The First Session of the 55th Legislature
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
What's Happening in the Legislature
2021 New Mexico Legislative Session Begins Amid Tight Security and Pandemic Restrictions
Starting today RPNM is sending brief "Roundup at the Roundhouse" newsletters to provide updates on key bills and happenings during this legislative session.
Today at noon the 2021 New Mexico Legislature kicked off its 60-day session.
This will be an unprecedented session due to tight security because of possible civil unrest at state capitols across the country and New Mexico's strict COVID-19 policies. Most committee meetings and other business will be conducted virtually as a result of the pandemic restrictions, although there will be some in-person gatherings by lawmakers at the Roundhouse. Details and other rules for the session are still being hammered out. During the next few days, lawmakers will debate the rules that will govern the session.
The Roundhouse will be closed to the public and lobbyists during the session. This is disappointing because the Democrats' progressive agenda will likely be pushed forward without any significant public input. This is hardly transparency in government.
This legislative session that began today will end at noon March 20. Lawmakers began submitting bills on January 15, and that deadline is February 18.
Normally, the session is kicked off with the Governor's State of the State Address, but the speech has been delayed due to the pandemic. There's no word when Gov. Lujan Grisham will deliver her Address.
In New Mexico's House of Representatives, there are currently 45 Democrats and 25 Republicans. The Senate consists of 27 Democrats and 15 Republicans. There are 23 new members of New Mexico's legislature. They were sworn in today.
Republicans in both chambers will have some new leadership after caucus meetings in late 2020.
In the Senate, Greg Baca of Belen will serve as the new Minority Leader, and Craig Brandt of Rio Rancho will be the new Minority Whip. Mark Moores of Albuquerque was elected Minority Caucus Chair.
In the House, Jim Townsend of Artesia was re-elected as Minority Leader. Rod Montoya of Farmington was re-elected Minority Whip. Rebecca Dow of Truth or Consequences was elected as Caucus Chair.
With the Democrats in control of the governorship and the state House and Senate, it's imperative that the Republican Party of New Mexico be a strong voice for the hundreds of thousands of conservatives throughout the state. Republican lawmakers will fight hard to make New Mexico a better place to live, to keep taxes down, to keep people safe, to create a stronger economy and to protect your rights.
In this legislative session, there are a number of key bills to watch:
Lawmakers will address pandemic relief, a push to change the Governor's emergency powers, the budget (the Governor has proposed a $7.3 billion spending plan for the next fiscal year—with increased spending, recreational marijuana, broadband expansion and repealing an anti-abortion law. There may also be proposed election law changes as the 1stCongressional District seat is likely to be up for grabs in early 2021.
Senate leadership released the following statement as the legislative session gets underway:
"This session is an opportunity to repair the damage done to New Mexico and put us back on the road to recovery. We are committed to taking actionable steps to fix our state and move us forward. This means getting our children back in school, assisting our local small businesses, standing by our energy economy, and defending the most vulnerable. The COVID-19 pandemic not only worsened the hardships many families were already facing, but it also exposed the chronic failures of bad governance. It is time for a new era. We need more than band-aid solutions. Together, we are committed to curing the deep-rooted policy issues that continue to plague our state."