For the second year in a row, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has vetoed raises for the state鈥檚 judges and justices that the Legislature had approved.
Chief Justice C. Shannon Bacon called on legislators to approve the raises in her State of the Judiciary address at the beginning of the year.
鈥淧assing this legislation will improve the judiciary鈥檚 ability to recruit and retain high-quality judges with diverse practice backgrounds,鈥� she told the joint session of the state House and Senate.
And the Legislature agreed, passing in both chambers with overwhelming majorities.
The bill would have tied the salaries of state supreme court justices to those of federal magistrate judges, amounting to an 18% raise. Lower court judges, except for magistrates, would have also gotten a bump, since they make a percentage of what the justices do.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham simply let the clock run out on the judicial raises bill last year 鈥� what鈥檚 called a 鈥減ocket veto鈥� 鈥� but this year actively nixed the measure.
That was despite bill sponsor Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D-Do帽a Ana) saying that the governor had been in touch with the judiciary and was now more committed to the raises.
鈥淚鈥檓 confident the governor will sign it this year,鈥� he told his Senate colleagues during last month鈥檚 debate.
In her veto message, the governor acknowledged the need for the state to increase judicial salaries to remain competitive but said she could not support the bill in its current form.
She took issue with tying the salaries to those of federal judges, saying that could prove 鈥減roblematic鈥� down the line. She also called out 鈥渋nefficiencies鈥� in the court system overall, urging more targeted investments. She encouraged the Legislature to work with her in reconsidering their approach to the issue.
Lujan Grisham did, however, sign legislation this year to give elected officials a pay hike. She will not receive one personally, though her successor will.
