New Mexico Legislative Session Review

New Mexico adjourned its 2018 legislative session sine die February 15, and Governor Susana Martinez (R) finished acting on the bills sent to her desk on March 7. A rebound in oil and gas tax revenue eased financial pressure in Santa Fe this year, allowing lawmakers to clear a bipartisan $6.3 billion state budget, which passed the House and the Senate with near unanimous support.

Legislative Highlights

• There were rare signs of bipartisanship in the crafting and passage of the state budget, although Republicans hoped to put more into reserves while Democrats sought to backfill spending in previously cut areas, but overall it was a relatively smooth process.
• Although Governor Martinez criticized lawmakers for failing to pass several of her anti-crime proposals, particularly expansion of “Baby Brianna’s Law” to include teenage victims of abuse, other criminal justice-related measures were enacted, as was a substantial pay raise for state police and corrections officers.
• School boards’ reserves were partially replenished after taking a $40 million hit the year before to prop up a faltering budget. Lawmakers further bolstered education by ensuring 30 percent of gross revenue from the state’s lottery will go towards college scholarships.

Election Preview

New Mexicans will go to the voting booths November 6 to choose multiple state and federal officials. Governor Martinez will be completing the second of her limited two-terms in office and four Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, and one Republican, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, are vying to replace her in the governor’s mansion. Primary elections in New Mexico take place June 5. National and state focused politicos think Democrats have a good shot at flipping the governor's office in New Mexico this year. State Representatives in all 70 districts are also up for election in November, however, State Senators will not face the voters again until 2020.