Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Thursday she will convene a special legislative session beginning Oct. 1 to address what she described as severe federal budget cuts that threaten essential services across New Mexico.
The Democratic governor said the session aims to protect state programs from reductions stemming from federal legislation signed by President Donald Trump in July.
“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’ve resolved to do everything possible to protect essential services and minimize the damage from President Trump’s disastrous bill.”
The legislation referenced, H.R.1, which Trump signed July 4, is expected to reduce state revenues and shift federal costs to states, according to the governor’s office. Officials estimate the reduction in federal Medicaid and SNAP funding alone will result in multi-billion-dollar annual losses.
Lawmakers plan to consider several measures during the special session, including funding for rural health care stabilization grants, efforts to reduce health insurance premiums, new investments in food assistance programs, funding for public broadcasting and additional resources for the state Health Care Authority.
Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, a Democrat, said the session is necessary to prevent long-term damage to the state’s health care infrastructure.
“New Mexico cannot stand by while Washington’s reckless budget cuts inflict generational harm on families and communities across the state,” Wirth said. “A special session is essential to protect our rural healthcare providers, safeguard Medicaid coverage, and ensure that New Mexicans don’t bear the burden of federal failures.”
House Speaker Javier Martínez, also a Democrat, said state officials have been analyzing the federal budget’s impact on New Mexico.
“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,” Martínez said. “We have been hard at work evaluating how this federal budget will impact New Mexico and how we can best fight back.”
The governor’s office said discussions are also underway to address behavioral health challenges affecting the criminal justice system and community safety during both the special session and the upcoming regular 30-day legislative session.
The October session will mark the seventh special session called during Lujan Grisham’s tenure as governor.
The federal government shouldn’t be picking up the tab for services to state residents. It makes sense that these costs should be born by the individual states rather than the federal government.