more on the same page with the governor entering this year's special session, based on statements released Thursday by the Governor's Office.
Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, described the special session as "essential" to protecting rural health care providers and safeguarding Medicaid coverage.
"New Mexico cannot stand by while Washington's reckless budget cuts inflict generational harm on families and communities across the state," Wirth said.
House Speaker Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque, sounded a similar note, saying, "New Mexico is not going to allow Trump and the radical right to take food off your table or kick your family off your healthcare plan."
It's unclear how long this year's special session will last, though most special sessions called in recent years have wrapped up in a matter of days 鈥� if not shorter. Special sessions are limited to no longer than 30 days under the state Constitution.
Meanwhile, the special session is expected to cost about $50,000 per day, based on recent such sessions.
Debate on some issues postponed for now
While announcing the special session's start date, the Governor's Office also confirmed debate on some hot-button issues will be delayed until the start of the 30-day regular session in January.
That includes legislation targeting New Mexico's three federal immigrant detention centers, which generated testy debate during a recent interim committee hearing. The three detention centers run by the U.S. Immigrations and Custom Enforcement are located in Chaparral, Estancia and Milan.
The governor's chief general counsel had told lawmakers in July that legislation banning New Mexico local governments from entering into contracts with federal agencies to detain immigrants for civil violations could be included in the special session mix.
Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe, one of the sponsors of that legislation, said Thursday there ongoing discussions about specific bill details.
She also said she believes there is growing momentum for such legislation, saying, "I feel like our legislative body is definitely seeing the realities of why we need to address ICE detention in our state."
While the governor has not yet issued the formal special session proclamation, debate on a slew of bills dealing with juvenile crime and firearm restrictions is also expected to be delayed until next year's 30-day session.
But leading Republican legislators said they still plan to draft bills dealing with criminal penalties, New Mexico's child welfare system and the state's medical malpractice system, even if Lujan Grisham does not include the issues on the special session agenda.
House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong, R-Magdalena, described those topics as "real emergencies" facing the state.
"New Mexicans deserve a special session that takes these issues seriously 鈥� not another round of political theater dictated by the 4th floor of the Roundhouse," said Armstrong.
NM Board of Pharmacy expected to release new protocol for COVID-19 vaccines this week - Julia Goldberg,
An updated state protocol that New Mexico health officials hope will remove barriers for residents seeking COVID-19 vaccines will likely be effective by the end of the week.
State Health Secretary Gina DeBlassie directing the health department to work with the New Mexico Board of Pharmacy 鈥渢o amend regulations to remove barriers and ensure access to COVID-19 vaccines at pharmacies across the state.鈥�
The order followed reports of some unless recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an advisory group to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has yet to convene and act on the matter,鈥� the health department said in a news release over the weekend.
NMDOH medical epidemiologist Dr. Chad Smelser told Source New Mexico on Wednesday that the updated protocol from the Pharmacy Board is expected to remove any of the barriers presented by the current federal guidelines.
Currently, he said, many of the vaccines administered in the state are done so through its pharmacies, which are governed by a protocol established by the Pharmacy Board and others that essentially requires the pharmacies to follow the ACIP guidelines in order to have 鈥減rescriptive authority鈥� and give vaccines. Lacking the ACIP guidelines, Smelser noted, the pharmacies鈥� parent companies 鈥渉ave determined that they require a prescription in order to get a vaccine.鈥�
The revised protocol, he said, addresses the situation.
鈥淲e anticipate that that will alleviate the problem,鈥� he said, 鈥渉owever, we cannot control the decisions made by the parent companies of the pharmacies in New Mexico.鈥�
New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department Communications Director Andrea Brown confirmed to Source NM on Wednesday that the updated protocol from the Board of Pharmacy 鈥渋s pending final approval and should be effective by the end of this week.鈥�
Smelser said New Mexico has not received its full allotment of the COVID-19 vaccine, but health officials expect more to be available in the state in the next few weeks. He said residents can call the health department鈥檚 hotline, 1-833-SWNURSE (1-833-796-8773) for assistance finding or scheduling their COVID-19 vaccines.
