Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and legislative leaders held press conferences after the end of the 2024 legislative session, explaining their concerns and thoughts about the 30-day session.
Every session has a basic purpose: pass a balanced budget. This is especially true of the 30-day session due to its length. However, this year had another theme: gun laws.
Following September’s executive order declaring gun violence a public health emergency, many observers expected that gun legislation would feature prominently during this year’s short session.
Lujan Grisham announced during her press conference that she may call the legislature into a special session to discuss firearm legislation that failed to pass the legislature during this 30-day session.
Just five of more-than-20 bills that appeared on Lujan Grisham’s public health legislative agenda made it to her desk.
“I don’t think it’s safe out there,” Lujan Grisham said. “And until it is safe in every neighborhood, in every city I don’t think any of our jobs are done.”
Based on Lujan Grisham’s statements, the potential special session’s topic would focus on crime legislation.
“We need a tool for folks who are repeat offenders because of these issues: substance abuse, behavioral health, mental health issues; to make sure that they can get the required treatment for more than a minute,” Lujan Grisham said.
The Legislature passed a $10.2 billion budget and a tax omnibus bill that updated tax brackets with tax incentives added and no new taxes included.
“I’ve never been more proud of your budget than the budget that we passed out of this House and out of the Senate,” Speaker of the House Javier Martinez said. “It is a budget that has put the people of New Mexico first and is a budget that values the people of New Mexico that truly incorporates the needs of rural New Mexico and balances those with the needs of urban New Mexico.”
Martinez spoke during a press conference with House Democrats, where they expressed optimism about what was done and expressed hope for what was not completed this session.
Martinez mentioned that the Paid Family Medical Leave bill that failed in the House this year could be approved one day.
He tried to get an early childhood education bill passed that eventually did pass after 12 years of trying.
“(Paid Family Medical Leave) is an important proposal and it deserves to be vetted. It deserves to be paid for, you know, I’m proud of the bill’s sponsors and I’m proud of the fact that this floor gave it a robust three hour (debate) yesterday,” Martinez said.
The House Republicans were less enthusiastic about the way the session went.
“Democrats on their side, have a great majority and yet there weren’t any real meaningful crime issues solved,” House Minority Leader T. Ryan Lane, R-Aztec, said. “Not a single bill with regard to CYFD and that should speak volumes because that department is in real shambles right now.”
Ryan said that the state of the Children, Youth and Families Department would be discussed in interim committee meetings later this year.
Ryan said that the House Republicans were willing to work with the new CYFD secretary.
“We’re happy to work with any sector, frankly,” Ryan said. “We want to get the problem solved particularly for children.”
