Undeterred by three interruptions by protestors Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham laid out her plans for the 30-day legislative session on Tuesday during her annual State of the State address.
Lujan Grisham’s 50-minute speech hit on several topics including job creation, education, affordable and workforce housing, healthcare and climate change.
She spent a large portion of her comments on fighting crime in New Mexico particularly the deaths of young people through gun violence.
“We have experienced the trauma of a mass shooting in Farmington, and the tragedy of a 6- year-old shot just this weekend in Hurley – and while the facts are still unfolding, it is clear that more children were involved in this violence,” she said. “We have seen too many ruined lives, too many broken families, too many stolen futures, and too many small coffins."
Lujan Grisham endorsed several bills that have been or are soon to be introduced in the legislature including a ban on assault weapons, raising the legal purchase age for all guns to 21, instituting a 14-day waiting period, increasing penalties for felons in possession of a firearm, keeping guns out of parks and playgrounds, and allowing law enforcement officers to file Extreme Risk Protection Orders to keep firearms away from people who are a danger to themselves or others.
Most of those proposals aren’t new and haven’t gotten far in the legislature being opposed by Republicans and some Democrats.
After the address, Senate Minority Floor Leader Gregory Baca called the Governor’s speech a facade that pulled a mask over the eyes of the public.
“We ignored facts like oil and gas revenue. This is the second year now that we have heard no mention of oil and gas,” he said. “Actually we did hear one mention this year. It was using the severance tax bonds to do some pet projects she may have, but that’s all. In the meantime what we have coming through the pipeline is more legislation to hamstring our economy. Hamstring the one golden goose that we have.”
Baca says he does support some of the crime fighting proposals the Governor touched on including creating a rebuttable presumption for people charged with serious crimes, an update on RICO laws to include human trafficking and the exploitation of children and a state-wide ban on panhandling. The 30-day session runs until noon on Feb. 15th.