New Mexico Legislature in Final 13 Days Highlights of What’s in Play

With just 13 days left in the 2025 New Mexico State legislative session the pressure is on legislators to get the job done in areas of budget reconciliation and leadership, crime, affordable housing and a plethora of other competing priorities. 

Education is top of mind as New Mexico still struggles with its rankings verse’s national standards. SJR 15 calls for a constitutional amendment to remove the New Mexico Public Education Department from the governor’s Cabinet and instead restore a previous system of governance overseeing public education in the state: a statewide school board, with a superintendent at the helm of the department.

The move, as proposed by sponsor Sen. Bill Soules, D-Las Cruces, would provide more stability to the state’s education system, which has seen near-constant turnover in its top leadership as per the arguments in support of the measure. 

The House on Monday voted to approve three bills to help address the housing crisis and homelessness.

House Bill 253 — which would seal eviction records for cases that are old, incomplete or unsuccessfully pursued by the landlord — passed by a vote of 38-25.

House Bill 453, which passed by a vote of 47-16, would help New Mexicans with less-than-ideal credit secure housing while limiting risk for landlords to rent to these individuals. The bill creates a Housing Creditworthiness Assistance Program within the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority.

House Bill 448, which passed by a vote of 49-17, would establish a state Office of Housing Planning and Production to address housing and homelessness challenges across New Mexico.

DEI is not dead yet in New Mexico if certain legislators make their case.  Amid increasing hostility from the Trump administration toward diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, a state Senate committee on Sunday advanced a “Diversity Act” that would create positions in the State Personnel Office and other agencies to lead DEI efforts.

The Health and Public Affairs Committee is the first stop for Senate Bill 356 as the 60-day legislative session heads into its final two weeks. They voted 6-3 to approve the proposal after less than 15 minutes of debate.

It heads next to the Senate Finance Committee.

The Paid Family Medical Leave Act aimed at increasing paid time for New Mexico workers advanced in the legislature on Saturday. House Bill 11 would allow workers six weeks of paid time off when having to care for loved ones, and other situations. New parents would be eligible for 12 weeks as well.

Workers would be required to pay into a state fund, with half-a-percent coming from their wages. Businesses with five or more employees would pay 4-tenths of a percent.

The bill has been criticized by state Republicans saying it would raise costs for small businesses, hurting them in the long run, but supporters said it’s a safety net for New Mexico’s workforce. The bill is now heading to the Senate Finance Committee.

More to come stay tuned…

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