After Dem failures during 2024 Legislature, MLG threatens special session

Far-left Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham expressed her major dissatisfaction with the Democrat-majority Legislature’s inability to advance her anti-gun bills and other initiatives during the 30-day session that concluded Thursday. In a move that surprised many, she revealed in a post-session news conference that she is contemplating convening a special legislative session focused on public safety issues. “Both houses are well aware that I’m frustrated,” she stated after most of her extreme, unconstitutional proposals to ban guns fell flat. 

The governor’s contemplation of a special session caught legislators from both parties off guard. House Speaker Javier Martínez acknowledged the governor’s authority to summon a special session but mentioned that he had not discussed this possibility with her. 

The reaction among Republicans was one of dismay, with House Minority Leader Ryan Lane questioning the necessity of a special session after a month-long regular session had just concluded.

Senate Minority Leader Greg Baca echoed this sentiment, arguing that the legislature had already made its stance clear and that a special session would be seen as an attempt to override the legislative process. 

At the outset of the legislative session, Lujan Grisham had proposed a “comprehensive” public safety and gun control package. This included measures such as an “assault weapons” ban, stripping 18-20-year-olds of their constitutional gun rights, and attacks on the firearms industry, among others. While a few elements of her package, such as a seven-day waiting period for gun buyers and increased penalties for certain crimes, received legislative approval, the bulk of her proposals died.

Addressing New Mexicans directly, Governor Lujan Grisham voiced her concerns about public safety, stating, “I don’t think it’s safe out there” without her proposals being enacted.

The specifics of what might be included in a potential special session agenda remain uncertain, but the governor stressed the need for a “criminal competency bill” to address the treatment needs of repeat offenders with substance abuse or mental health issues.

Beyond public safety, the governor faced challenges in advancing other priorities, such as a strategic water supply initiative, an attempt to force businesses and workers to pay for job-crushing “paid family and medical leave,” the requirement for a 180-day school year, which was met with massive blowback from all sides, including teacher’s unions. Despite legislative resistance, she expressed her intention to pursue these goals through alternative means, including the establishment of a state Office of Housing with funding allocated from the Governor’s Office budget.

As for her involvement in upcoming legislative races, Governor Lujan Grisham stated her intention to focus on the national campaign trail, particularly supporting Joe Biden in his bid to stay in the White House, while maintaining a distance from direct engagement in state legislative campaigns. That remains to be seen.