The , but added . As noted in the new health order, under the new FDA order, people over the age of 65 are eligible, but younger people require an underlying medical issue for eligibility. Smelser said he believes a large number of residents 鈥渨ill meet the criteria鈥� and be able to access vaccines once the new protocol is in place and more of the allotment has arrived.
鈥淣ew Mexico Department of Health believes that these are safe and effective vaccines for prevention spread in our communities, as well as to prevent severe outcomes like hospitalizations of death,鈥� Smelser said. 鈥淪o our main objective is to be able to get the vaccines out in an efficient manner to those who need it in our state.鈥�
NM Education Department shares initial $5B request for FY27 鈥� Leah Romero, Source New Mexico
The New Mexico Public Education Department shared its initial $5 billion budget request for Fiscal Year 2027 with lawmakers this week during the Legislative Education Study Interim Committee in Gallup. The $5.09 billion request marks a 1.7% decrease from the previous year, according to Public Education Secretary Mariana 笔补诲颈濒濒补鈥檚&苍产蝉辫;.
However, Padilla noted several missing elements in the request, including compensation bumps; insurance costs; and all of the components of the court-ordered for the long-running education equity lawsuit, as it鈥檚 not due until October.
She asked the committee and LESC staff to take this information into account as they develop their own budget requests for public education over the next several months.鈥淭his budget has been submitted by the department about three months sooner than we typically do,鈥� Padilla told lawmakers. 鈥淎 lot of hours go into looking at our programs, looking at the needs. Deep discussions with our staff, as well as our stakeholders.鈥�
Padilla said the budget also does not include an increase in K-12 Plus Program funding due to enrollment declines and shorter calendar years. The K-12 Plus Program provides schools with additional funding for days added to the calendar above the legislatively required 180 days for five-day learning weeks.
鈥淭he average school calendars statewide have been reduced by two school days,鈥� she said. 鈥淪chools, as they set their own calendars 鈥� as they do every year 鈥� we鈥檙e seeing on average two fewer days. We鈥檒l be able to finalize our K-12 Plus numbers in October when we go through that reporting period.鈥�
笔补诲颈濒濒补鈥檚&苍产蝉辫; highlighted several areas of priority, including educator recruitment and quality; literacy; student nutrition; accountability; academic interventions and supports; math and STEAM; special education; graduation; and school safety. The budget includes $37.3 million for educator and leadership training and teacher pipeline programs.
The secretary pointed out that New Mexico public schools had about 681 teacher vacancies last academic year, or a 3% statewide vacancy rate. The request for training funds also includes money for implementing and growing the newly required requirement, to ensure school leaders are knowledgeable in state law and their responsibilities to the schools, educators and students.
The department鈥檚 budget also includes $57 million for literacy, including implementing structured literacy and training, as well as summer reading programs. Padilla told lawmakers that she hopes to include math in the summer programs next year to expand interventions for students struggling in the subject.
A separate $9.8 million is included in the budget specifically for math and STEAM subjects and introducing a method for teaching the topics that is similar to the structured literacy approach.
LESC Chair Sen. Bill Soules (D-Las Cruces), a former math educator, told committee members that the PED鈥檚 budget request is a good place to start the conversation for the committee鈥檚 budget and possible bills to introduce in the 2026 lLegislative session that begins on Jan. 20, 2026. He also said the LESC might look at boosting funding in its budget proposal for several areas, including math and science.
鈥淚鈥檝e been around long enough to know that we ought to ask for what we want and not negotiate against ourselves as educators, and make somebody else have to make the cuts rather than think what they鈥檙e going cut and do it for them, and then they鈥檙e going to cut more anyhow,鈥� Soules said during the meeting. He added that the state is in a good financial position and should be looking at devoting more funds to education rather than allocating so much to the permanent fund for investment.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a wealthy state, we are sending billions of dollars a year into the permanent fund,鈥� Soules said. 鈥淲e need to be taking care of New Mexico, New Mexicans and the investments we make in our kids will have bigger dividends than the 5 or 7% that鈥檚 going to be churned out by putting the money into the permanent fund.鈥�
Governor's Office defends another round of salary increases for senior staffers - Dan Boyd,
Top staffers in Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham鈥檚 office recently got hefty salary increases 鈥� in some cases bumping up their pay by 26% 鈥� that were much larger than most state employees received.
