2025 NM Legislative Session

SANTA FE, JANUARY 21— In response to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's State of the State address this afternoon, Republican Party of New Mexico Chair Amy Barela issued the following statement:

"While we acknowledge the governor's sentiment that New Mexicans deserve better, her same approach of throwing more money at the many issues in our state has not produced results. Over her 6-year tenure, the state budget has increased by approximately 73%, yet critical areas like education and child welfare remain last in the nation. We have yet to see substantial progress in The Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD).

SANTA FE – Senator Crystal Brantley (R-Elephant Butte) has been appointed as the ranking Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Chaired by Senator Joseph Cervantes (D-Las Cruces), Senate Judiciary Committee hears all key bills related to public safety, sentencing reform, constitutional issues, and legal matters.

In the past year, leaders across the state have indicated they will bring major bills that will likely be heard before the Senate Judiciary Committee. These include the Governor's public safety package, the attorney general's anti-hazing and anti cyberbullying bills, RICO statute reforms, second amendment bills, CYFD oversight legislation, and even Senator Brantley's own proposed border safety package. As a legislator, Senator Brantley has repeatedly lead on a number of these issues in staunch support of the Constitution and the rule of law.

In response to her appointment, Senator Brantley issued the following statement:

Martínez retained as Speaker, Committee Chairs announced, and new members sworn in
as House Democrats begin session focused on public safety, child well-being, and affordability

Santa Fe, N.M. – Today at Noon, the New Mexico House of Representatives called to order the first session of its 57th Legislature. House Democrats' priorities for the 60-day session include improving public safety, supporting the well-being of New Mexico's children, relieving the financial pressures on working families, and ensuring all New Mexicans have access to healthcare, housing, and economic opportunities.

ELEPHANT BUTTE— Senator Crystal Brantley (R-Elephant Butte) announced the pre-filing of a distraction-free school grant program today. The bill aims to incentivize the adoption of phone-free schools in New Mexico. This legislation seeks to address the growing concern about the impact of personal electronic devices on students' academic performance and social development.

"As a mother of teenage daughters, I have seen this issue up close," said Senator Brantley. "This is an easy step we can improve educational outcomes in New Mexico. But to be clear, this isn't just about improving education. Anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and cyberbullying; these issues don't scratch the surface of the negative outcomes our kids are facing from unfettered access to the internet and social media. Removing phones as a distraction in school is a simple way we can make a measurable improvement in the lives of all of our students."

Santa Fe, NM — Today, the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) held a press conference to announce their FY26 Budget recommendation to be considered by lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session. Senator Pat Woods (R-Broadview), a member of LFC and Senate Finance Committee has issued the following statement in response:

"As the Legislature is being asked to consider another record-setting budget, I see many places that these dollars could be better spent. Instead of reducing the burden on taxpayers and businesses, this recommendation expands our bureaucracy, in turn creating a bigger burden on the next generations of New Mexicans. While every line-item has its own significance, simply throwing money at the problems has not generated positive outcomes." The Senator continued, "We need defined goals that can be measured to see if we improve government services. We must demand that these expenditures are targeted in achieving their purpose and that there is a true return on the public's investment."

Santa Fe, NM — Senator Craig Brandt (R-Rio Rancho) has pre-filed a measure that, if passed, would elevate to a felony the issuing of a shooting threat. It also includes the creation of a new crime and new penalties for 'swatting,' which is the making of a false report of a serious crime or threat which provokes a serious police response (eg, deploying a SWAT team) on an innocent and unsuspecting party. These increasingly common occurrences are extremely dangerous both for law enforcement and the parties involved. Currently, a shooting threat is only a misdemeanor in New Mexico while 'swatting' is not an offense at all. The pre-filed legislation can be found in the index of Senate pre-files.

See the full agenda below

SANTA FE—Today, Senator Crystal Brantley (R-Elephant Butte) pre-filed four bills addressing public safety in New Mexico. All four measures were previously introduced by Senator Brantley and Senator Steven McCutcheon (R-Carlsbad) during the 2024 Public Safety Special Session. None of the bills were given a hearing at the time.

The bills, which can be found in their entirety on the index of Senate pre-files, are as follows: