Lawmakers push final bills as legislative session nears end
Mar 18, 2025
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – With only days left of the legislative session, lawmakers are making a final push to get their bills across the finish line, but what bills could still make it to the governor's desk? So far, only three major bills have been signed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham this
session, but lawmakers are confident they can still get lots of work done in the last few days.
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"Working to get to the home stretch," said Majority Floor Leader and Sen. Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe).
With just days left before the end of the 60-day legislative session, lawmakers are pushing to get their priority bills approved. At the start of the session, the governor asked lawmakers to fix problems with the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department. Now, one bi-partisan bill, HB 5, that would create a public agency to investigate complaints against CYFD, along with the ability to refer cases to the attorney general, has made it to the governor's desk, after passing the Senate floor on Tuesday.
"There were some disagreements on that. We had a very vigorous debate on the floor of the Senate with an amendment that came with the support of the governor kind of at the last minute," said Sen. Wirth.
So far, only three major bills have been signed, including two relating to behavioral health (SB 1 & SB 3) and a set of crime initiatives. After a failed special session on crime last year, the governor prioritized public safety this year.
Lawmakers also passed a comprehensive package, HB 8, that includes competency reform and tougher penalties for fentanyl trafficking.
Meanwhile, other bills waiting to be signed include a democratic bill allowing students to wear tribal regalia at school events, SB 163, and a bipartisan bill to reform the Game Commission, SB 5.
"The Game and Fish Commission Reform, again, that was a lot of bipartisan work on both chambers. And so that was set up early enough so the governor will have to act on that and we'll find out where she is on that," said Sen. Wirth.
Sen. Wirth said he'd also like to see bills surrounding wildfire insurance and juvenile penalties make it through.
"At the end of the day, I'm hopeful. You know, no one gets everything they want, that's the process here, but I think we've got the framework to have a really good session so feeling good about where we are," Sen. Wirth.
One of the high-profile bills that cleared its final vote on Tuesday, was a proposal giving the state's Cannabis Control Division enforcement powers, HB 10. It allows the division to crack down on people violating New Mexico's pot laws, without needing help from a law enforcement agency. The governor is expected to sign it.
Other priorities include the state's budget and capital outlay, allocating money for projects around the state. The final debate on those is expected in the next few days. ...read more read less
