‘Not a victory lap’: Governor touts progress, calls for more action in final speech to lawmakers 

SANTA FE — In her last and longest address to state lawmakers, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Tuesday touted the strides New Mexico has taken since she took office in 2019 to reduce poverty and improve its fiscal footing.

But the governor said her work — and the work of the Legislature — is not done, outlining an ambitious agenda on health care, public safety and the environment in her final regular session as governor.

"As I come to a close, let me be clear: this is not a victory lap and we’re not slowing down — we're pushing forward,"  Lujan Grisham said during her annual State of the State Address in the House chambers.

The governor, who is barred from seeking a third consecutive term and will step down at the end of this year, opened her speech by showing a video of her having lunch at Tia Sophia's restaurant in downtown Santa Fe with three former New Mexico governors — Gary Johnson, Susana Martinez and Garrey Carruthers. The state's other living former governor, Toney Anaya, appeared by phone in the video.

Lujan Grisham's highly-caffeinated appeal for bipartisanship appeared to win support from Republican lawmakers — at least on some issues.

Senate Minority Leader William Sharer, R-Farmington, said the Democratic governor was on the "same page" as GOP legislators on issues dealing with health care access and crime, including a proposal to make it easier to hold defendants charged with certain violent crimes behind bars until trial.

Another Republican, Rep. Rebecca Dow of Truth or Consequences, said GOP legislators had become "unlikely allies" with the governor on such issues.

But Sharer expressed misgivings about the governor's call to approve a New Mexico ban on assault weapons — an idea that's failed to win approval in past legislative sessions — and her push to fund a universal child care initiative launched last fall.

"Our message to Democrats is this: We need to focus on results that New Mexicans are demanding," Sharer said in his response to the governor's State of the State Address. 

He also said many of the governor's signature accomplishments — including free school meals for K-12 students and a tuition-free higher education program — would not have been possible without record-high revenue levels fueled by a surge in oil production in southeast New Mexico.

In recent years, the governor has at times sparred with legislative leaders in her own party on crime-related issues, including when the Democratic-controlled Legislature adjourned a 2024 special session without taking action on the governor's proposed agenda.

But Lujan Grisham said Tuesday she will continue to push for tougher penalties for felons in possession of firearms and violent juvenile offenders.

"Until everyone feels safe — frankly, until everyone is safe — in their home, their workplace, their place of worship, their schools, their playgrounds and parks — we're just not done," Lujan Grisham said in her speech.

She also acknowledged New Mexico's public education system still faces challenges, despite improved high school graduation rates and improved reading efficiency.

New Mexico has continued to rank at the bottom of national education rankings, and the Lujan Grisham administration has struggled to come into compliance with a landmark 2018 judicial ruling that the state was not meetings its obligation to "at-risk students," a group that includes Native American students and English-language learners. 

What was mentioned — and what wasn't 

In all, the governor's Tuesday speech to legislators clocked in at just over one hour — her longest speech to lawmakers in her seven-plus years in office.

For context, her 2022 address — delivered remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic — lasted just 25 minutes, while her speeches in 2019 and 2025 lasted 50 minutes each.

Despite the lengthy remarks, the governor did not mention several hot-button issues that have generated debate at the Roundhouse, including a proposal to bar New Mexico local governments from entering into contracts with federal agencies to detain immigrants for civil violations.

Top-ranking Democratic lawmakers have signaled that measure will be one of several bills fast-tracked to the governor's desk during this year's 30-day session. 

She also mentioned President Donald Trump only three times during her speech, criticizing the president for rolling back climate rules and reducing federal health care spending but praising him for following in New Mexico's steps by targeting dollars for rural health care.

Health care-related issues featured prominently in Lujan Grisham's address, as she called specifically for New Mexico to join several interstate medical compacts and for changes to the state's medical malpractice laws.

"We've done as much as possible to protect health care coverage; now we need to do more to expand health care access," the governor said.

Democratic lawmakers said Tuesday they're poised to act quickly on issues related to health care, announcing a package of 14 bills aimed at improving the state's health care provider shortage and health care access.

"Health care is our top priority this session, and we're demonstrating that commitment from day one," said Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe.

In addition, Sen. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, said the Senate Judiciary Committee would meet Wednesday to vote on a proposed medical compact bill for physicians that has been hammered out during bipartisan negotiations in recent months.

"The stakes are high, the time is short and the agenda is full," quipped Sen. William Soules, D-Las Cruces.

New issues emerge in governor's final stanza

While many of the issues cited by Lujan Grisham during her Tuesday speech have been debated in prior legislative sessions, some proposals were new.

That includes a proposed cellphone ban for New Mexico public school students that Lujan Grisham said would boost academic outcomes and lead to "safer, happier and better prepared students."

However, state lawmakers already approved a bill last year requiring all school districts statewide to adopt cell phone-related policies.

In addition, the governor spent much of her speech making the case for state-subsidized child care for all New Mexico residents, regardless of their income levels. The initiative has drawn national attention since being announced, but some lawmakers have expressed misgivings about its rollout and projected price tag.

Specifically, a $11.1 billion spending plan unveiled by the Legislative Finance Committee this month contained only a fraction of the $160 million in additional funding sought by the governor's administration for the program.

But the governor's mention of the universal child care initiative drew a standing ovation from Democratic lawmakers Tuesday, with the governor describing it as a "big damn deal."

She said 10,000 more New Mexico children have enrolled in the state's child care assistance program since November, and said child care center owners like Angela Martinez of Las Cruces — who attended the governor's speech — have stepped up to meet the demand for more slots.

"We're not just making progress, we're building a system focused on child wellbeing — a foundation for a financially secure future; a legacy that New Mexico's families can count on, and, again, a blueprint that the rest of America can and should follow," Lujan Grisham said.

She also said the initiative — along with other targeted policies — could make New Mexico more attractive as a destination.

"Families that are falling behind financially in other states can come to New Mexico and get ahead," said Lujan Grisham, who also cited a national credit rating agency's recent upgrade of New Mexico's bond rating.

New Mexico has lagged behind other western states in population growth in recent years, and the state's population is projected to skew increasingly elderly in future years.

Some of those challenges will be inherited by the state's next governor regardless of the outcome of this year's 30-day legislative session, and several gubernatorial candidates were present for Tuesday's opening day.

Democrats Sam Bregman and Deb Haaland both received hearty rounds of applause when introduced in the House chamber, as did Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, who is one of several Republican candidates vying for the state's highest office.

However, University of New Mexico football coach Jason Eck might have received the loudest applause from lawmakers, fresh off a 9-4 season that ended with a narrow Lobos' loss in the Rate Bowl in Phoenix.

Dan Boyd covers state government and politics for the Journal in Santa Fe. Follow him on X at @DanBoydNM or reach him via email at dboyd@abqjournal.com.