As MLG enters her last 60-day session, Dem infighting likely to sink crime agenda

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham enters her final 60-day legislative session with a sharp focus on addressing New Mexico’s crime crisis, which has escalated to unprecedented levels. Her push for a slate of public safety measures—including stiffer penalties for repeat offenders, firearm restrictions, and reforms to criminal competency laws—reflects an acknowledgment of the urgency to restore safety and accountability in the state. However, her own political decisions have created significant obstacles to achieving these goals.

During her tenure, Lujan Grisham orchestrated a reshaping of the Democrat caucus, targeting moderate, pragmatic lawmakers in primary elections and replacing them with progressive allies. 

While this move consolidated her influence, it also sidelined legislators who were more open to bipartisan approaches to crime policy. The result is a Legislature where many Democrats now vehemently oppose tougher penalties, preferring instead to focus on measures like expanded “behavioral health services” and “free” housing initiatives. This ideological shift has left the governor grappling with resistance from within her own party as she attempts to push through her public safety agenda, while also delivering on these ineffective, woke social programs that are proven not to aid in battling crime.

The fallout from last summer’s special session underscores the challenges of this political realignment. The governor’s proposals—ranging from stricter pretrial detention laws to reforms for handling mentally incompetent defendants—were met with a cold shoulder from the very lawmakers she helped elect. The session ended without a single bill advancing, an outcome the governor described as one of the most disappointing days of her career. Her frustration was palpable as she accused legislators of a “dereliction of duty,” but the impasse highlighted her inability to bridge the ideological divide within her own party.

“We all agree that there were a lot of sort of missteps before, in the calling [of the special session] and right after,” she said, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican. “Those missteps, on both sides, are not creating a perception that we can’t work together for any of us in this session. That should not translate to that my job is ever easy or that they think that I’m going to be a pushover. We’re going to come to, I think, the best balance that we’ve ever had. Let’s see if I’m right.”

Despite these setbacks, Lujan Grisham has shown determination to tackle crime. She has held town halls across the state to rally public support and has urged New Mexicans to pressure their representatives to act. Her administration has prepared up to 35 crime-related bills for the session, reflecting a comprehensive, if controversial, approach to addressing public safety. The governor’s emphasis on combating violent crime, holding repeat offenders accountable, and addressing gun violence through measures like assault weapon bans and stricter penalties for felons in possession of firearms resonates with many New Mexicans fed up with the status quo.

However, the governor’s vision faces significant hurdles. Progressive lawmakers and advocacy groups remain skeptical of approaches that punish violent criminals, clinging to the belief that they fail to address the root causes of crime and may infringe on constitutional rights. 

Resistance has also emerged from law enforcement leaders and judges, who question the feasibility of implementing some proposals given the state’s limited behavioral health infrastructure and workforce shortages, according to the New Mexican. 

Even within the Democrat leadership, there is a reluctance to fully embrace Lujan Grisham’s agenda, with Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth cautioning against rushing into measures that could have unintended consequences.

“These are complex, really tricky constitutional issues,” Wirth said. “You can’t pass laws if the infrastructure is not there to get the people the help they need.”

Adding to the complexity is the governor’s mixed messaging about bipartisanship. While she has called for unity in addressing public safety, her political maneuvers have often deepened divisions. Many Republicans, who have long championed tougher crime policies, view her recent proposals as a delayed acknowledgment of the crisis. 

House Minority Whip Alan Martinez noted that Democrats are now adopting ideas Republicans have introduced for years, albeit under different branding. For their part, GOP lawmakers have signaled readiness to work on crime solutions, even as they remain skeptical of the governor’s ability to navigate the legislative gridlock she helped create.

Lujan Grisham’s political legacy is at stake as she seeks to deliver public safety reforms in the waning years of her governorship. The state’s violent crime rate remains among the highest in the nation, with cities like Albuquerque and Santa Fe grappling with repeat offenses, drug abuse, and homelessness. Albuquerque, run by progressive Democrat Mayor Tim Keller, was recently ranked the 20th most dangerous city in the world.

The governor has acknowledged the systemic failures contributing to the crisis, describing it as a breaking point requiring punitive and preventative solutions. Yet her ability to enact meaningful change will depend on overcoming the ideological divisions she has fostered and building consensus across the aisle.

While Lujan Grisham’s newly found crime focus is interesting, given her years-long attacks on New Mexicans’ constitutional rights, her strategy of sidelining moderate voices in favor of a far-left agenda in elections has undercut her ability to rally broad support for critical reforms. 

New Mexicans need action, not political posturing, to ensure safer communities. Whether the governor can deliver on her promises or remains mired in partisan deadlock will define her final chapter in office. However, the ball is entirely in the Democrats’ court, and if they fail to produce results, it is entirely on them — especially since they hold the governorship and wide majorities in both chambers of the legislature.