The Roundhouse in Santa Fe. Post file photo

BY NATHAN Brown
The Santa Fe New Mexican

The Legislature may have 112 members, but only a few will play the biggest roles in deciding which bills advance, which don’t and, in the case of the Republican minority, what they will fight the hardest and what sort of compromises they will be willing to make.

House leadership

House Speaker Javier Martínez: The Albuquerque Democrat is a lawyer and community advocate who has been in the House for a decade. He is entering his third year leading the chamber. The 2024 session saw some liberal successes, including the passage of clean vehicle fuel standards and a seven-day waiting period for gun purchases, but also notable disappointments, including the failure in the House by one vote of a paid family and medical leave bill. At a news conference in Albuquerque a week ago, Martínez and other Democratic leaders said priorities for the upcoming session include public safety, increasing behavioral health funding and fixing a “broken” Children, Youth and Families Department.

House Majority Leader Reena Szczepanski: A Santa Fe Democrat, Szczepanski worked in health policy and was chief of staff to former House Speaker Brian Egolf before running for office herself and is the first Asian American woman to be named to legislative leadership in New Mexico. She was majority whip before being elevated by her colleagues last year because of the retirement of the previous majority leader, Rep. Gail Chasey, D-Albuquerque. Her House District 47 includes downtown as well as the eastern, southern and northern edges of Santa Fe and adjacent areas of Santa Fe County.

House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong: A Magdalena Republication, Armstrong has been in the Legislature since 2017. She was the Republican House caucus chair before being named to the top leadership spot late last year. Democrats lost a couple of legislative seats amid President-elect Donald Trump’s overperformance in the November 2024 election in New Mexico, although they still retained comfortable majorities in both chambers. In a recent news conference, Armstrong and other House GOP leaders said their priorities include medical malpractice reform, abolishing New Mexico’s income tax and — one potential point of agreement with legislative Democrats — CYFD reform.

Senate leadership

Senate President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart: An Albuquerque Democrat whose central Albuquerque District 17 spans an area east of the University of New Mexico and north of the Albuquerque International Sunport, Stewart has been in the Legislature for about 30 years, serving in the House for two decades before being appointed to the Senate to replace now-Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller when he was elected state auditor. One of her major goals has been to pass a paid family and medical leave bill. Opposed by Republicans and a minority of more business-friendly Democrats, the bill has come up short in recent sessions, but advocates hope the ongoing shrinking via retirements and primary losses of the Democrats’ conservative wing means it has a chance this year.

Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth: The Democrat, a Santa Fe lawyer who has been in the Senate since 2009 and majority leader since 2017, represents District 25, which includes most of Santa Fe other than parts of the south side; his district also includes adjoining areas of the county as far as Glorieta and Tesuque. His New Mexico roots include being a grandson of famous architect John Gaw Meem. Like Martínez, Wirth wants to focus on public safety and behavioral health this year. He is also expected to sponsor a bill giving New Mexico control of its own discharge permitting program, a reaction to a U.S. Supreme Court decision narrowing federal authority to regulate some rivers and creeks.

Senate Minority Leader Bill Sharer: This will be the Farmington Republican’s first year leading the minority caucus, as previous minority leader Greg Baca, R-Belen, didn’t run for reelection. Sharer, who has been in the Legislature since 2001, is known for his lengthy and at-times whimsical filibusters of Democratic bills. 

Committee chairs

The heads of key committees are also powerful figures, with the ability to set the agenda for their panels and to decide which bills to advance or block. Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup, and Rep. Nathan Small, D-Las Cruces, are particularly important as the heads of the Senate and House budget committees.

Small was elevated to his current post shortly after Martínez assumed the speakership, replacing the more conservative Patty Lundstrom, who had aligned herself politically against Martínez. Muñoz, perhaps the most prominent of the shrinking number of conservative Democrats in the Legislature, has often been a voice urging fiscal restraint. The Legislative Finance Committee recently released its own budget plan, which is slightly smaller than the governor’s.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and legislative leaders have made it clear they plan to make public safety a priority this year. This will put the spotlight on Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, and Sen. Joe Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, who head the judiciary committees in their respective chambers.

