Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham delivered her eighth and final State of the State address Tuesday, calling on the New Mexico Legislature to “finish strong” by cementing a legacy of universal child care, aggressive climate goals and sweeping public safety reforms.
Speaking at the opening of the 2026 30-day legislative session, the Democratic governor reflected on seven years of “moving mountains,” while laying out an ambitious final-year agenda that targets the state’s most persistent challenges in education, housing and crime.
“What we’ve built over the last seven years isn’t just a list of accomplishments. It’s a blueprint,” Lujan Grisham told a joint session of the Legislature. “We believed we could be the child care state, the jobs state, the energy state and the innovation state. We went big, and together, we’ve made history.”
Universal Child Care and Education
A cornerstone of the governor’s 2026 agenda is a $160 million recurring increase to fund universal child care. Lujan Grisham highlighted New Mexico’s status as the first state in the nation to make child care a constitutional right, noting that 10,000 additional children have enrolled in programs since November.
In K-12 education, the governor proposed a ban on cell phones in schools to reduce distractions and called for stricter literacy and math requirements. She also advocated for a move toward a 180-day school year, a measure aimed at boosting proficiency rates that have seen recent gains but remain a point of concern.
Public Safety and Gun Control
Addressing public safety, Lujan Grisham called for an assault weapons ban and increased accountability for gun dealers.
“Nobody needs a body-shredding weapon for hunting or self-defense,” she said.
Her safety package also includes:
- Juvenile justice reform to address rising teen violence.
- Stricter penalties for felons in possession of firearms.
- Pretrial detention for suspects charged with violent crimes to keep “predators” off the streets.
- Civil commitment reform to provide legal tools for intervening when individuals with mental illness or addiction become a danger to themselves or others.
Economic Growth and Infrastructure
Lujan Grisham touted New Mexico’s economic trajectory, citing the state’s No. 1 national ranking in family income growth and No. 9 ranking in GDP growth. To maintain this momentum, she requested $150 million in tax credits for “future-forward” technologies, specifically targeting quantum computing and fusion energy.
To address the state’s housing shortage and aging roads, the governor proposed:
- A $1.5 billion transportation bonding package for state-managed road projects.
- $110 million for new housing units and homelessness initiatives.
- Zoning reforms to expedite housing production and an interest-rate buydown program to assist homebuyers.
Health Care and Climate
The governor’s health care priorities include eliminating the gross receipts tax on medical services and reforming medical malpractice laws to retain providers. She also proposed doubling enrollment at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine to address chronic staffing shortages.
On the environment, Lujan Grisham urged lawmakers to codify the state’s Climate Action Plan into law. The plan aims to slash pollution by 45% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
“New Mexico led, and the nation followed,” Lujan Grisham said of the state’s methane rules and clean energy goals.
The governor closed her address with a “Top 10” list of state achievements, including the top spot for child poverty reduction, before urging lawmakers to maintain the bipartisan civility she says defines the state.
“We may be a small state,” she said, “but you don’t have to be big to take on big challenges.”