Marilyn Converse, a volunteer with the Santa Fe Animal Shelter, and Perla hang out in the grass on the east side of the Roundhouse Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, Animal Protection Lobby Day at the Legislature. Photo by Matt Dahlseid/The New Mexican
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Nuclear bill bombs: A bipartisan proposal to add nuclear power facilities to the state’s definition of renewable energy resources was shot down Tuesday in the Senate Conservation Committee.
Democratic senators’ concerns expressed during the hearing on Senate Bill 78 centered largely on nuclear waste and where it is stored. Some noted nuclear power generation is not usually considered renewable because uranium is finite — something Sen. Angel Charley, D-Acoma, said could set a concerning precedent.
“I believe this weakens climate ambition without saying so,” Charley said.
The bill would have defined nuclear power facilities as those that generate electricity through nuclear reactions and do not emit carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases.
Under current state statute, at least 50% of power sold in New Mexico should come from renewable energy by Jan. 1, 2030.
The committee voted 5-4 to table the measure, with the Republicans plus Sen. Liz Stefanics, D-Cerrillos, the committee chair, opposed. Lawmakers who supported the bill discussed pitfalls they see for two of New Mexico’s current renewable energy resources.
“We have to think forward,” said Sen. Candy Ezzell, R-Roswell. “Everything that we’ve got going on in the state of New Mexico, and yet we’re at the mercy of — as far as renewables go — just wind and solar.”
Abortion reporting: The New Mexico Senate approved a measure Tuesday to repeal a 49-year-old law requiring a report of induced abortions.
Senate Bill 30 passed on a 24-15 party-line vote, with every Republican in the chamber voting in opposition. Sen. Jay Block, R-Rio Rancho, called it a “sinful bill.”
“If you want to hide the evils of killing babies in New Mexico, that’s what we’re doing,” he said. “The state of New Mexico today is hiding the atrocities of killing babies. I’ve said it before, and I believe fully in my heart, this state is contributing to the holocaust of taking millions of lives in this country.”
SB 30 would void a section of state statute requiring each induced abortion performed in New Mexico to be reported to the state registrar within five days either by the institution where it was performed or by the attending physician if performed outside of an institution.
Supporters described it as a measure to protect doctors.
“The concern … is that this statute grants the registrar the ability to disseminate the information of who [are] the providers who are providing this health care service to a wide variety of different federal, nonprofit and out-of-state entities,” said Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, who is among the sponsors of SB 30.
“This statute is out of date, doesn’t conform with our current law,” added Wirth, D-Santa Fe. “It needs to be repealed.”
Order in the court: Two judicial districts will each get another judge under a bill that sailed through the state Senate with unanimous approval Tuesday.
Senate Bill 35 creates a judgeship in the First Judicial District, which covers Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties, and one in the 2nd Judicial District in Bernalillo County.
“The money is already in the budget for both of those judgeships,” said sponsor Sen. Linda Trujillo, D-Santa Fe, said.
But the case isn’t closed: The bill now heads to the House.
Office of New Americans: A bill to create an Office of New Americans as a division of the Department of Workforce Solutions passed the House 40-21 Tuesday.
House Bill 124 defines “new Americans” as “people residing in the United States who are not citizens of the United States or who were not citizens of the United States at birth.”
While the office was established in 2024, HB 124 would formalize its existence. Many other states have similar offices; if the bill becomes law New Mexico will be the 24th, according to a news release from supporters of the bill. Supporters pitched it as a business-friendly measure.
“What this office is doing is really great work in terms of economic development and connecting workers to jobs in our state,” said sponsor Rep. Cristina Parajón, D-Albuquerque.
The office is currently grant-funded, although Parajón said it will likely require a legislative appropriation in later years once the grant funding runs out.
Rep. Alan Martinez, R-Bernalillo, questioned the need for the bill and asked why there isn’t a similar division codified within the department to help veterans.
“I don’t understand why we’re turning our backs on our veterans,” he said.
Rep. Stefani Lord, R-Sandia Park, similarly asked why there isn’t a division codified for Native Americans.
Before the vote, lawmakers debated for more than an hour before tabling an amendment proposed by Rep. Angelita Mejia, R-Dexter, saying only people who are in the country legally could access services from the office.
Gun penalties for felons: The House voted 54-9 Tuesday to pass House Bill 49, which would increase the penalty for serious violent felons who receive, transport or possess a firearm or destructive device.
If passed, the bipartisan bill would impose a mandatory minimum sentence of nine years for a person found to be in possession of a firearm who has prior serious violent felony convictions, raising it from a third- to a second-degree felony.
“This legislation will help reduce gun violence and increase accountability for serious, repeat offenders by bringing New Mexico’s penalties more in line with the federal law,” lead sponsor Rep. Joy Garratt, D-Albuquerque, said in a statement.
Out-of-school programs: Students and staff involved in the nonprofit New Mexico Out-of-School Time Network gathered at the Capitol to advocate for increased — and recurring — funding for out-of-school programs, which are currently paid for through annual grants.
The New Mexico Out-of-School Time Network is a coalition of organizations and community members that aims to improve access to out-of-school programs for students. At a news conference Tuesday, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said he does not think current funding is enough.
He also brought up his concerns about the impact of social media on children, noting the recently begun trial in the state’s lawsuit against Instagram and Facebook parent company Meta.
“We have to start thinking about how to support young people in ways that reflect the challenges you are going through right now,” Torrez said.
Quote of the day: “Nothing like getting lobbied, is there?” — Sen. Pat Woods, R-Broadview, to a reporter after Elizabeth Groginsky, Cabinet secretary of the state Early Childhood Education and Care Department, asked him outside a committee room what it would take to get his support for a bill to fully fund free universal childcare.