Republicans are unimpressed with the priorities that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-NM, laid out Thursday for an upcoming special legislative session, arguing that it should focus more on addressing crime and medical malpractice reform rather than looming federal budget cuts.
Lujan Grisham on Thursday invoked her authority under Article IV of the New Mexico Constitution to call legislators back to Santa Fe for up to 30 days for a special session. She has scheduled the session for Oct. 1. It will be the seventh special session that she has held since taking office in 2019.
For months, Lujan Grisham has raised the prospect of summoning lawmakers back to the Roundhouse to address challenges ranging from the fallout from federal legislation and executive orders withholding funding to New Mexico to enacting measures backed by the governor but opposed by many in her own party on crime and public safety.
As of Friday, no specific bills that will be taken up were released, but an outline of the topics that were listed in the press release about the special session said they will include appropriating additional funding for food assistance and public broadcasting; outfitting resources necessary for the New Mexico Healthcare Authority to deal with pending changes to the state’s Medicaid enrollment program. Other items included authorizing more funding for the Rural Healthcare Delivery Fund and taking action to reduce healthcare premiums.
The release also indicated that Lujan Grisham is also in discussion with lawmakers about legislation designed “ to address behavioral health challenges that affect our criminal justice system and community safety in the special session and the upcoming 30-day session.”
Republicans were swift in their responses, accusing Lujan Grisham of caving to the demands of her party’s progressive base.
“Once again, the Governor has allowed the progressive wing of her party to bully her into prioritizing their political agenda instead of tackling the crises that matter to New Mexico families,” New Mexico House Minority Floor Leader Gail Armstrong, R-Magdalena, stated in a press release issued by New Mexico House Republicans.
State Sen. Nicholas Paul (R-Alamogordo) told New Mexico Political Report that the priorities outlined by the governor do not align with those held by most New Mexicans, and instead concentrate on issues like funding public broadcasting. In July, Congress approved and President Donald Trump signed a bill to rescind $1.1 billion from the nation’s public radio and television stations.
“You’ve got funding for public broadcasting on the call, when New Mexicans aren’t out every day asking, what’s going on with the funding for public broadcasting,” Paul stated.
Instead, Paul said if a special session is to be called at all, it should focus on crime, overhauling the state’s troubled Children, Youth and Families Department and reforming medical malpractice laws.
State Rep. Andrea Reeb (R-Clovis) echoed many in her own party, who say that based on what the governor has put out, the session will be a waste of taxpayer dollars.
“I believe it is just going to be about trying to, what I call, Trump proof, everything like try to go against the federal government,” she said, citing proposals pushed by Democrats to ban immigrant detention facilities in New Mexico. But that plan may no longer be on the table.
Although an adviser to Lujan Grisham told lawmakers a few weeks back that Lujan Grisham might put such a proposal on her call for a special session, Michael Coleman, communications…
Lujan Grisham’s office and budget analysts say reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid, both of which New Mexicans rely heavily on, will have an impact on New Mexico, which is the state with the largest number per capita of its residents on both programs.
However, Reeb points out that many of the changes in H.R. 1 will not take effect until late 2026, and those concerns could be addressed in the regular 30-day session early next year.
The governor’s office defends using the special session to take care of likely budget shortfalls created by changing federal policies.
“We have a clear enough indication of how these budget cuts will hurt New Mexico, especially as they relate to SNAP and Medicaid, that Gov. Lujan Grisham sees no reason to wait to deliver help that New Mexicans will certainly need,” Coleman said.
As for public safety, Coleman said in an email to the New Mexico Political Report that lawmakers should expect “a robust set of proposals from the governor for the 30-day session.”