Gaslighting NM: Dems claim legislative victory while crises crush families

An op-ed penned by Javier Martínez, Reena Szczepanski, Day Hochman-Vigil and Raymundo Lara and published in the Albuquerque Journal and the Los Alamos Reporter paints a glowing picture of the 2026 Legislative Session. But New Mexicans say the self-congratulatory tone ignores a glaring reality: meaningful crime reform once again died under Democrat control, while long-delayed fixes to New Mexico’s health care crisis came only after years of inaction.

“In January, House Democrats laid out plans to make life better and more affordable for New Mexico families,” the leadership wrote, gaslighting that “we have delivered on those promises and more.” They further claimed, “here in New Mexico we know how to get things done.”

Yet on public safety — an issue dominating headlines and deeply affecting communities statewide — many of the most substantive proposals never saw the light of day.

Several crime-fighting measures sponsored by Republicans, including Clovis Rep. Andrea Reeb, were referred to the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee, widely viewed by critics as a legislative graveyard for tougher-on-crime policies. Bills that would have rolled back elements of the state’s controversial cashless bail system, imposed mandatory sentences for certain violent offenders, strengthened penalties for repeat violent felons, and addressed violent juvenile crime were effectively stalled.

Opponents argue that committee referrals were not accidental but strategic — ensuring politically inconvenient proposals never reached a full House vote. Measures aimed at ending so-called “catch and release” practices and holding violent offenders accountable were sidelined, even as Albuquerque and other communities continue to grapple with persistent violent crime rates.

Meanwhile, Democrat leadership touted “real progress on public safety this session with investments and legislation to address the root causes of crime.” But focusing primarily on long-term social programs, while rejecting immediate accountability reforms, leaves law enforcement officers and victims frustrated.

On health care, Democrats highlighted House Bill 99, sponsored by Christine Chandler and others (including nearly all House Republicans), saying it would “bring our laws in line with other states, improve the climate for providers and continue to protect patient safety.”

However, malpractice reform has been debated for years, with medical providers warning repeatedly that rising premiums and lawsuit risks were driving doctors out of New Mexico. Only after the state’s health care system faced severe provider shortages did leadership move to adjust the law — a move critics describe as reactive rather than proactive.

The op-ed also celebrated expanding the Health Care Affordability Fund, joining interstate compacts, and raising medical residency pay. Yet Republican lawmakers note that those steps followed years of warning signs about collapsing rural care networks and overwhelmed urban hospitals.

On immigration, Democrat leaders praised passage of the so-called “Immigrant Safety Act,” asserting it would “make our communities safer.” But removing cooperation agreements with federal immigration authorities will limit tools available to law enforcement in certain cases. It also will threaten to bankrupt Cibola, Otero, and Torrance counties, which have Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities — putting thousands of jobs on the line, millions in economic development being crushed, including gross receipts taxes, and bond ratings will be at stake. The long-term ramifications of the bill, which effectively won’t do anything but crush communities, will be felt by the far-left’s vote on this bill for decades.

The broader concern voiced by critics is not that Democrats passed no legislation, but that they controlled the agenda tightly — advancing far-left priorities and “anti-Trump” bills while systematically blocking stricter criminal accountability measures. When leadership claims, “Because here in New Mexico, we keep our promises,” New Mexicans also ask: promises to whom? The legislative session was surely a win for criminals while hard-working New Mexicans’ livelihoods remain in shambles.

With violent crime still a top voter concern and ongoing strain in the health care system, “real, pragmatic solutions” did not make it across the finish line during the session, despite claims from Democrat leadership.