As the state legislative session passes its halfway point, some key legislation has already passed through the House and Senate.
The Immigrant Safety Act is headed to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's desk after the State Senate passed the bill Tuesday night. Lujan Grisham has previously expressed support for the bill. The bill made its way through the Senate quickly. It passed a Senate committee Monday after the House passed it last Friday.
The Immigrant Safety Act will prohibit state or local governments from contracting with ICE or any other agencies detaining people for immigration violations. Lawmakers also added an amendment that would prohibit law enforcement from collaborating with ICE agents. House Democrats said in an earlier statement that the bill would not interfere with law enforcement’s authority to detain individuals for criminal charges or investigative needs.
State Senator Joseph Cervantes opposed similar legislation last year but was a key supporter of the Immigrant Safety Act. In closing remarks, Cervantes said that he has changed and grown and also noted how much immigration enforcement has changed. Cervantes said that under the Trump administration, immigration enforcement is "all about quotas" and relies too much on racial profiling.
As the bill sped through the legislsature, Republican lawmakers voiced opposition, noting the jobs that New Mexico's three ICE detention facilities provide for rural communities. Senator Bill Sharer called the bill "virtue signaling" and "political theatrics."
All 15 Republican State Senators voted against the bill.
The New Mexico House of Representatives unanimously passed Senate Bill 1 yesterday. The bill would expand access to healthcare by allowing licensed, qualified providers in other states to serve patients in New Mexico through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. That bill also awaits the governor's signature.
Seven additional healthcare compacts have already passed the House and are in the Senate, while two more compact bills are headed to the House floor.
Licensure compacts allow professionals licensed in other states to practice in New Mexico. Forty-three states, including those bordering New Mexico, participate in the licensure compacts. The compacts are part of a broader effort by state lawmakers to ease workforce shortages across the state.
In addition to healthcare, other compact bills will focus on social workers and other behavioral health professions.
The Clear Horizons Act advanced yesterday in the Senate Conservation Committee on a 5-4 vote. High-turnout forced the hearing to be moved to the Senate floor to accommodate public interest. Lawmakers heard two hours of public comment, including a full hour of testimony from supporters.
Forty-one New Mexicans from across the state spoke in support of the bill, highlighting shared priorities around affordability, public health, economic stability, and responsible planning. Testimony underscored the broad and diverse support for a long-term framework to reduce harmful pollution while providing certainty for communities and businesses.
The Clear Horizons Act codifies New Mexico’s existing climate pollution reduction goals into law and provides state agencies with clear authority to measure, track, and guide progress over time. The bill focuses on large industrial sources of pollution.
In a statement, Senate Republicans called the bill's mandate to reach zero emissions by 2050 "scientifically impossible." The statement went on to claim that the Clear Horizons Act will drive away New Mexico's vital industries and future economic development.
Following today’s vote, the Clear Horizons Act will continue through the legislative process to the Senate Tax, Business, and Transportation Committee.
