We’re counting down the hours to noon Thursday when the second session of the 57th New Mexico Legislature – aka the special session – kicks off.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham cautioned back in February before the regular session was even done that a special session on public safety was likely, and on April 17, she made it official.
The governor said then “the special session in July will enable us to deliver additional statutory changes that reduce the danger and risk New Mexico communities face every day. The best proposals for making our state safer will be under consideration, and I welcome input from my colleagues in the Legislature.” And just this week she countered concerns raised by advocates and lawmakers that her agenda will have unintended consequences, saying “shame on you. … I will keep fighting. …on behalf of the business owners and the people living here.”
The Chamber appreciates the governor’s commitment – for years we have prioritized crime reduction in our policy advocacy efforts, believing strongly that high crime in our city and state continues to impede economic growth and quality of life for residents and businesses alike. We applaud her standing strong against critics who say there’s not enough time in a special session to tackle crime, the task is too complex, that crime is solely an Albuquerque issue.
And we will be in Santa Fe when the session kicks off at noon, advocating for the governor’s five bills, which our Board of Directors has unanimously endorsed:
- Lengthening the prison sentence for felons in possession of a firearm.
- Changing the law regarding criminal competency.
- Clarifying the definition of “harm to self” and “harm to others.”
- Enacting the Unsafe Use of Public Highways and Medians Act.
- Requiring reports from law enforcement agencies on crime incidents/ballistics.
As with every session, we’ll be bringing you the Legislative Roundup each evening with coverage of how legislation that affects business owners and residents is faring. Our first edition Wednesday will go into these five proposals in more detail and provide a primer on how special sessions work – or don’t.
The Chamber’s mission is to make “our city and state a great place to start and grow a business, and a safe, exciting place to work and raise a family.” That starts with public safety. Here’s to a productive special session!