Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is pushing forward with a special legislative session focused on crime, despite opposition from within her party and traditional allies who question the effectiveness of her proposed measures.
The governor issued a proclamation authorizing nine issues for legislative debate during the special session, starting Thursday at noon. While the agenda includes emergency aid for fire damage and funding for the session, the primary focus is on crime-related proposals. These include temporary holds for certain defendants deemed incompetent to stand trial, more frequent crime reports from law enforcement, and enhanced penalties for felons found with guns.
In a news conference at the Capitol, Lujan Grisham criticized Democrat lawmakers for not acting sooner on repeat offender legislation, saying, “Don’t let them tell you they don’t have enough time — they’ve had decades.” She suggested she might call multiple special sessions if her agenda is dismissed.
Lame duck Sen. Mark Moores (R-Albuquerque), an extreme moderate and failed congressional candidate who lost CD-1 in the largest blowout in recent New Mexico congressional history to Melanie Stansbury, has agreed to sponsor most of the governor’s bills, stating, “Even though some of the bills the governor is proposing are tepid, they are a step forward,” per the Albuquerque Journal.
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The Governor’s Office confirmed Moores’ sponsorship and indicated potential bipartisan support. However, the special session’s duration and the fate of all proposed issues remain uncertain.
This special session, the sixth since Lujan Grisham took office, is politically risky due to the lack of a pre-agreed plan with majority Democrats. Some lawmakers and advocacy groups argue that the proposals haven’t been thoroughly vetted and were crafted without sufficient input from affected communities. Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, highlighted the complexity of the issues, stating, “We all want simple solutions, but complex problems sometimes require complex solutions.”
A coalition of progressive groups, including the ACLU of New Mexico, called for the session’s cancellation, and some advocates argue that a proposal to limit loitering on roadways would not effectively reduce pedestrian deaths. Justin Allen, an Albuquerque community organizer, contended that “criminalizing panhandling is not a public safety measure, but a direct attack on our unhoused population.”
Democrats have significant majorities in both legislative chambers, but it’s not certain all will support the governor’s agenda. In the House, at least 11 Democrats would need to join Republicans to advance Republican bills, and in the Senate, at least six Democrats would need to do the same, with Lt. Gov. Howie Morales casting the deciding vote in a tie. In the House, some Republicans have made it clear they will not be entertaining voting for such agenda items, meaning the 11 Democrats needed would have to expand exponentially for passage of such legislation.
The governor stressed that political considerations should not influence lawmakers’ decisions during the session. She expressed frustration with resistance to crime-related bills, noting past legislative efforts on firearm regulations. “They don’t get to just appropriate money for soccer fields,” she said, a potential threat to legislators’ capital outlay if they don’t get in line and ram through her agenda. “They have to do the hard work, too.”
MLG is evil. Her agendas are nothing more that a further Draconian push to take away more American rights. The speaks of an underlying threat. Yet she refuses to define who that threat is. (she means lizard people).
Now, some Democrats know MLG is absolutely wrong, but they will support her, simply to survive politically. They do not care about you or your freedoms. Any Dem who supports her agendas is an enemy to freedom.
Removing the rights of law abiding citizens is not the answer. Punishing criminals is the answer. Closing the border is the answer. Protecting our children is the answer. Educating out children with good things and knowledge is the answer. Jesus Christ is the only way and should be included in every other equation mentioned above.
Rev. Rico
You are so right and we need to pray that the Lord takes off the blinders of the people of NM who continue to vote for these ungodly and evil people. And this Moores idiot needs to go. He does not represent the God fearing people of NM.
He is a piece of garbage! He is not a conservative, he is traitor against the people of New Mexico. Whatcha wanna bet he changes to the democrat party!
I smell a rino turd.
Come on guys! I strongly support your efforts to give us all sides of the news. BUT, what is an “extreme moderate”?
The other side constantly labels positions held by about half the country as “extremists’. That is a clear contradiction on their part. So, let’s at least clean up our rhetoric with sensible common English.
He is the same “Senator” that introduced the amendment to SB 180 (Voting bill in 2023) that lets candidates and elected officials hide their addresses, so people can’t verify the live in the district. There is a reason he looses.
It didn’t work! The Legislature told her to go pound sand!
Add this to the joke Baldwin prosecution.
What a laughingstock of a state we are. DEI in technicolor. Just hilarious.
Lame duck GOP Senator is a turn coat lead by the Lame Duck Senate Minority leader Baca, who is the most incompetent weak leader they have ever had. His “power” went to his head and he thought he was the smartest one in the room even though he can’t speak coherently and rarely showed up to committee meetings while in session. Good riddance to both of you. Hopefully strong republicans will take their place.