In the months leading up to the 60-day session, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishamginning up support for her public safety agenda in the aftermath of a in which lawmakers shunned her proposals.
This year, House and Senate Democrats said they would prioritize both public safety and behavioral health care and passed a package in the first half of the session, which the governor while still urging lawmakers to do more.
She reiterated that call in the final week, criticizing legislators for their lack of meaningful lawmaking as it relates to juvenile crime, following the arrests of teenagers in the
And on the Legislature鈥檚 final day, she excoriated what she characterized as 鈥渁ppalling and unacceptable鈥� inaction in the aftermath of a March 21 mass shooting in Las Cruces and said a special session is in the offing:
鈥淭he public should demand that the New Mexico Legislature 鈥� and all public officials in our state 鈥� acknowledge New Mexico鈥檚 crime crisis and prompt them to act immediately to protect our communities. The Legislature should expect a special session to address our ongoing public safety crisis,鈥� she said in a statement.
During a news conference following the Legislature鈥檚 adjournment, notably without any lawmakers present, Lujan Grisham said New Mexico 鈥渄oes not have sufficient tools鈥� to prevent incidents like Friday night鈥檚 shooting.
鈥淥ur work is just beginning,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e will do more.鈥�
Without naming them, Lujan Grisham criticized Senate Judiciary Chair Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D-Las Cruces), House Judiciary Chair Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos) and Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee Chair Linda L贸pez (D-Albuquerque) for what she called 鈥渁 pretty purposeful effort鈥� to not debate the bills she wanted.
鈥淚 think New Mexicans need to weigh in about whether or not we think that鈥檚 appropriate, given that they鈥檙e elected, and this is the session to debate every single one of these measures,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e at the ballot box, if your legislator, irrespective of their party, is failing to address these issues significantly, not doing enough in crime and public safety, if they鈥檙e refusing to commit to you that they will fix this, then I think you should make a different decision.鈥�
She then said a to make New Mexico鈥檚 primary elections open to independent voters is a 鈥渟tep in the right direction.鈥�
The governor said that bills dealing with emergency response and rescue are 鈥渋mportant, but not part of this crisis that is unfolding in our communities every single day that need to be addressed in this way.鈥�
鈥淭hat is shameful,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here was not a single productive debate on reducing juvenile crime 鈥� not one.鈥�
Lujan Grisham said the Senate failed to pass a 鈥渨eakened, watered down鈥� juvenile crime bill, Senate Bill 255, and that she 鈥渃an鈥檛 understand the reluctance鈥� after her tour across the state at more than a dozen town halls focused on public safety.
When Lujan Grisham three pieces of legislation to address crime at the session鈥檚 midway point, she said she believed then there was universal agreement to do more with the time left.
鈥淲ell, the end result of this legislative session would belie that commitment,鈥� she said.
The governor did not commit to a time frame for a special session, but said one was likely.
鈥淚 am certainly there, in this moment; I鈥檇 like to have a cooler head prevail,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think the likelihood is far stronger than not.鈥�
Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham joined by Lt. Governor Howie Morales upbraided the New Mexico Legislature during her post-session press conference Saturday, March 22, 2025. Lujan Grisham said she would call a special session, saying that lawmakers failed to pass bills related to juvenile crime during the 60-day legislative session. (Photo by Austin Fisher / Source NM) She also said she shared the 鈥渟entiment鈥� expressed by Republican leadership in a letter they delivered on March 22 describing the 60-day session as 鈥渦nproductive and disappointing,鈥� and requesting she set a date for a special session immediately 鈥渢o adopt bipartisan solutions to solve our violent crime problem and the inability of New Mexicans to receive health care due to the lack of medical professionals.鈥�
The letter cites a decline in primary physicians in the state between 2017 and 2021, along with declines in other medical fields and the high rate of medical malpractice lawsuits. failed to make it through the session.
鈥淲e stand ready to work with our Democrat colleagues and your office in adopting effective answers to both our violent crime and health care crises,鈥� the letter says. 鈥� However, we are convinced a special session is a necessity in bringing all perspectives and ideas to the table.鈥�
A phalanx of Republican leaders in both chambers reiterated that call in a post-session briefing, saying Democrats denied hearings for a huge number of Republican-sponsored bills related to crime and the state鈥檚 doctor shortage.
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 even give us a hearing on many of these bills,鈥� said Rep. Alan Martinez (R-Bernalillo), the House Minority Whip. 鈥淎nd we鈥檙e hoping that 鈥� real, everyday New Mexicans will realize that we do have those common-sense solutions and they deserve a hearing. We鈥檙e not afraid to debate them. We just would like the chance to debate.鈥�
Democratic leadership from both the House and Senate gathered on the House floor to preempt criticism from the governor and expressed their condolences to the families in the Las Cruces shooting, emphasizing that bills sent to the governor make New Mexico communities safer and more affordable, and are working to address the wellbeing of children in the state.