What to know if you go
The Santa Fe New Mexican

The New Mexico Legislature’s 2025 session, a 60-day affair, kicks off at noon Tuesday at the state Capitol. If you plan to navigate the Roundhouse in the next two months, you might find yourself walking in circles, literally and figuratively. Here are some tips to help ease your visit.

Day 1 speech: 

• The spotlight on the session’s first day falls on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who will give her State of the State address, outlining her administration’s accomplishments and laying out her plans and priorities for both the session and the year. The governor speaks before the House and Senate on the House floor about an hour or two after the session starts. Senate Republican leaders will weigh in with a response about 30 minutes after the State of the State concludes.

Where to park:

• Spots are usually available in a free parking garage just behind the state Capitol; the entrance is off Galisteo Street. The garage can fill up quickly on busy mornings, such as the first day.

Other options nearby:

• City parking garage at 217 W. Water St.
• City lot at 100 E. Water St.
• City’s Railyard parking garage at 503 Camino de la Familia.
• Metered street parking is also available in the area.

Where to eat:

•  What the Truck catering service runs The Capitol Cafe on weekdays on the west side of the Capitol on the ground-floor level.

Other spots nearby:

• Kaune’s Neighborhood Market, a high-end grocery store at 511 Old Santa Fe Trail, that offers a variety of salads, sandwiches and other goods Monday through Saturday.
• An array of food trucks at 502 Old Santa Fe Trail: The selection includes Fusion Tacos Downtown, Bo’s Authentic Thai, Il Encanto, Santafamous Street Eats, Craft Donuts & Coffee and Santa Fe BBQ.
• Rio Chama Prime Steakhouse, 414 old Santa Fe Trail, a popular restaurant and bar for lawmakers and lobbyists. Hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday and 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
• The Pink Adobe, 406 Old Santa Fe Trail, offers New Mexican cuisine and cocktails from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

Security checkpoints: 

• Expect a long line to enter the Capitol on busy days, as visitors must go through a security checkpoint at the east and west entrances.

Accessibility: 

• The Capitol offers several features to accommodate people with disabilities, including large-screen monitors that provide closed captioning and designated accessible seating; improved audio systems and an accessible front entrance; power-assisted chamber doors on the east side and braille signage. There are elevators on the east and west sides of the building.

Leave it at home: 

• While service dogs are allowed, all other dogs, firearms and other types of weapons are prohibited. Most signs, banners and flags are prohibited inside, as are rallies and demonstrations, without prior approval. Food and beverages are prohibited for attendees in galleries and committee rooms. 

Observe the decorum:

• Applause and loud talking are not allowed in the galleries or committee rooms. Visitors are generally not permitted on the floor of the chambers while the Legislature is in session.

Find a bill:

• Visit nmlegis.gov and click on the “Legislation” link for bills, resolutions and other measures introduced by members of the state House and Senate. Legislation can be searched by number, sponsor or key words.

Daily schedules: 

• Committee and floor session agendas also are available at nmlegis.gov; click on the “What’s happening” link. Be prepared for changes: Bills are not always heard in order, and a bill might not get heard at all on the day it’s scheduled. 

Tune in from home:

• Visit nmlegis.gov and click on the “Webcast” link for livestreams of committee hearings and chamber floor sessions as well as recordings. 

Important dates:

• Feb. 20 is the deadline for introduction of proposed legislation. The session ends at noon March 22. Legislation not acted upon by the governor by April 11 is pocket-vetoed. June 20 is the date when many bills take effect. The exceptions are general appropriations bills, and measures carrying an emergency clause or other specified date.

Don’t miss the art: 

• The Capitol has a permanent collection of more than 600 artworks on display — inside and outside of the building — by New Mexico artists, from sculptures to paintings and photographs. One popular piece is a life-size, multimedia buffalo head by Holly Hughes.