New Mexico Legislature

Following an hours-long debate, the New Mexico House passed a bill to protect those who provide or seek abortions or gender-affirming care in the state. the measure would enshrine into law safeguards for out-of-state patients and clinicians issued by executive order after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

It’s the final week of the legislative session and numerous bills are making their rounds, including one to address period poverty by getting free period products into all public schools. Supporters say the issue directly affects the ability of young people to consistently access education.

The New Mexico House on Wednesday approved raises for state supreme court justices and lower court judges. The bill now heads to the governor who vetoed a similar proposal last year.

A tax reform package got the go-ahead from the New Mexico House late Sunday with a few substantial changes. The amended bill increases the amount all taxpayers will get in direct payments and nixes a proposed tax hike for New Mexicans who make the most.

New Mexico’s long standing education challenges were made worse in the COVID-19 pandemic as chronic absenteeism soared. Forty percent of kids missed at least 10 days of school during the last academic year and some districts saw that rise to 66%. Lawmakers want to address these issues by adding additional learning hours, but some teachers say that could increase burnout.

The 2023 New Mexico Legislative Session began Tuesday and, as is customary, opening day was marked with the governor’s State of the State address. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham covered a lot of territory in her speech, including economic relief, climate change, crime prevention and education.

Financial consultants warned members of the Revenue Stabilization & Tax Policy Committee Monday that the state’s reliance on the notoriously boom-and-bust oil and gas sector is risky. They implored lawmakers to reform taxes and diversify the economy to protect itself.

A bill that aims to establish an independent redistricting commission to limit lawmakers’ role in drawing their own maps is expected to be introduced next month. Its sponsor, Rep. Natalie Figueroa, says it’s a necessary next step in removing politics from New Mexico’s process.

The New Mexico Department of Health is requesting an 11% bump in state dollars as federal funding for the department shrinks following boosts during the pandemic. The proposal highlights the DOH’s priority of addressing staffing shortages.

New Mexico voters approved a constitutional amendment in November that will start funneling $230 million more to early childhood education. However, that money won’t be seen for a while. The Early Childhood and Care Department has set a five-year plan to build a more robust workforce and provide competitive salaries in order to sustain the state’s early childhood education sector.