NM Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham | governor.state.nm.us
At the close of a 60-day legislative session, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham highlighted both achievements and significant gaps in public safety measures. This comes in the wake of a mass shooting in Las Cruces that resulted in three deaths and at least 15 injuries.
Governor Lujan Grisham has called for state resources to aid local law enforcement in investigating the incident, which occurs amid a reported 46 percent rise in violent crime compared to the previous year. She emphasized the necessity of a special session to address these ongoing public safety concerns.
“While we made progress on universal free school lunch, literacy, water planning, and firefighting resources, I cannot ignore that we failed to adequately address the public safety crisis facing our state,” stated Lujan Grisham. “With 270 public safety bills introduced this session and only a handful passed, we have not met our responsibility to New Mexicans.”
The legislature passed 194 out of 1,182 bills introduced. These addressed various issues including economic development, healthcare access, education, and water security. The $10.8 billion budget also included pay raises for state employees with reserves set aside.
Among the passed legislation were significant public safety bills like HB 8 addressing criminal competency and penalties related to gun auto conversion devices and trafficking fentanyl. Additionally, HB 12 focused on Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Orders while SB 70 expanded crimes under the Racketeering Act.
However, critical measures targeting juvenile crime and firearms possession failed to pass. Bills aimed at penalizing felons with firearms or enhancing pretrial confinement for violent offenders were not debated.
“The reluctance to have even one productive debate on reducing juvenile crime is shameful,” said Lujan Grisham. “When New Mexicans are demanding action, and we’re seeing tragedies like what happened in Las Cruces, policymakers must respond with urgency and resolve.”
The governor expressed particular concern over failures to legislate against juvenile crime or ban assault weapons following recent violent incidents such as last year's killing of Officer Jonah Hernandez.
“As we conclude this legislative session, my heart goes out to the victims of the Las Cruces shooting, their families, and the entire community,” said Governor Lujan Grisham. “This senseless act of violence tears at the fabric of our state and must strengthen our resolve to protect all New Mexicans."
