New Mexico legislators are weighing four bills that would significantly reshape the state’s gun laws, with proposals ranging from permitless carry to enhanced penalties for felons and new restrictions tied to juvenile offenses and domestic violence protection orders. The bills, introduced during the 57th Legislature’s second session in 2026, reflect competing visions for firearm policy […]
New Mexico Legislature #nmleg
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Healthcare, New Mexico Legislature #nmleg
Punitive damages emerge as flashpoint in latest malpractice reform push
This story originally appeared at New Mexico In Depth, and is republished with permission as a part of our mission to bring readers the best in independent local journalism. By Ted Alcorn, NM In Depth –– Responding to doctors’ concerns that New Mexico’s malpractice system is making it hard to practice medicine, leading lawmakers hope […]
Posted inNew Mexico Legislature #nmleg
Legislators OK $162,500,000 for state SNAP aid in quick 4-hour session
Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, in his capacity as acting governor, has signed legislation that will provide full benefits for 459,500 New Mexicans who depend on SNAP for food assistance, even if the federal government does not supply the funding. Morales signed House Bill 1 on Monday evening after the Legislature adjourned following a four-hour-long special […]
Posted inNew Mexico Legislature #nmleg
Counties nominate state rep., current and former county commisioners to fill vacant senate seat in Southeast NM
Mark Fischer, chair of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, has been recommended by his colleagues to fill an open New Mexico Senate seat. During a special meeting on Monday, Lincoln County Commissioners Samantha Serna, Timothy Prather, and MP Chavez voted to send Fisher’s name to the governor for consideration as their choice to fill […]
Posted inNew Mexico Legislature #nmleg
State DOT will seek 25-35% hikes on vehicle registration, new EV car fee to fund road repairs
New Mexico motorists could pay more to keep their vehicles registered and on the road under a proposal from the state Transportation Department, part of a plan to boost its revenue amid rising construction costs and projected declines in annual revenue. Ricky Serna, the New Mexico Transportation Secretary, told lawmakers on the Transportation Revenue and […]
Posted inNew Mexico Legislature #nmleg
Chaves County commissioners unanimously endorse Wilson for open State Senate seat
Reporting from Roswell, NM — Former Lincoln County Commissioner Rex Wilson could soon be representing three southeastern New Mexico counties in the Legislature after officials in Chaves County recommended him as their choice to fill an open state Senate seat. On Wednesday, the Chaves County Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 to send the name of […]
Posted inHousing & Homelessness, New Mexico Legislature #nmleg, Pueblos
As more New Mexico hospitals become owned out-of-state, legislators debate how to improve local care
New Mexico Lawmakers on Tuesday heard a presentation about the potential harms of private equity’s role in healthcare, something many New Mexico Democrats have argued has siphoned dollars away from addressing New Mexico’s healthcare needs while profiting out-of-state interests. The Legislative Health and Human Services Committee heard the presentation from Olivia Kosloff, a senior fellow […]
Posted inNew Mexico Legislature #nmleg, New Mexico Statewide News
Governor still deliberating on vaccine bill passed by legislature
By Alex Ross, NM Political Report — Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is still contemplating what action to take on a bill passed during last week’s special legislative session that would temporarily allow the state to promulgate its own rules on vaccines, according to a spokesperson for the governor. “The governor is still considering her course […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, New Mexico Legislature #nmleg
State Rep. Eleanor Chávez: “I’m gonna call it what it is… ICE is acting like the KKK”
A New Mexico state representative didn’t mince words when a state legislative committee overseeing courts and justice policy opened the floor for remarks on Wednesday. During the two-day meeting of the legislature’s Court, Corrections and Justice Committee State Representative Eleanor Chávez, a Democrat from Bernalillo County’s South Valley, recalled stories the committee had been told […]
Posted inNew Mexico Legislature #nmleg
Special session won’t include ban on ICE private prisons after all
Although an adviser to Lujan Grisham told lawmakers a few weeks back that Lujan Grisham might put such a proposal on her call for a special session, Michael Coleman, communications director for the governor, confirmed to New Mexico Political Report that she has ruled out doing so. Instead, she plans to focus more on the […]