Urgent crises ignored as MLG pushes vaccine mandates, attacks on Trump

As New Mexico’s Oct. 1 special legislative session looms, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Democrat leadership are under fire for prioritizing a political agenda over pressing crises facing the state—namely, a crippling doctor shortage, an unraveling child welfare system, and rampant crime.

Rather than confronting the root causes behind the exodus of medical providers, such as ballooning medical malpractice insurance premiums and restrictive licensure laws, the governor appears intent on advancing vaccine mandates and targeting President Donald Trump in the session. Critics say that priority inversion amounts to political theater at the expense of real, urgent needs.

Vaccine mandates, not malpractice reform

The surprise inclusion of vaccination policy in the special session agenda has drawn sharp criticism. Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth told Source NM that the bill would allow the New Mexico Department of Health to “set their own standards,” decoupling state policy from shifting federal rules. “The federal standards are being thrown all over the place,” Wirth said. “As we go into COVID season and flu season, we’ve got to make sure vaccines are available based on the recommendations of our health folks, not tied to the federal standards.” 

The governor’s office confirmed vaccines are “on the call,” though the exact language has not yet been released. The agenda item is meant to attack the Trump administration’s move to empower parents to choose vaccinations for their children under the leadership of the U.S. Health and Human Services Sec. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Under Lujan Grisham’s rule during COVID-19, she locked down the state—killing an innumerable amount of jobs—and also pushed the strictest vaccine mandates in the entire country, if not the world. 

Meanwhile, neither advanced malpractice reform nor interstate medical compacts are slated for consideration. Think New Mexico and other advocacy groups have long argued that interstate licensure compacts (which would allow doctors licensed in other states to practice in New Mexico more easily) are among the most straightforward levers to ease the doctor shortage. Yet, powerful trial attorney interests have consistently opposed those compacts because they would limit their ability to sue entities participating in the compacts. 

To make matters worse, New Mexico’s medical malpractice environment is a key driver behind the state’s vanishing provider base. Premiums have soared due to a combination of aggressive litigation incentives and caps that increased liability exposure. Hospitals—especially public and rural ones—face ballooning insurance bills that threaten to outstrip their ability to pay. Yet, the special session package does not include serious reforms, such as capping attorney fees, reforming damage awards, or restructuring the patient compensation fund. 

CYFD chaos and crime get short shrift

New Mexico’s Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD) remains in crisis. The agency is beset by chronic staffing shortages, legal backlogs, and tragic system failures. Yet the special session agenda, as currently known, offers no targeted intervention. It also has no current secretary, as the previous CYFD chief, Teresa Casados, abruptly “retired.” 

Similarly, violent crime continues to plague New Mexico’s streets. Earlier this year, Gov. Lujan Grisham touted a “crime and behavioral health” package she signed into law. Nevertheless, many critics argue that those laws constitute incremental steps rather than comprehensive reform, and that punitive policing strategies alone haven’t stemmed the tide of violence.

While Lujan Grisham initially floated addressing crime in this session, Republicans urged the inclusion of juvenile justice and public safety measures. However, Democratic leadership has resisted expanding the agenda—the result is no immediate legislative strategy to turbocharge criminal justice reform.

Meaningless Trump-bashing over meaningful action

Observers say this special session may mark a turning point in public confidence in state leadership. Instead of tackling arguably the most glaring failures—physician departures, child welfare breakdown, and spiraling crime—the governor seems more intent on attacking Trump and anchoring vaccine policy in state law.

Some Democratic staffers and allied groups have urged inclusion of medical compacts, warning that missing the federal funding window for rural hospitals would be costly. The risk is that, by prioritizing politically charged measures, the administration will lose its chance to address structural ailments that have burdened New Mexicans for years.