Majority Floor Leader Sen. Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) said lawmakers hit the ground running at the beginning of the session, when they passed the and , the bills the governor signed last month.
鈥淲e had laid the foundation in the interim to do that work, and I was super proud of this team in both chambers, the members, to bring those bills across the line in that first 30 days,鈥� Wirth said during the news conference.
He added that the mass shooting in Las Cruces Friday night 鈥減ut everything into perspective and our session into perspective.鈥�
Speaker of the House Javier Mart铆nez (D-Albuquerque) said it鈥檚 Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham鈥檚 prerogative to call a special session but added 鈥業 would hope there鈥檚 a lot of prework ahead of time.鈥� (Danielle Prokop / Source NM) Speaker of the House Javier Mart铆nez (D-Albuquerque) pointed to bills passed to strengthen the ; to 鈥渃rack down鈥� on glock switches and organized crime; and take better care of young New Mexicans through more (a bill the governor this week).
When asked about the two juvenile crime bills that failed to pass this session, Mart铆nez said he believed the 鈥渇ixes鈥� to CYFD will still make an impact on the 鈥渋ntergenerational鈥� cycle of crime that children fall into.
鈥淭he question is, do you want to lock away these kids and throw them away, as if they鈥檙e just disposable?鈥� he asked. 鈥淭his Legislature, I think, has shown up and ensured that that doesn鈥檛 happen.鈥�
Mart铆nez added that he thinks it is premature to call a special session to address juvenile crime, particularly when it is rushed and the 鈥減rework鈥� during the interim is not done. 鈥淭he special session last summer showed that,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o rush special sessions is not a good idea. It鈥檚 a waste of taxpayer dollars and, quite frankly, it鈥檚 a waste of people鈥檚 time.鈥�
Wirth, similarly, contended special sessions only work when both chambers agree to move forward in addressing the issue that spurs the governor鈥檚 call for the Legislature to convene, a point the governor acknowledged in her remarks.
鈥淚 think as people have to deal with this situation in Las Cruces, I believe we won鈥檛 have the same opposition to a special session,鈥� Lujan Grisham said.
A consortium of community organizations also levied criticisms against the Legislature鈥檚 approach to public safety, and said lawmakers had failed to pass numerous bills that would have provided support to residents through programs such as addiction treatment, behavioral health and housing stability.
鈥淲e appreciate the efforts made by lawmakers to pass meaningful legislation this session, such as housing application fees (),鈥� New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness Executive Director Monet Silva said in a statement. 鈥淗owever, we cannot ignore the fact that many critical bills were left on the table, leaving our communities vulnerable and underserved.鈥�
The groups also cited proposed legislation that would have prohibited landlords from discriminating against qualified renters based on their source of income; allowed the Department of Health to license overdose prevention centers; and expanded access to home- and community-based services to individuals with psychiatric conditions.
鈥淭hese omissions are particularly concerning given the ongoing struggles our state faces with substance abuse, behavioral healthcare, foster care, housing stability and homelessness, and generational poverty,鈥� Equality New Mexico Executive Director Marshall Martinez said in a statement.鈥淲e urge lawmakers to prioritize data-driven solutions, especially for addiction treatment and mental health crises in future sessions and work towards a more holistic approach to public safety that addresses root causes and promotes community well-being.鈥�
Governor says Legislature wasted time
The chart shows how nearly 1,200 pieces of legislation, excluding House and Senate memorials, flowed through the Legislature over the last 60 days, based on the Legislature鈥檚 bill tracker and comments from legislative leadership.
Lujan Grisham, in her post-session news conference, criticized the Legislature for inaction on public safety bills and suggested lawmakers spent too much time on memorials, which are formal, but non-binding, statements from each chamber.
鈥淚t seems to me they could have passed more bills,鈥� she said.
In contrast to the governor鈥檚 chastizing, Senate President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque) summed up her view of the Senate鈥檚 productivity during a celebratory speech as the session wrapped up at noon Friday.
She rattled off the number of bills that the Legislature sent to the governor and thanked her colleagues across the aisle, joking that she and Minority Leader Bill Sharer had a 鈥渓ove-hate鈥� relationship.
鈥淲ish we could have passed a few more (bills) today,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut I think we did a pretty good job, actually.鈥�
Read about the fate of more than 1,300 pieces of legislation introduced this session with the help of Source鈥檚
Good GovernmentFollowing the end of the session, Common Cause New Mexico highlighted several bills the organization described as wins for good government, including:
, which requires increased lobbyist disclosure, a constitutional amendment voters will consider in 2026 to eliminate the governor鈥檚 pocket veto and require an explanation of each vote, modernizing the state鈥檚 wildlife management through reform of the state鈥檚 Game and Fish department and commission, which opens up the state鈥檚 primary elections to independent voters The group, however, also bemoaned the lack of passage for and , a campaign reform law and a constitutional amendment to create a legislative salaries commission.