The Governor鈥檚 Office defended the pay raises for roughly 20 senior staffers as necessary given 鈥渕arket realities,鈥� while also saying such workers are typically on call on a full-time basis.
鈥淭he governor鈥檚 senior staff salaries were adjusted to reflect the extraordinary level of expertise and experience they bring to serving New Mexico,鈥� said Lujan Grisham spokesman Michael Coleman. 鈥淭hese seasoned professionals could command higher compensation in the private sector but choose public service.鈥�
But some leading lawmakers criticized the pay increases while questioning whether taxpayers are getting a sufficient return given the state鈥檚 ongoing struggles with issues related to health care, homelessness and child welfare.
鈥淲ith so many urgent challenges facing our communities, taxpayers deserve to see meaningful results, not just expanding payrolls for political appointees,鈥� said House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong, R-Magdalena.
The Governor鈥檚 Office staffers receiving sizable salary increases include Lujan Grisham鈥檚 chief of staff Daniel Schlegel, whose pay level jumped from $201,893 last year to $234,000 this year 鈥� a 16% increase.
The governor鈥檚 General Counsel Holly Agajanian got a 19% pay raise to $208,000 per year, while her Deputy Chief of Staff Diego Arencon and Director of Cabinet Affairs Caroline Buerkle each received 9% salary increases, according to data from .
The largest pay raise was received by Leah Mountain, an administrative assistant, whose pay rate increased by 26% to $78,000 per year. The pay raises were first reported by The Candle, an online publication covering New Mexico news.
All state employees received 4% salary increases effective July 1, under a $10.8 billion budget bill approved by lawmakers in March and signed into law by Lujan Grisham.
Coleman, who also received a 10% pay bump, said the across-the-board salary increases for state workers represent a commitment to the broader workforce, while the pay hikes for senior Governor鈥檚 Office staffers are targeted at 鈥渟pecialized executive roles.鈥�
鈥淭hese professionals have helped secure billions in federal investments, navigate unprecedented challenges, and position New Mexico as a national leader on multiple fronts,鈥� he said in a statement. 鈥淭hat expertise has value, and the governor believes that retaining it serves every New Mexican鈥檚 interest.鈥�
The Governor鈥檚 Office did not say specifically when the raises were approved, but any salary adjustments made before July would have meant the 4% increase would be calculated based on a larger base salary.
Meanwhile, the pay increases are not the first of their kind approved by Lujan Grisham鈥檚 office.
Similar pay raises for were approved in late 2022 and early 2023, shortly after the governor won reelection to a second four-year term.
Before that, about eight top Governor鈥檚 Office staffers , during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The governor herself has not seen her $110,000-per year salary increase since taking office in 2019, in large part because pay levels for statewide elected officials are set in statute. Lujan Grisham did sign a 2023 bill , but the pay hike for the governor will not take effect until 2027 鈥� just after she leaves office. The state鈥檚 next governor will make $169,714 per year.
Top state investment officials and legislative branch officials have also received sizable salary increases over the last year.
New Mexico鈥檚 chief investment officer Vince Smith got and is now the state鈥檚 highest-paid employee at $455,000 per year. Many other State Investment Office employees also received salary bumps.
In addition, Legislative Finance Committee Director Charles Sallee had his salary level increase from $193,640 last year to $213,200 as of this year, according to Sunshine Portal data.
New Mexico will soon release rules for new bans of everyday products that use 鈥榝orever chemicals鈥� - Danielle Prokop,
New Mexico will soon release an initial draft of rules to ban consumer products that contain so-called 鈥渇orever chemicals,鈥� the state鈥檚 top environment official told lawmakers Tuesday.
Earlier this year, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed , passed by lawmakers to institute the in everyday items.
Lawmakers also passed a second bill, , to allow the New Mexico Environment Department to regulate and manage cleanup for firefighting foams containing PFAS on military bases, which have caused contamination in groundwater around the state.
