Following the 2020 elections, Democrats have a 27-15 majority in the state senate and a 44-25 majority in the house. Democrats also control the governorship, creating what’s referred to as a government trifecta. The 2021 New Mexico legislative session ran from January 19 to March 20, 2021. The following is a summary of some notable bills passed.
Assisted Suicide: House bill 47 allows terminally ill patients that are suffering to ask doctors to prescribe medication to help them die. Previous attempts to pass such legislation failed, but this year’s effort was finally successful.
State Budget: Near the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, state economists projected a nearly $1 billion budget shortfall in the fiscal year that started July 1. Thanks to an infusion of federal pandemic relief money and much more optimistic revenue projections from oil and gas, the state government will increase spending by 4.8 percent, or $373 million. The proposed $7.4 billion budget passed both chambers in the final days of the session.
Early Childhood Education: House Joint Resolution 1 will allow voters to decide if they want the state to using money from a multi billion dollar state endowment to boost services for children and increase funding for K-12. Voters will decide in the 2022 general
Abortion: Senate bill 10 eliminated a 1969 law that made it illegal to perform an abortion. Democrats felt the need to do this due to fear that the conservative supreme court might overturn Roe v. Wade.
Qualified Immunity: House bill 4 eliminates qualified Immunity, giving New Mexicans the right to sue state agencies that violate civil rights.
Liquor Licenses: House bill 255 makes it easier for businesses to get liquor licenses, legalizes home alcohol delivery, and outlawed mini bottles of liquor.
Paid Sick Leave: the Healthy Workplaces Act requires private employers to provide their workers paid sick leave. It would give workers 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked.
Broadband: Senate Bll 93 will create a central state agency to develop and upgrade New Mexico’s broadband system.
Infrastructure Funding: Dozens of infrastructure and other projects around the state will receive a combined $517 million in capital outlay funding under House Bill 285
Scholarships: Opportunity Scholarship will receive $18 million, which provides tuition assistance for thousands of New Mexico students pursuing degrees at two-year colleges, in addition, the lottery scholarship will receive 10.5 million.
Hair Discrimination: Senate bill 80 prohibits discipline or discrimination based on a student’s race or culture because of a hairstyle or headdress.
Trapping Ban: Roxy’s Law, named after a dog killed by a poacher’s snare at Santa Cruz Lake in 2018, outlaws the use of traps and wildlife poison on public land.
Marijuana Legalization: After marijuana legalization failed to pass during the regular session because they ran out of time, Governor Lujan Grisham called on a special session solely for this issue as she considered it a priority. HB 2, which legalizes recreational marijuana for those 21 and over passed both chambers and the governor has signed it into law. The state is now accepting applications for marijuana establishment licenses and retail sales will begin no later than April, 2022
Democrats are hoping these legislative accomplishments help them in the 2022 gubernatorial election, while Republicans are hoping these bills are not as popular with New Mexicans as Democrats think.
