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RECAP: Legislative Session WINS and MISSES

Writer: Sarah SmithSarah Smith
4 days ago

Dear New Mexicans,

The 2025 legislative session ended on Saturday. THANKS to all who participated by emailing, calling, and making public comments during the hearings. 

We'd also like to give a special THANKS to Better Together New Mexico, including Carla Sonntag and Larry Sonntag, who facilitated pulling together the numerous quick-and-easy calls to action put together by leaders from across the state. Together, we all made a difference!There were 1,328 pieces of legislation introduced. Below is a recap of what happened with some of the Bills you may be most concerned about. 


Many of the Bills that passed still need to be signed into law by Governor Lujan Grisham in order to take effect. 


2025 Legislative Session Run-Down

TAXPAYER FUNDED ABORTION CLINIC

 

The Capital Outlay Bill HB450 ended up being unusually controversial because of a line item for a taxpayer-funded $10 Million abortion clinic at UNM. This Bill PASSED.

 

IMMIGRATION BILL FAILED

SB250 would have prohibited state and local agencies from enforcing of federal immigration laws. This Bill FAILED.


 


 

CRIME BILLS

Despite promises to focus on crime, the legislature did not do enough to address it. 


  • Repeat offenders are a huge problem and many are released due to being deemed "incompetent" to stand trial. The legislature PASSED HB8 - Criminal Competency and Treatment. This watered-down crime package Bill will not really help with the repeat offender issue because it won't allow for involuntary treatment. Without involuntary treatment, there is no effective mechanism for getting many of the repeat offenders into the treatment they need. 

     

  • There were multiple Bills introduced that would have increased penalties related to Fentanyl trafficking and other crimes. The legislature FAILED to pass these Bills. 

     

  • The legislature also FAILED to pass any meaningful Bills related to toughening juvenile crime penalties, even though this is one of the main needs for our state. 

     

  • The House of Representatives even went so far as to pass a Bill that would have given a $2000 monthly scholarship to violent juvenile criminals up to age 26 years old in HB255! Thankfully, this Bill FAILED in the Senate.


 


 


 

HEALTHCARE

  • Medical malpractice – There were several Bills aimed at improving the medical malpractice laws to address the doctor shortage in NM. All of these Bills FAILED.

     

  • SB219 Medical Psilocybin - This Bill PASSED and will allow psilocybin ("magic mushrooms" to be used medicinally.

 

SOCIALISM INITIATIVES

  • HB91 Socialized utilities - This Bill PASSED and will allow utility companies to set lower rates for low-income households, such that there will be higher utility rates for everyone else. 

     

  • Attacks on landlords rights - There were bills proposed to allow rent control for private property and also to seal eviction records such that landlords would not be able to determine whether a person is a suitable renter.  These Bills FAILED. 

     

  • The Bill for a state-operated bank FAILED again this year. 

 

BUSINESS-RELATED BILLS

  • HB11 Paid Family Medical Leave Act (PFMLA) – This would have devastated small businesses in New Mexico. This Bill passed in the House but then FAILED in Senate Finance Committee. 


    You can click the following link to email the Senators to THANK them for voting against the PFMLA: https://app.oneclickpolitics.com/campaign-page?cid=gSyoXJUB9sorxFLOjY-Y&lang=en

     

  • $17 Minimum Wage Bill FAILED – This Bill would have resulted in lay-offs and/or higher prices for goods and services. 


 

GUN RIGHTS ATTACKS

Just as in previous sessions, there were multiple attacks on 2nd amendment rights. 

  • HB12 Expanded Red Flag Law PASSED. This Bill takes away due process and allow immediate seizure of guns without a judge weighing in. 

     

  • SB279, which would have banned gas operated firearms and magazines of 10 or more, FAILED. 

     

  • SB318, which would have allowed gun stores to be held liable for firearm-related injuries, also FAILED. 

PARENTAL RIGHTS AND WOMEN'S RIGHTS

  • HB185 Protection of Women's Sports Act FAILED, even after testimony from Payton McNabb, who suffered serious long-term injuries when forced to play volleyball against a biological male. The legislature refused to stand up for women’s rights to single sex sports and locker rooms.

     

  • The legislature refused to even hear the SB500 Bill that would have ensured minors and parents are given accurate information about harms of transgender hormones, puberty blockers, and body-mutilation surgeries.  


CHILD SEXUALIZATION AND INDOCTRINATION BILLS

  • Two Bills (HB27 and SB552) were proposed in an attempt to protect librarians from being accountable for ensuring that materials provided to children are age appropriate. 

     

  • SB552 would have also prevented community members from challenging age-inappropriate sexually explicit books in school libraries. This Bill was snuck in the last week of the session and public opposition was suppressed from the committee hearing.

     

  • Thankfully, both HB27 and SB552 FAILED. The Parent's Guides to Explicit Books in Albuquerque and Las Cruces school districts were pivotal in preventing these two bad Bills from being passed. Legislators used printed copies of these books to demonstrate the real issues and effectively stop the Bills from progressing through the committees.

     

  • SB258 - Human Sexuality Education would have forced transgender indoctrination and abortion as a "pregnancy outcome option" into middle school curriculum. Thankfully, this bill FAILED. 


 

Overall, the legislative session was a mixed bag. There were some losses such as the passage of HB12 (red flag law) and HB91 (socialized utilities). However, there were also some significant victories. 

 

More than 3 MILLION emails were sent in collaboration with the statewide Better Together New Mexico network. These emails gave legislators the backing to stand up in defeating bad bills such as the Paid Family Medical Leave Act. Our efforts to raise awareness of age inappropriate books in school libraries had a direct impact on the session as well. 


More and more New Mexicans are waking up to what is happening in Santa Fe. Hopefully this will translate into better outcomes in our legislative elections next year, so we can shift the balance of power away from the Progressive agenda. Thank you all again!

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