鈥淏oth of these laws work together to keep PFAS out of our economy, out of our drinking water and out of people鈥檚 bodies,鈥� Environmental Secretary James Kenney told lawmakers during an interim Radioactive Materials and Hazardous Waste interim committee meeting.
New Mexico is the third state to enshrine a ban in state laws to address the use of PFAS in consumer products, joining Maine and Minnesota. This class of manmade chemicals is often used in waterproofing and is able to withstand breaking down in water, oil and sunlight. As a result, PFAS can be found across a range of products, including cookware, takeout containers, dental floss, cleaning supplies, cosmetics, menstrual products, textiles and upholstered furniture.
But exposure through contaminated water and soil, as well as through the plants and animals, cause PFAS to build up in the human body. While still being studied, PFAS exposure is linked to increased ,,, and.
The initial rules will be released sometime in September; require a public input process; and approval from the Environmental Improvement Board.
Once approved 鈥攑otentially next summer 鈥� the PFAS ban would roll out in phases, starting with cookware, food packaging, firefighting foams, dental floss and 鈥渏uvenile products,鈥� by January 2027. Additional items would follow, such as cosmetics, period hygiene products, textiles, carpeting, furniture and ski wax. The rules will include exceptions for PFAS used in products such as: medical devices, pharmaceuticals, electronics and cars.
Kenney said the rules will contain instructions requiring manufacturers to label products containing PFAS; establish a process for companies to receive an exemption if needed; and develop fines for companies violating the ban.
The department will also soon be releasing its draft rules on regulating firefighting foams containing PFAS, expected to receive final approval in the fall 2026. Those rules, Kenney said, will help environment officials develop a statewide inventory of the foams and determine how to characterize, treat and ultimately dispose of them.
Kenney highlighted the recent report issued by the department finding the 鈥渇ingerprint鈥� of firefighting foam PFAS in people鈥檚 blood in Clovis, surrounding Cannon Air Force Base.
As a result of those findings, Kenney said the department is working to spend $2 million lawmakers set aside in capital outlay to move people off of private wells and onto public drinking water systems.
Furthermore, the department plans to conduct additional testing around Holloman Air Force Base and push for cleanup as
鈥淲e are going to continue to be in a groundwater war and a public health war with the Department of Defense,鈥� Kenney said.
Sen. Ant Thorton (R-East Mountains) asked what the minimum level of exposure is safe for PFAS and what the state considered realistic.
Kenney said that he couldn鈥檛 provide an exact number 鈥渟ince I鈥檓 not a toxicologist,鈥� but instead compared PFAS contamination in drinking water systems in two locations with known exposure: Curry County, near the base, and La Cieneguilla, which has
Curry County, he said, has higher risks of exposure, as its drinking water has PFAS levels 650,000% higher than federal standards. While 鈥渘ot negating鈥� La Cieneguilla鈥檚 concerns, he said, levels for that community are 鈥渕uch closer鈥� to the federal standard.
鈥淲e need to figure out where the greatest risk is occurring and minimize it from there,鈥� Kenney said. 鈥淚 think many people would say there鈥檚 no acceptable risk level for PFAS, I鈥檓 a little bit more pragmatic 鈥� it鈥檚 a forever chemical. It鈥檚 going to be hard to get out of the environment, and our risk is always going to be something greater than zero.鈥�
Luj谩n pushes bipartisan bill to restore forests, watersheds
鈥揇anielle Prokop,
U.S. senators from New Mexico, Colorado and Idaho introduced legislation Wednesday to increase funds for local partnerships to prevent water pollution and restore watersheds.
The Headwater Protection act, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luj谩n (D-N.M.), Colorado Democratic Sens. Micheal Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Idaho Republican Sens. Mike Crapo and James Risch, will increase funding for two U.S. Forest Service programs.
The bill, if passed, would triple the yearly funding for the Water Source Protection Program for the U.S. Forest Service in order to provide more than $30 million per year for farmers, ranchers, water utilities and local and tribal governments for restoring forests or cleaning up watersheds. The legislation would prioritize giving funds to projects to improve drinking water quality and harden forested areas to wildfire and climate change.
