Walt Rubel Commentary: So many possibilities, so little time for NM Legislature

The final weekend of a 30-day legislative session feels a little bit like a child looking through the window of a toy store days before Christmas; there are so many wonderful possibilities.

Every day my email gets filled with press releases about bills and constitutional amendments that have “cleared a significant hurdle and are now one step closer to passage.” And, some of them would make a huge difference.

House Bill 99, cosponsored by local representatives Sarah Silva and Doreen Gallegos, seeks to reform medical malpractice laws that are the most punitive in the nation, causing doctors to flee the state and creating health care shortages throughout New Mexico. That bill passed the House on a commanding 66-3 vote Saturday.

House Bill 306 would prevent hospitals and clinics from charging for telehealth appointments or preventative services such as vaccines. It passed the House unanimously.

On the Senate side, Senate Bill 5 was passed Friday on a 40-1 vote. It would end the statute of limitations on sex crimes involving children.

On Thursday, the Senate passed SB 241, which would make New Mexico the first state in the nation to provide universal child care to all residents. It would be a significant achievement worthy of national attention as Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham winds down her final term in office.

That same day, the House passed HB 200, which would help address our housing shortage by providing incentives for homebuilders to construct more affordable homes and helping first-time homebuyers.

That is just a small sample of the bills that have made their way through one chamber as the Legislature rolls into its final days. As I write this at noon Sunday with exactly four days to go, there are 53 House bills and four joint resolutions pending in the Senate and 27 Senate bills and one joint resolution pending in the House.

And, that doesn’t count the scores of House bills still inching their way through the House and Senate bills crawling through the Senate. They have the same chance as cross country skiers in the Olympics who fall behind early in a long-distance race and come trudging home long after the winner has taken the celebratory photos and moved inside to start the victory party.

Of all the bills still pending, only one is guaranteed to pass. That’s House Bill 2, always the main budget. I don’t know which of the other bills will get a final vote, but I do know the process for making those decisions will involve a small group of leaders meeting behind closed doors. 

The number of bills passed on the final day will depend on Republicans. After being powerless through the first 29 days, the final morning is the one time they get to be heard. They still can’t pass any of their own bills, but they can limit the number of bills passed by Democrats by extending the debate on each one. 

Of all the legislation passed from one side to the other last week, the most meaningful were House Joint Resolution 5, which would allow legislators to receive a salary, and Joint Resolution 6, which would call for 45-day sessions each year instead of our current alternating 30-day and 60-day calendars.

But they probably won’t pass because the 30-day session won’t allow enough time for debate. That, plus the fact that entrenched lawmakers see reform as a threat. More people would be able to run for office, and fewer incumbents would go unopposed each cycle.

Walter Rubel can be reached at [email protected]

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