{"id":48460,"date":"2026-01-23T17:13:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T00:13:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/?p=48460"},"modified":"2026-01-23T17:13:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T00:13:49","slug":"the-roundhouse-gavels-in-for-lujan-grishams-final-regular-session","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/the-roundhouse-gavels-in-for-lujan-grishams-final-regular-session\/","title":{"rendered":"The Roundhouse Gavels in for Lujan Grisham\u2019s Final Regular Session"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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New Mexico lawmakers are in session, and that\u00a0means\u00a0New\u00a0Mexico in Focus\u00a0is\u00a0heading to the Roundhouse weekly to help you follow along with\u00a0what\u00a0is and\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0getting done.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n


It\u2019s\u00a0two-term\u00a0Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham\u2019s last regular session,\u00a0and\u00a0she\u2019s\u00a0got her eye on a few must-haves before she\u00a0vacates\u00a0her fourth-floor office.\u00a0She let a joint session of the Legislature know what those were on Tuesday, in\u00a0her\u00a0final\u00a0State of the State address<\/a>,\u00a0while also touting their collective accomplishments over\u00a0the last seven years.\u00a0We\u2019ll\u00a0break those down for you this week.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n


In\u00a0this politically\u00a0polarized time, those calling for compromise and bipartisanship \u2014 which includes the governor\u00a0\u2014 may\u00a0have been pleased to hear compliments, however couched,\u00a0coming from Senate Republicans in\u00a0their\u00a0post-speech\u00a0press conference.<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n


They like her\u00a0demand to\u00a0tackle the state\u2019s\u00a0shortage of health care providers through\u00a0reforming\u00a0its\u00a0medical malpractice laws\u00a0and joining more interstate licensure\u00a0compacts.\u00a0You\u2019ll\u00a0hear from\u00a0state\u00a0Sen.\u00a0Nicole Tobiassen,\u00a0R-Albuquerque,\u00a0this week, who knows\u00a0intimately\u00a0how difficult\u00a0it is\u00a0to have to\u00a0go out of state\u00a0to get a\u00a0family\u00a0member\u00a0the\u00a0care they need.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Republicans also praised\u00a0Lujan Grisham for her\u00a0tough-on-crime\u00a0approach, for the most part. Senate Minority Leader Bill Sharer,\u00a0R-Farmington,\u00a0told reporters that \u201ca lot of stuff happened\u201d under Lujan Grisham \u2014 \u201csome of it even good.\u201d That said, he urged\u00a0more\u00a0cooperation with federal authorities and\u00a0argued her call to ban assault weapons\u00a0wouldn\u2019t\u00a0make a dent.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Meanwhile,\u00a0on the other side of the aisle,\u00a0Democratic leaders in the Senate are\u00a0also\u00a0navigating both\u00a0agreement and disagreement with\u00a0the\u00a0governor\u00a0on her top issues.\u00a0This week,\u00a0you\u2019ll\u00a0hear from Majority\u00a0Leader Peter Wirth,\u00a0D- Santa\u00a0Fe,\u00a0who Lujan Grisham thanked for\u00a0expediting\u00a0a few of her priorities:\u00a0medical compacts, civil commitment\u00a0changes\u00a0and road bonds.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Another big priority for the\u00a0governor is\u00a0getting\u00a0a $160 million recurring increase for universal childcare \u2014 one of her signature\u00a0proposals. While Wirth said it may not all be recurring, he\u00a0told me he\u00a0does\u00a0\u201chope we can find a way to get there.\u201d\u00a0As for her call\u00a0to\u00a0tighten\u00a0the\u00a0pretrial detention\u00a0system,\u00a0undermining\u00a0a 2016\u00a0constitutional amendment voters\u00a0overwhelmingly\u00a0approved?\u00a0It’s\u00a0a \u201cnon-starter\u201d for\u00a0Wirth.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n


You\u2019ll\u00a0hear from more than just lawmakers this week as\u00a0we help you wrap your head around\u00a0the start of\u00a0the session.\u00a0We\u2019ll\u00a0take you to a massive rally outside the Roundhouse hosted by Youth United for Climate Crisis\u00a0Action (YUCCA) under the banner \u201cWe Got Us.\u201d\u00a0We\u2019ll\u00a0also 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Join us\u00a0tonight at 7 p.m. on New Mexico PBS and the PBS app.\u00a0\u00a0

– Nash Jones, Host\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n