Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham was among the newly elected officials sworn into their positions at the historic Lensic Theatre in Santa Fe.
Lujan Grisham was sworn in for her second term at the state’s highest office.
“An active imagination is no longer required to visualize a thriving New Mexico, we are living it,” Lujan Grisham said during her inauguration speech.
Lujan Grisham reviewed the accomplishments of her previous term, including dealing with unprecedented wildfires and a continuing global pandemic.
The governor also discussed efforts to bring universal childcare to the state and highlighted the opportunity scholarship, which has increased the number of people enrolling in college in the state.
In her second term, Lujan Grisham wants to address the state’s housing crisis, including homelessness, and improve mental health and addiction care.
She also outlined her priorities for the upcoming legislative session. They include creating a health authority to expand access to services, and for the public education budget to cover premium healthcare costs for school employees.
The governor also vowed to protect reproductive healthcare for women. “No matter what threats arise in our country or in the world we continue to stand for freedom and choice opportunity and safety,” she said. “I vow today we will codify Roe v Wade as the law of the land within our borders.”
Lieutenant governor Howie Morales and secretary of state Maggie Toulouse Oliver were sworn in for their second terms. Former Bernalillo County district attorney Raul Torrez was sworn in for his new role as attorney general.
Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen took his oath at midnight on January 1st, at a DWI checkpoint, to show solidarity with his deputies. “We’re all going through this crime crisis,” Allen told KRQE. “We all are going to have something to deal with in a department. I want to make sure that I’m always open and transparent with people. So, that’s what I look forward to.”
