Lauren Lifke
News
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham urged state legislators “to do right by New Mexico families” and “put an end to a revolving door of dangerous individuals on our streets” Wednesday afternoon alongside community leaders and law enforcement during a news conference dedicated to signing the proclamation for the upcoming special legislative session starting at noon tomorrow, July 18, focused on public safety.
Lujan Grisham announced the pending session in April in part due to mixed results during the regular 30-day session earlier this year.
“This cuts across every sector of New Mexico,” she said. “We’re dealing with a multitude of serious issues that cannot stand.”
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, a former state senator, threw his support behind the governor’s efforts alongside several other local mayors today.
“This special session is so important because it shines a light on the fact that we all have a role to play,” Keller said. “Any time we can provide help and focus on these challenges is the right time to do so.”
Keller added he believed a special session was “the only answer.”
On July 9, the ACLU of New Mexico; EQNM; Bold Futures NM and the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness—along with 37 other organizations and mental health experts—sent Lujan Grisham a letter expressing concerns about the proposals.
The governor initially identified a bill to require judges to order district attorneys to consider filing for involuntary commitment and which gives judges the ability to detain the defendant for up to seven years to initiate the petition; a bill to broaden definitions of danger to self and danger to others in the involuntary commitment statute; a bill to up sentencing for felons in possession of firearms; a bill to make loitering on medians less than 36 inches in width where the speed limit is more than 30 miles per hour; and a bill that would require every law enforcement agency in the state to submit monthly reports to the Department of Public Safety on crime incidents and ballistics information as the legislative priorities.
Today, she announced three added priorities: a bill to provide up-front money to local governments to begin repairing public infrastructure as a result of the South Fork and Salt fires in Ruidoso; a bill to address growing issues with fentanyl; and a bill to address racketeering.
In a news release following the conference, several advocacy group leaders remained in opposition.
“In recent days, the governor has appeared in the media with individuals experiencing homelessness in the background,” New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness Executive Director Monica Silva says. “Instead of villainizing them or using them as props, she could have offered them a meal, or to connect them with services—just as she could be calling for legislation that would address New Mexico’s lack of affordable housing and services. Her decision to focus on punishment and criminalization is cruel, ineffective, and will harm the most vulnerable people in our communities.”
Equality New Mexico Executive Director Marshall Martinez noted agreement with the governor and other state leaders “that the issues our communities are facing are dire, and that we must urgently address them. But policies that are created from the top down and devoid of input from the people who are most impacted by them will never lead to positive outcomes. We desperately need real solutions and the only proposals the governor has offered so far are punishment, incarceration, and coercion.”
Bold Futures NM Public Policy Director Kat Sanchez followed suit, saying the proposals related to involuntary commitment “have a troubling potential for abuse.” She noted service providers and advocates were once again absent in the proceedings.
“What stands out about today’s proclamation is who was not at the table: mental healthcare providers, direct service providers to those experiencing homelessness, or even anyone who themselves have dealt with or is currently dealing with those issues,” Sanchez said. “They were missing today and they’ve been missing in every draft of legislation coming from the fourth floor.”
The special session’s outcome remains largely unknown. Earlier this week, Democratic leadership also signaled concerns with the anticipated agenda, saying the first five bills identified needed more time and work. Lujan Grisham addressed the critiques during the press conference, saying legislators had more than enough time to do the work.
“This isn’t about time. It’s about leadership. They should spend their time debating these proposals,” the governor said. “This is about a legislature who the day the last session started were not willing to discuss these proposals, and I’m disappointed by that, but there’s still time…This is worth figuring it out.”
