Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that a public safety-focused special session will begin Thursday at noon, pushing back at legislators skeptical of whether the legislation she wanted to be passed was ready for discussion.
Lujan Grisham held a press conference Wednesday in which she signed the proclamation declaring the session after she, mayors, law enforcement officials and tribal governors spoke about the need for the session.
“We’re asking lawmakers to do right by New Mexico, to do right by all of our cities and counties and to create the kind of opportunities for us to get help to the people who need that help,” Lujan Grisham said.
The governor’s press conference came two days after the Democratic legislative leadership, led by House Speaker Javier Martinez, expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of time spent on the proposed legislation.
Democrats hold large majorities in both the state House and Senate.
Related: House, Senate Democratic leaders say governor’s proposals aren’t ready
Lujan Grisham and others said that similar bills have gone in front of the legislature previously, including during this year’s regular session and they usually do not get very far.
Topics expected for discussion at the special session include criminal competency, mental health treatment standards, crime reporting, pedestrian safety, gun violence, organized crime, drug overdoses and support for those affected by the recent wildfires.
Santa Clara Pueblo Governor J. Michael Chavarria spoke about the homeless situation on his pueblo which includes a homeless shelter next to the pueblo’s travel center.
“Unfortunately for Santa Clara, we’re directly impacted by the homeless crisis,” he said.
Chavarria said he has spoken to federal authorities including with the Federal Bureau of Investigations about issues that have arisen including unauthorized camping, illegal dumping and using the reservation and its wetlands for defecation.
“We do support the governor’s efforts to bring more tools for the law enforcement and judiciary to address issues related to homelessness, mental health and substance abuse,” he said. “We also support more resources for law enforcement, including the tribal reservations, to help address crime, substance abuse, the root cause behind the homeless epidemic.”
Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe was one of the members of law enforcement who spoke during the press conference.
“Crime is a problem,” Hebbe said. “I know there isn’t unanimity the way we need to approach it… It takes a blended approach.”
Hebbe lost his brother to a drug overdose, he said.
“So what I know is my brother went to many drug rehab centers,” Hebbe said. “You’ve got to keep going back. You’ve got to have the commitment, but it also takes, in the meantime, he would be out and he would be committing crimes… You have to have laws that can be enforced and then help get people into the treatment that they need.”
Related: Lujan Grisham signs public safety bills at ABQ high school
The mayor of Albuquerque expressed its support for the session citing the city’s ongoing crime issues.
“For us, this special session is so important because, at a minimum, it is shining a light on the fact that we all have a role to play,” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said. “If there are challenges in any of our cities with any of our population, every single New Mexican should care and every single elected official in New Mexico should care. Now for us, we know that we have to continue to rebuild a system that has all sorts of challenges whether it’s, you know all the tragedy of the behavioral health dismantling a decade ago and so forth, we have… to keep pushing forward.”
Keller was a state senator and state auditor prior to being elected Albuquerque mayor. He expressed cheer at the idea of special sessions, and always had, he said, due to the short length of regular sessions.
“This is, like, a New Mexico problem over decades,” Keller said. “And so you know, I just have said, basically, look, a special session under our constitution. It is the only way to get us to focus on urgent problems.”
When the special session legislation is posted it will appear here.