鈥淩ight now, the most important thing we can do is invest in our state鈥檚 democracy to ensure that it stays healthy and accessible to everyone for years to come,鈥� Common Cause Policy Director Mason Graham said in a statement. 鈥淭hat means modernizing our state legislature, closing loopholes that allow monied interests to have an outsized influence in our elections, and ensuring that all New Mexicans have equal and equitable access to the ballot.鈥�
EnvironmentWhile a bill that would have enshrined New Mexico鈥檚 climate goals into law did not pass, the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter issued a statement congratulating lawmakers for numerous bills that address climate change, along with wildlife, water and health, including the Community Benefit Fund, the Innovation in State Government Fund and the NMFA Local Solar Access Fund.
鈥淲e are grateful for the legislative investment of hundreds of millions of dollars in climate solutions driven by community and workforce development initiatives,鈥� Sierra Club rio Grande Chapter Director Camilla Feibelman said in a statement. 鈥淭he innovative programs that this money funds will help the state avoid the worst impacts of global warming. But the impacts of the climate crisis were ever present this session as legislators worked to address water scarcity, wildfires, property damage and insurance impacts, and how to absorb these costs. Meanwhile the oil and gas industry spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to stop commonsense safeguards against the very emissions harming our state all while fighting modest taxation on their multibillion dollar profits that would support working families.鈥�
President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque) during a news conference following the end of the session, pointed to the Legislature鈥檚 work on climate change issues as a highlight of the last 60 days, as well as changes to public education like increasing teacher salaries, increasing funding for early childhood education and amending the public school funding formula to include English language learners.
She added that the Legislature passed two bills, creating the and the , which are aimed at helping communities respond and adapt to climate change impacts.
鈥淛ust think Roswell, getting a whole year鈥檚 worth of rain in three hours, flooding out everything. Think of the north and the fires. Our problem now with even getting鈥ire insurance on homes and all that rebuilding,鈥� Stewart said. 鈥淭he community benefit fund will send funds to communities all over the state to deal with having cleaner air, cleaner water and to work with overburdened communities.鈥�
House concurred
The House voted to concur with Senate amendments made to , which would increase early childhood and care program fund distributions to $500 million for Fiscal Year 2026; , which would create new licenses for public school administrators and superintendents with enhanced requirements, as well as add rules for school administrator preparation programs to the Public School Code; , which would make several amendments to the Nursing Practice Act to clarify the scope of licensed nurses and expand the power of the Board of Nursing, along with other changes; , which would increase each minimum teacher salary tier by $5,000; , which would make changes to the public school funding formula, including by replacing the at-risk index formula factor with a family income index; , which would prevent insurance companies and pharmacy benefits managers from discriminating against health care providers that receive discounted drugs; , which would allow physician assistance to sign death certificates; , which would establish the Geologic Carbon Dioxide Long-Term Stewardship Act and fund to establish rules for enforcing geologic carbon sequestration; , which would allow the Department of Finance to create funding criteria for potential grantees; , which would allow the state to enter public-private partnerships to help trade ports projects; , which would transfer operations for the African American Performing Arts Center from the New Mexico State Fair to it鈥檚 own board; , which would establish a three-year kinship caregiver support program pilot through the Aging and Long-Term Services Department; and , which would allow the Taxation and Revenue Department to share tax data with the Legislative Finance Committee for program evaluations.
House passes
The House voted to pass , which directs the Economic Development Department create a work group to evaluate short-term rental policies involving taxation, zoning and permitting regulations and regulatory framework; , which requests an interim legislative committee study the benefits of an economic relationship between New Mexico and Ireland and recommend possible initiatives for the 2026 session; , which acknowledges the benefits of autobiographical storytelling as a trauma-informed strategy and asks the Children, Youth and Families Department to work with speech language-pathologists and behavioral health providers to provide services to families and caseworkers; , which would establish the tortilla as New Mexico鈥檚 state bread; , which would amend the Drugs and Cosmetics Code to expand the prescription drug donation program; , which recognized an educator award; , which recognizes Valencia County; which declared March 17 Irish-American Day; declares March 5 Soil and Water Conservation District day and recognizes May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.
The House also voted to override Lujan Grisham鈥檚 veto of , which codifies the court decision that public school districts have authority to establish their own school year calendars to meet required instructional hours.
The Senate did not join the House in the veto override. Senate leadership told reporters it was a timing issue.
Senate passed
The Senate passed the following House bills, so these are all on their way to the governor鈥檚 desk:
, which strikes some requirements for the African American Performing Arts Center
, which creates an animal welfare trust fund
, which allocates $50 million for the facilitation of public-private partnerships on development of trade ports along the Interstate 40 corridor
, which creates a new, nonreverting fund for infrastructure projects in impact areas of military bases.
, which creates a pilot program providing caregivers with income and other supports
, which allows the state taxation and revenue department to share certain tax return data with the Legislative Finance Committee for program evaluation
, which empowers the state Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department to create certification program for the grading of structural timbers used in construction
, which changes the way boards of directors for watershed districts are selected from election to appointment by area soil and water conservation districts