New Mexico is still reeling from the 2022 Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire, the state鈥檚 largest wildfire, which burned more than 485 square miles in Northern New Mexico. On Tuesday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham authorized more emergency funding for flood damages in Mora County and Las Vegas residents have had to drink bottled water for months as the city still tries to recover drinking water supplies since the fire.
Luj谩n said in a statement that the introduced legislation would allow acequias 鈥� New Mexico irrigation systems 鈥� and land grant-mercedes (areas of land granted by either Spanish or Mexican governments) to apply for these funds for the first time.
鈥淲ater is essential to the health and safety of our communities. Protecting and improving our watersheds is critical to ensuring reliable access to clean drinking water and making our forests more resilient against wildfires,鈥� Luj谩n said. 鈥淭he Headwaters Protection Act will strengthen these efforts by investing in watershed management and pollution prevention.鈥�
A second provision in the bill would require the U.S. Forest Service to update its manual for restoring watersheds and require national forests to be managed to prevent further degradation.
Lawsuits target two Albuquerque City Council candidates 鈥� 九色网 News
Two candidates for Albuquerque City Council are facing lawsuits contending they do not have enough signatures to be on their ballots.
Former Bernalillo County Commissioner and APS School Board member Steven Michael Quezada is suing District 3 candidate Teresa Garcia, seeking to remove her from the ballot. The complaint argues Garcia failed to submit the required 500 valid petition signatures to qualify for ballot placement.
The same argument underlies a suit filed against District 1 candidate Stephanie Telles. District residents Daniel Gonzales and Vincent A. Sanchez allege that Telles failed to submit 500 valid petition signatures required to appear on the ballot.
The plaintiffs in both suits are represented by Jacob Candelaria and Antonio Maestas.
Garcia issued a calling the lawsuit a 鈥淭rump-style political tactic meant to distract voters.鈥� She writes she did get enough signatures and calls on the Albuquerque Ethics Board and the city鈥檚 Inspector General to investigate ties between Quezada and the current District 3 commissioner, Klarissa Pe帽a.
recently that Telles, who is one of four candidates vying for the District 1 seat, is seven signatures short of the 500 minimum. Telles has disagreed and asked for a recount.
According to the Journal, she alleged to the city鈥檚 Ethics Board that Scott Forrester, the campaign manager for one of her opponents, tried to pay her to drop out of the race. Maestas is representing Forrester, who said the allegations lack credibility.
Luj谩n pushes bipartisan bill to restore forests, watersheds
鈥揇anielle Prokop,
U.S. senators from New Mexico, Colorado and Idaho introduced legislation Wednesday to increase funds for local partnerships to prevent water pollution and restore watersheds.
The Headwater Protection act, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luj谩n (D-N.M.), Colorado Democratic Sens. Micheal Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Idaho Republican Sens. Mike Crapo and James Risch, will increase funding for two U.S. Forest Service programs.
The bill, if passed, would triple the yearly funding for the Water Source Protection Program for the U.S. Forest Service in order to provide more than $30 million per year for farmers, ranchers, water utilities and local and tribal governments for restoring forests or cleaning up watersheds. The legislation would prioritize giving funds to projects to improve drinking water quality and harden forested areas to wildfire and climate change.
New Mexico is still reeling from the 2022 Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire, the state鈥檚 largest wildfire, which burned more than 485 square miles in Northern New Mexico. On Tuesday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham authorized more emergency funding for flood damages in Mora County and Las Vegas residents have had to drink bottled water for months as the city still tries to recover drinking water supplies since the fire.
Luj谩n said in a statement that the introduced legislation would allow acequias 鈥� New Mexico irrigation systems 鈥� and land grant-mercedes (areas of land granted by either Spanish or Mexican governments) to apply for these funds for the first time.
鈥淲ater is essential to the health and safety of our communities. Protecting and improving our watersheds is critical to ensuring reliable access to clean drinking water and making our forests more resilient against wildfires,鈥� Luj谩n said. 鈥淭he Headwaters Protection Act will strengthen these efforts by investing in watershed management and pollution prevention.鈥�
A second provision in the bill would require the U.S. Forest Service to update its manual for restoring watersheds and require national forests to be managed to prevent further degradation.