The 2025 60-day legislative session in New Mexico is set to begin on January 21, and it promises to be a pivotal period for policymaking in the state. For people looking to stay informed and make their voices heard, here is a comprehensive guide on what to expect, how to get involved, and the key issues likely to dominate the session.
Opening Day: Tradition and Procedure
The session will officially kick off at noon on January 21 at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe. Opening day typically begins with ceremonial activities, including the Governor’s State of the State address, which outlines the administration’s priorities for the session. Legislators will be sworn in, and committee assignments will be finalized, setting the stage for the weeks ahead.
Conservatives are encouraged to attend the opening day to observe the proceedings and network with like-minded individuals. The atmosphere is lively, with stakeholders, advocacy groups, and citizens from across the state gathering to witness the start of New Mexico’s legislative process.
The Legislative Process: How It Works
The 60-day session is a time for lawmakers to introduce, debate, and vote on bills covering a wide range of issues. Here’s a breakdown of how it works:
- Introduction of Bills: Legislators draft and introduce bills, which are then assigned to committees for review.
- Committee Hearings: Bills are discussed, amended, and either approved or tabled in committee hearings. These are critical for shaping legislation.
- Floor Debates: Approved bills move to the House or Senate floor for debate and voting.
- Cross-Chamber Review: If a bill passes one chamber, it moves to the other for the same process.
- Governor’s Signature: Bills approved by both chambers are sent to the Governor for signing into law or veto.
Key Issues to Watch in 2025
For conservatives, some of the most pressing topics likely to arise include:
- Second Amendment Rights: Potential debates over gun control measures, including changes to the red flag law and attempts to ban “high capacity” firearms.
- Education Policy: Discussions around parental rights and school choice, while attempts to change funding will also be discussed.
- Taxation and Regulation: Proposals impacting businesses and economic growth, including an attempted alcohol tax, among attempts to harm oil and gas via taxation.
- Energy Policy: Renewable energy mandates versus traditional energy interests, including a “buffer zone” bill to ban oil and gas production within one mile of a school, among other measures.
How to Get Involved
Engagement is critical for influencing the legislative process. Here are practical steps for conservatives:
- Contact Your Legislators: Reach out to your representatives and senators to express your opinions on specific bills. Use email, phone calls, or in-person meetings. Find their contact information at the New Mexico Legislature’s website: NMLegis.gov
- Testify at Hearings: Public testimony is a powerful way to share your perspective. Check the committee schedules to find relevant hearings and sign up to testify in person or via Zoom, with the online meeting details available on the “What’s Happening” tab under “Calendars.”
- Submit Written Testimony: If you can’t attend a hearing, submit your comments in writing to members of committees, with contact information available on the website. Clearly state your position and back it up with facts and personal stories.
- Stay Informed: Follow legislative updates through news outlets (like ours), advocacy groups (like the NRA, New Mexico Business Coalition, Rio Grande Foundation, etc.), and the official New Mexico Legislature website. The Legislative Tracking System (LTS) is a valuable tool for monitoring bills.
- Join Advocacy Groups: Partner with organizations that align with your values to amplify your voice and stay informed about coordinated efforts.
What You Can Do on Opening Day
Attending opening day is a great way to start the session. Here’s how to watch it live:
- Visit the NM Legislative website at 12:00 noon for the joint legislative floor session to begin. The live feed will be available via this link.
The 2025 legislative session will shape the future of New Mexico. By staying informed, engaging with the process, and advocating for conservative principles, you can make a meaningful impact. Whether it’s through testifying at a hearing, writing to your legislators, or joining a grassroots campaign, your voice matters.
Mark your calendars and get ready to make a difference. Together, we can ensure that conservative values are well-represented in Santa Fe.
UPDATE: SENATE PASSES LAKEN RILEY IMMIGRATION BILL. No help from NM Senators.
12 Democrats who voted YES
Catherine Cortez—NV
Fetterman—PA
Gallego—AZ
Hassan—NH
Mark Kelly—AZ
Jon Ossoff—GA
Gary Peters—MI
Jackie Rosen—NV
Shaheen—NH
Slotkin—MI
Mark Warner—VA
Warnock—GA
Can we censure or oust Loserjan yet?
ALL TAXPAYERS PAY ATTENTION – These politicians are spending your money,make them accountable!!!
The question is who’s tracking the money. 🤔
Not sure why the legislatures are sworn in, last year they passed laws that went against the NM constitution and they are pushing more laws that go against the constitution for this year. No law shall abridge the right of the cit-
izen to keep and bear arms for security and
defense, for lawful hunting and recreational
use and for other lawful purposes, but noth-
ing herein shall be held to permit the carry-
ing of concealed weapons. No municipality
or county shall regulate, in any way, an inci-
dent of the right to keep and bear arms. (As
amended November 2, 1971 and November
2, 1986.)
So, here we are again…at the start of the Democrat or dead blue balls convention.
No need to worry, the DNC of NM will insure everyones balls are knotted up really good after this fiasco and if not truly blue at the end of the session, they should be quite purple.
