The Roundhouse Gavels in for Lujan Grisham’s Final Regular Session

New Mexico lawmakers are in session, and that means New Mexico in Focus is heading to the Roundhouse weekly to help you follow along with what is and isn’t getting done.  

It’s two-term Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s last regular session, and she’s got her eye on a few must-haves before she vacates her fourth-floor office. She let a joint session of the Legislature know what those were on Tuesday, in her final State of the State address, while also touting their collective accomplishments over the last seven years. We’ll break those down for you this week.  

In this politically polarized time, those calling for compromise and bipartisanship — which includes the governor — may have been pleased to hear compliments, however couched, coming from Senate Republicans in their post-speech press conference.  

They like her demand to tackle the state’s shortage of health care providers through reforming its medical malpractice laws and joining more interstate licensure compacts. You’ll hear from state Sen. Nicole Tobiassen, R-Albuquerque, this week, who knows intimately how difficult it is to have to go out of state to get a family member the care they need.   

Republicans also praised Lujan Grisham for her tough-on-crime approach, for the most part. Senate Minority Leader Bill Sharer, R-Farmington, told reporters that “a lot of stuff happened” under Lujan Grisham — “some of it even good.” That said, he urged more cooperation with federal authorities and argued her call to ban assault weapons wouldn’t make a dent. 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the aisle, Democratic leaders in the Senate are also navigating both agreement and disagreement with the governor on her top issues. This week, you’ll hear from Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D- Santa Fe, who Lujan Grisham thanked for expediting a few of her priorities: medical compacts, civil commitment changes and road bonds.  

Another big priority for the governor is getting a $160 million recurring increase for universal childcare — one of her signature proposals. While Wirth said it may not all be recurring, he told me he does “hope we can find a way to get there.” As for her call to tighten the pretrial detention system, undermining a 2016 constitutional amendment voters overwhelmingly approved? It’s a “non-starter” for Wirth.  

You’ll hear from more than just lawmakers this week as we help you wrap your head around the start of the session. We’ll take you to a massive rally outside the Roundhouse hosted by Youth United for Climate Crisis Action (YUCCA) under the banner “We Got Us.” We’ll also hear from the head of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association with the help of Capital & Main reporter Jerry Redfern, who returns for his weekly segment on fossil fuel legislation.

Join us tonight at 7 p.m. on New Mexico PBS and the PBS app.  

– Nash Jones, Host