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➡The First Session of the 57th Legislature begins: January 21st - Opening day (noon)

Call to Action!

Speak during the committee hearing

This is where call to actions will be listed: STAY TUNED

CLICK: Contact Info for all NM House & Senate legislators

Attend in person:

New Mexico State Capitol
490 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501

Legislative Recap

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WATCH: NM Republican legislators lay out their priorities for the 2025 legislative session.

WATCH: Rep. John Block gives a summary on what bills to look out for.

Press Releases

If New Mexico State Senator Gets His Way, New Mexico Will Be Closed for Business

Gangs and Cartels, your time is up! New Mexico State Senator Craig Brandt brings RICO Update that will make it easier for prosecutors to go after you.

Santa Fe, NM — Today, Senator Craig Brandt (R-Rio Rancho) has pre-filed a measure to expand and strengthen our state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) statute. The bill expands the scope of crimes that qualify for RICO prosecution including sexual exploitation of children, expanded human trafficking, gangs, cartels, and more. Senator Brandt has been in collaboration with various law enforcement entities as well as with the Governor’s Office as part of collective efforts to address the out-of-control crime crisis in our state. 

In addition, Senator Brandt has issued the following statement:

“This bill will give our DA’s and prosecutors the tools they have been asking for to go after organized crime in the state of New Mexico.” The Senator continued, “This will make our state a safer place for our children and our grandchildren. This bill may have New Mexico closed for business to gangs and cartels, but it will ensure that New Mexico stays open for business for those who want to make our state a better place to live.” 

Senator Brantley, Senator Ramos File Public Safety Border Bills Ahead of 2025 Session

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:

  • Legislation increasing the penalty for selling or distributing fentanyl;

  • Legislation adding a first-degree murder charge for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death;

  • Legislation appropriating funds to improve communications infrastructure for border security and surveillance; and

  • Legislation prohibiting state and local governments from adopting policies to prohibit or restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities, effectively banning “sanctuary cities.”

Senator Crystal Brantley issued the following statement regarding the bill’s introduction:

“Border security is public safety—whether you live in the metro or on a cattle ranch miles from the nearest town, the impacts of our failure to secure the border reverberate around the state. These are bills aimed at the heart of what we as legislators see in our districts: abundant fentanyl, isolated law enforcement, and lack of connectivity. Back in April, the Governor and the leaders of the legislature claimed mine and other public safety measures were not given enough time to be properly vetted through the legislative process. Now, eight months later, our constituents cannot afford to wait any longer.”

Senator Brantley also announced that she will collaborate with other border legislators on these measures including Senator Gabriel Ramos (R-Silver City). Senator Ramos previously represented Senate District 28 as a Democrat. In 2024, Senator Ramos was reelected to his previously held seat as a Republican.

Senator Ramos, who will be sworn into office later this month, issued the following statement alongside Senator Brantley:

“We have an unprecedented public safety crisis unfolding at the southern border—one that demands our immediate attention and action. I know the legislative process and the urgency by which we must address these important issues. I’m eager to collaborate with my friend Senator Brantley on accomplishing these and other critical public safety measures.”

Senator Craig Brandt Re-introduces Shooting Threat Bill

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.

Senator Brandt has issued the accompanying statement:  

“I am proud to bring back this bill. There is no reason why we should treat a shooting threat as any less serious than a bomb threat.” The Senator continued, “This commonsense proposal is key to ensuring we improve public safety, especially for our children in school, where threats of violence must be taken seriously and dealt with swiftly. There’s a lot of talk in Santa Fe about improving ‘public safety,’ but it’s time we take action by enacting these simple solutions to actually make our communities safer.” 

Senate Republican Whip, Pat Woods Responds to LFC Budget Recommendation

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.”

Senator Brantley Introduces Bill to Incentivize Phone-Free Schools in New Mexico

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.”

Major school districts nationwide, including Los Angeles, have recently implemented phone-free school policies. Senator Brantley’s bill proposes a program to encourage and support New Mexico schools in adopting similar policies by creating a grant program to reimburse school districts for acquiring tools to implement the policy such as the Yondr Pouches used in Los Angeles. 

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Composition of the NM Legislature

There are currently 43 Democrats and 24 Republicans in the House of Representatives.

There are currently 27 Democrats and 11 Republicans in the Senate.

Important Dates

  • January 21 - Opening day (noon)

  • February 20 - Deadline for introduction

  • March 22 - Session ends (noon)

  • April 11 - Legislation not acted upon by governor is pocket vetoed

  • June 20 - Effective date of legislation not a general appropriation bill or a bill carrying an emergency clause or other specified date

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