Kaylhni Andrade, visiting the Capitol from Albuquerque, smiles as she covers herself in the folds of Sahira Guillen’s quinceañera dress during a presentation for Early Childhood Education Day on Monday, March 17, 2025. Guillen, with OLE NM, along with three other young women, donned quinceañera dresses to represent the 15 years that they have fought for better wages for early childhood educators. Photo by Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican

The Santa Fe New Mexican Staff: 

CYFD reform heads to governor: A bill to create an Office of Child Advocate within the New Mexico Department of Justice to monitor the state’s Children, Youth and Families Department is now on its way to the governor’s desk. 

The House on Monday concurred with changes to the bill made by the Senate. 

“When the systems designed to protect children fall short, our kids pay the price. Our children cannot afford to wait,” co-sponsor House Speaker Javier Martínez, D-Albuquerque, said in a statement.

Revitalizing ‘epicenter for crime’: Legislation designed to support the redevelopment of the state fairgrounds in Albuquerque and inject the surrounding crime-ridden areas with an economic jolt of energy passed the Senate on a 24-15 vote Monday.

Senate Bill 481 creates a mechanism to fund infrastructure improvements on the grounds at Expo New Mexico with a so-called tax increment development district.

The bill would create a State Fairgrounds District that would be governed by a body of elected officials and one community member. The bill also would authorize the district to issue up to $500 million in revenue bonds, according to a fiscal impact report.

“Senate Bill 481 provides an opportunity for the state to undertake a Marshall Plan to reinvigorate and save the neighborhoods around the state-owned and operated state fairgrounds,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque.

“That area is now the state epicenter for crime, pedestrian fatalities, cartel activity, human trafficking, drugs, crime, tent cities,” she said, referring to the International District, which has long been known as the War Zone and is now being called “Zombie Land” because of a large number of people using fentanyl. “It’s gotten quite bad.”

The push to create the district comes after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham late last year announced plans to potentially convert the property into mixed-use housing, retail and entertainment areas.

Some lawmakers questioned whether the fairgrounds would remain in the same location; Stewart said she doesn’t have an answer.

“The governor really wants the state fair to remain in the central part of New Mexico if the master plan [to redevelop the 236-acre, state-owned parcel] comes back with, ‘We should move the state fair,’ ” she said. “There’s areas being talked about: Edgewood, Mesa del Sol, South Valley, Balloon Fiesta Park.”

New WNMU board takes shape: Lawmakers have nearly finished filling out the Western New Mexico University board of regents after the school’s previous members resigned en masse amid allegations of improper spending at the college.

The state Senate on Monday unanimously approved three more members to the board. They join former state Sen. Steven Neville, who was confirmed by the Senate late last week. With four new regents set to step in, just one more is needed to fill out the board.

The three new regents are:

• John Wertheim, an attorney who served as an advisor to former governors Bruce King and Bill Richardson as well as current Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and acted as the chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico from 2004-2007;
• Keana Huerta, who has served on the school’s student government, as a member of the Hurley town council and who has a budding career as a Tejano music artist (Huerta replaces Trent Jones, who did not resign but who was serving in his role as student regent until his replacement came along after his term ended in December), and
• Joseph Dean Reed, who earned two degrees from Western and has had a long career in hospital sales.

The appointees’ varying degrees of connection to the school were lauded by senators, who noted that while two of them have attended or are currently attending Western, Wertheim’s status as an outsider — he does not reside in Silver City — was also a strength.

“I think it’s important that some outside eyes take a look at Western New Mexico University as it regains its credibility, appoints a new president, gets back on track and moves in a new direction into the future,” said Sen. Moe Maestas, D-Albuquerque, in presenting Wertheim.

During a Senate Rules Committee on Monday, the appointees echoed comments by Neville on Friday in discussing their plans to right the Western ship when they assumed office.

That included plans to get to know the school, searching for and selecting a new president to guide it, and possibly conducting their own forensic audit of Western’s spending that led to the scandal.

