The 2026 Legislative Session has officially adjourned, and I want the people of House District 51 to know exactly how I fought for our community and what was at stake this year in Santa Fe.
This session was defined by sharp contrasts. On one side were efforts to expand bureaucracy, raise taxes, weaken public safety, and limit constitutional rights. On the other side were legislators — myself included — working to protect jobs, defend transparency, and deliver real results for rural New Mexico.
Let me start with what matters most locally: I secured $2.5 million in capital outlay funding for House District 51. These funds will support key projects for the City of Alamogordo, Otero County, the New Mexico Museum of Space History, and other important infrastructure improvements. Delivering direct investment to our district remains one of my top priorities, and I am proud to have brought those dollars home.
At the same time, I fought fiercely against legislation that threatened our local economy. House Bill 9 will shutter immigration detention facilities in Otero, Torrance, and Cibola Counties — facilities that support hundreds of jobs and generate millions in local revenue. I led a three-hour debate on the House floor opposing that bill and introduced an amendment to reimburse our counties for the financial losses. While that amendment narrowly failed, our district’s voice was heard clearly and forcefully.
Protecting constitutional rights was another major battle. I led the charge in committee to defeat Senate Bill 261, which would have banned concealed carry permit holders — and even law enforcement officers — from carrying at polling locations. That bill died. Senate Bill 17, the most sweeping anti-firearm proposal introduced this session, also failed to pass.
On election integrity, I led a three-hour debate against Senate Bill 264 and offered an amendment to implement a New Mexico version of the SAVE Act — requiring proof of citizenship to register and voter ID to vote. While that amendment was not adopted, I will continue pushing to strengthen confidence in our elections.
I also voted against raising taxes, expanding permanent legislative bureaucracy, and banning the reporting of non-identifiable abortion statistics — because transparency and fiscal restraint matter. On a measure to take a sunset off of a bill passed during a previous special legislative session that added the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as the de-facto recommending authority for the state Department of Health for vaccine purchasing, I unanimously passed an amendment on that bill to strip the AAP of recommending authority.
At the same time, I supported measures to expand healthcare access in rural communities, strengthen penalties for crimes against law enforcement, and address medical malpractice reform to retain doctors in New Mexico. My bill funding water projects across the state, including in Otero County, passed the House and delivered important infrastructure support.
Additionally, I attended the first meeting of the state’s “truth commission” investigating the activities of Jeffrey Epstein at Zorro Ranch in New Mexico. Accountability must never be selective.
This session was not easy. The political climate in Santa Fe remains deeply divided. But through every vote and every debate, my focus remained constant: protecting jobs in our county, defending constitutional rights, supporting law enforcement, delivering local investment, and standing up for rural New Mexico.
Serving House District 51 is the honor of my life. I look forward to being back home in Alamogordo, listening to constituents, and continuing to fight for our community.
State Rep. John Block represents House District 51 in the New Mexico Legislature, serving the good people of Alamogordo since 2023. He is the founder and editor of the Piñon Post.
I wish my district rep would take things as seriously as you, Sir! But I live in Albuerwue and they are leftist Democrats. Thanks for what you fight for!