Here are some ways navigate the legislative process:

• Find a list of the bills filed and follow a bill’s progress on the Legislature’s web page: www.nmlegis.gov.
• “My Roundhouse”: track legislation and receive notices when the bill you are following is scheduled to be heard.
• Bills prefiled in the Senate can be found with this link. These bills will be given a number once they are introduced during the first week of the session.

New Mexico has historic revenue projections this year, including an estimated $3.5 billion in “new money.” Governor Lujan Grisham released the executive’s budget recommendation. The Legislative Finance Committee’s recommendation can be found here. Both of these proposals will be presented to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee (“HAFC”) and Senate Finance Committee. HAFC will make the initial funding decision for each agency during the first thirty days of the session. Once the budget passes the House, it will be heard in Senate Finance where additional changes can be made.

The legislative session this year will be fully open to the public. The public is encouraged to come to the Roundhouse to speak to legislators and testify in committee hearings. There will be a hybrid option available; procedures on remote participation will vary from committee to committee in the Senate, so check the individual committee pages on the website for details. Your voice and input are very important to the process.

State Senator Senator Peter Wirth and Representative Reena Szczepanski and I are holding a town hall this Saturday, January 21st from 3:00pm to 4:30pm at the Center for Contemporary Arts, 1050 Old Pecos Trail.