Wertheim also argued the university should look into policy gaps that may have led to the reckless spending, noting many of the allegations stem from issues like improper approvals of purchases.

“Maybe the policies were not as clear as they needed to be,” he said.

Foster parent task force: The Senate endorsed a bill Monday to create a task force charged with developing ideas to support, recruit and retain foster families in New Mexico.

Senate Bill 305, which would create the Quality Foster Parent Recruitment and Retention Task Force, passed 34-2.

“As we see from the news reports, children of all ages in our state’s foster care system continue to be forced to sleep in state office buildings with no end in sight. This situation is untenable,” said Sen. Nicole Tobiassen, R-Albuquerque, who sponsored the measure.

Some lawmakers questioned whether the proposal was better suited as a memorial than a bill.

Sen. Katy Duhigg, D-Albuquerque, said memorials “kind of drive [her] crazy” because “they are nothing but a strongly worded suggestion” — a point Tobiassen reiterated in her closing remarks.

“A memorial is a suggestion,” she said. “A bill is a mandate.”

Biking toward the finish line: Cyclists, rejoice.

Senate Bill 73, a bill to allow bicyclists to pedal past stop signs and red lights when the coast is clear, secured approval on the House floor Monday. The bill will now head to the governor’s desk.

While presenting the bill Monday, co-sponsor Rep. Pamelya Herndon, D-Albuquerque, explained the bill would impact cyclists in two scenarios. First, it would allow a cyclist to proceed through a stop light before it turns green, if the cyclist first stops to ensure no vehicle, other bike or pedestrian is approaching the intersection. Second, it would allow bicyclists to proceed through stop signs if there are no approaching vehicle, bike or pedestrian.

Though the bill passed the House by a vote of 39-27, it raised the eyebrows of Democrats and Republicans alike, some of whom argued the traffic shake-up would create confusion and endanger cyclists and drivers.

In her comments on the bill, Rep. Gail Armstrong, R-Magdalena, repeated something she said she often told her children as they learned to navigate streets safely: “Doesn’t matter — if you’re dead — if you were in the right or the wrong.”

Medical mushrooms on the move: New Mexico is another step closer to a program for medical use of psilocybin mushrooms. 

The House Health and Human Services Committee on Monday voted 8-1 to advance Senate Bill 219, which would allow medical treatment with psilocybin for major depressive disorder, substance use disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and end-of-life anxiety, with the possibility of additional uses in the future. 

Medical use of psilocybin mushrooms would occur in a clinical setting, under the guidance of a professional, said co-sponsor Sen. Martin Hickey, D-Albuquerque, while presenting the bill. It would not be self-administered. 

Under SB 219, the state Department of Health would also create rules governing medical use of psilocybin. The program would go into effect in 2028. 

As the bill has moved through the legislative process this session, many who have benefitted from the treatment have voiced their positive experiences with it. 

That was the case on Monday, too, with commenters from the public describing how the treatment changed — and in many cases, saved — their lives. 

“It literally re-wires the brain,” Hickey said.

Quotes of the day: “This is a strange session, and I think it’s worthy to note that the former chair of the Democrat Party was elected by four Republicans even when [former Albuquerque Mayor] Marty Chavez stood up for you.” —Sen. Jim Townsend, R-Artesia, joking about Monday’s 6-0 vote in the Senate Rules Committee to endorse the appointment of John Wertheim to the board of regents at Western New Mexico University. Wertheim served as chair of the state Democratic Party from 2004 to 2007.

“I make sure that I have my own personal security with me when I go to that part of town. It’s not a fun place to be and, quite frankly, it’s frightening that it looks like ‘Zombie Land’, and I’m going to say this, it’s hell on earth there.” —Sen. Nicole Tobiassen, R-Albuquerque, describing Albuquerque’s International District, which she said she only visits with her husband or one of her two sons, who she said look like “linebackers”.