New Mexico legislative session passes 194 bills

New Mexico's 60-day legislative session ended on Saturday, with lawmakers filing nearly 1,200 bills. Out of these, 194 bills passed both legislative chambers. Some bills have already been signed into law, while others await decisions by the Governor before the April 11 signing deadline. In the area of crime and public safety, several key bills passed. Judges can now impose longer sentences for fentanyl trafficking and change court procedures for defendants deemed incompetent. The state also increased penalties for school shooting threats and established a turquoise alert system for missing Native Americans. However, a proposed assault weapon ban and other measures failed. In education, lawmakers required schools to adopt cellphone policies and increased starting teacher salaries to $55,000 per year. They also expanded protections for the Spanish language and culture. Some measures, like the creation of an Anti-Hazing Act, did not pass. Regarding health and family, New Mexico will now have a state-run psilocybin program for medical patients. Other successful bills include overhauling the state’s mental health system and creating an Office of the Child Advocate. However, efforts to create a state-funded paid leave program did not succeed. On environmental issues, lawmakers made strides in funding for wildfire suppression and achieving net-zero emissions. A failed measure included efforts to codify limits on greenhouse gas emissions. In energy, the session raised maximum oil and gas royalties and funded abandoned mine cleanup initiatives. However, proposals to restrict oil and gas operations near schools did not pass. In economic matters, important bills included expanded property tax exemptions for veterans and tax breaks for healthcare practitioners. However, a complete elimination of the personal income tax failed. Finally, in government and elections, several bills passed that affect voting and lobbying transparency. Notably, voters may soon decide on whether the governor should explain bill vetoes. Efforts to require identification for voting were unsuccessful. Overall, while many important bills gained approval, several key proposals did not make it through the session.