And… for those who do not possess balls to BTK, (Bind Torture and Kill), Pretty sure something will be cinched to get them to turn blue as well… left toe, left forearm, left pinky finger…you know something cinchable. Anything on the left cause they, the DNC of NM, do not fathom anything right.
This is my issue and will be until he77 freezes over.
1. Open up gambling & gaming in the entire State. Stop undercutting and suppressing Gambling in the State, equal taxation for all gambling casinos and non profits… a flat State Tax at whatever the State level is…like 6.25% or 7.25%… not 26% for State run casinos and 10% for non profits…nor 6% for Indian tribes… a standard flat same rate for everyone.
Open up a minimum 5 card single deck gaming table to all Non profit organizations and State run casinos. Less than 5 card games shall only be permitted on Tribes and State run Casinos… aka RACINOS.
Increase the staff of the NMGCB’s enforcement division and audit divisions at 4900 Alameda and build them a bigger building.
That just by itself… will fund itself and other pet projects for decades to come without worrying about the States oil and gas reserves running out.
Permit Indian tribes to participate in horse, dog, cat, elephant, camel or whatever they want to race on their tribal lands. Follow the current Horse racing Commissions standards. Stop Discriminating against the tribes by refusing to let them participate in race tracks.
Permit the Akela Tribe to open its casino on I-10 at the 102 mile marker. Give that tribe 1500 acres on the East side of the Florida Mountain range to build a 5 star resort. That is their historically PROVEN ancestral land. Its not in use for anything but use by rattlesnakes and rabbit as a tolite.
MLG and her comrades will try to once again violate the Constitution of the United States and take away our right to bear arms. As well as working on trying to stop the Trump administration to find and deport illegals here in NM and fix the border. Nothing they do will surprise me. The round house is full of corrupt democraps. Wish people will wake up and vote out MLG’s comrades. And praying for Gods mercy when we will be electing a new governor….
The session could start with a name change – I’d suggest changing the name of the state from New Mexico to Not Mexico.
As well as change the NM state seal from a cheap copy of the Mexican flag- (with the eagle clutching the snake atop a cactus,) to copy of the Zia flag. Look it up; its disgraceful. What could be more simple and effective?
We’re not New; we’re not Mexico. We’re poor, and pain is considered a flavor.
DO NOT EMAIL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE!
In all probability, nobody will ever read your email.
Last year, when the New Mexico Beekeeper’s Association got some liberal dumb@$$ to put out the proposal HB33; the Pollinator Protection act, I emailed every single member of the House NOT to support that idiocy.
The simple fact is that honeybees are NOT native to the Americas, and here in South East New Mexico, the Africanized Killer Bees are predominant. Killer bees send approximately one person per week to the Emergency Room in the city of Carlsbad alone. In 2024, two family dogs were killed in separate incidents, and three men were sent to the Emergency Room in Lovington, on August 2, 2024, resulting in one fatality. The incident happened out in the oil field, and although the oil company knew about the deadly colony, they flatly refused to hire a professional pest control person. I know this because they called me and wanted me to come out and remove the nest free of charge. I told them to call an exterminator and PAY THEM. Instead, they sent three men in with shovels and no bee suits for protection. For one of those men, they sent him to his death.
I am the Eddy County beekeeper on record, and I removed 23 established honeybee colonies last year; (not swarms), 19 of which were Killer Bees that had to be destroyed.
If you think that honeybees are these beautiful benevolent angels flitting among the flowers and you want to open a beehive and pet the little darlings, (yes, one beginning beekeeper said just that), you’ve never seen the nightmare of 50,000 killer bees crawling all over you and exploring every zipper in your bee suit, trying to get to bare skin and sting you. It’s especially bad if they find a way into your veil. They go for your eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Killer bees are a real life horror story. If you ever hear a “beekeeper” spout the “Save the Bees” nonsense- RUN.
Out of the four good European strain bee colonies, I was able to save two, that are still doing well in one of my apiaries today.
Honeybees are NOT endangered, and are NOT necessary for pollination; (although they are specialists in that regard). The largest agricultural crop in SE NM is none other than PECANS; and they are 100% wind pollinated!
I outlined all these facts in my emails to the legislature last spring, yet the bill was unanimously passed, resulting in 1.5 million dollars of taxpayer money being handed Scot free to the (liberal) secretary of the NM Beekeeper’s Association. The NMBKA also blocked me on Fakebook for a solid month because I loudly objected to this pork barrel proposal and told the truth.
When I had an opportunity to speak to my Representative, Catherine Brown, (A saint fighting fiercely for our rights among wolves), and asked her why she voted for that nonsense when honeybees are not native to the Americas, her response was, “I didn’t know that. We get so many emails that we can’t possibly read them.”
Call or send a snail mail letter to your Senator, Representative, or Governor.
Sorry, typo- Cathrynn Brown is my representative, and God Bless Her.
Jim Townsend is a ball-less eunuch.
The treatment I got as a citizen coming to testify against a bill that was already approved “privately” by the legislators, was disrespectful. I resolved not to bother again. If you think you can have any influence unless you are already a financial supporter, you are mistaken. The experience showed me what “democracy in action” looks like. It looks like criminal activity with a little pomposity.