If you haven’t read the piece that kicked off this glorious cascade of legislative side-eyes, check out “The Courage Gap” — our formal memo to lawmakers that “meh” is not a policy platform. While you’re at it, don’t miss “15 Ridiculous Time-Wasting Bills Introduced by Republicans”, a roast-worthy recap of the most unserious attempts at governance this side of the Roundhouse. Spoiler: it involves crypto, guns, and…banning plastic bag bans.
And if you want the full tea on why progress kept stalling despite Democratic control (cough structure, rules, and a legislature stuck in the Gilded Age cough), “A Broken System” has you covered. Most recently, we reviewed everything the New Mexico legislative body did—or didn’t do—this session for our environment in Oil-garchy: Big Oil Runs NM Legislature. Okay, enough foreplay, let’s get into what went down in the realm of reproductive justice.
New Mexico Democrats once again entered this session with control of the House, the Senate, and the Governor’s office—a full-on blue trifecta. Meanwhile, on the national stage, Trump and his boys club of anti-abortion, anti-trans, anti-everyone-who-isn’t a white, Christian, cisgender, man extremist is out here slashing rights, gutting protections, and treating the Constitution like a scratch-off card.
We had the power to lead boldly, to protect our state, and to unapologetically give the bird to the red states and the Trump regime. Instead? We got silence, stalled bills, committees too “busy” to schedule hearings, and a graveyard of legislation that could’ve actually helped New Mexicans through the hard years ahead. The last real move we made was passing our shield laws, making it clear that in New Mexico, reproductive and gender-affirming care are not up for debate. That was two years ago.
This legislative session, more than one thousand bills were introduced, yet only 191 bills actually passed—that’s a whopping 14% success rate. Iconic… if you’re aiming for failure. SB404 would’ve protected the privacy of folks seeking gender-affirming and abortion care. SB258 aimed to bring meaningful, age appropriate sex education to public schools backed by science and research. HB11 promised paid family leave—a fundamental policy meant to prevent people from having to choose between recovery and financial ruin—but it was buried in committee yet again and died for the fourth consecutive year. SB73, the Survivors Justice Act, had bipartisan support and still couldn’t make it through. The noise was deafening, but the inaction rang louder.
Of the few bills that successfully passed, sexual assault services did get a much-needed boost (even if it fell far short of what was needed). Psilocybin, commonly known as “magic mushrooms,” is now decriminalized for the treatment of depression, PTSD, and substance use disorders. This legislation positions New Mexico as the third state in the nation to join the growing movement for equitable access to psychedelic-assisted healing. While this marks a breakthrough for mental health, our most impactful victories this session were centered on advancing birthing justice. Doulas got the recognition they deserve, with new pathways to become state-credentialed, receive Medicaid reimbursement, and secure substantial funding in their fight for birth equity. Birth centers also saw a significant win—as Medicaid will now reimburse services provided at birth centers at the same rate as those provided in hospitals. This legislation will serve to expand access to community-based care for all New Mexicans.
Legislators, don’t pat yourselves on the back too hard. Or maybe do, you’ll need the jolt to wake up to what’s happening at the federal level where extremists are hell-bent on criminalizing abortion, healthcare, and actual compassion. Based on this year’s legislative session, the plan seems to be about sitting on our hands and hoping things don’t get worse. Newsflash: they are getting worse. So unless y’all start treating every session like the high-stakes moment it actually is, we’re going to keep watching urgent, life-saving legislation die in committee while our communities face attacks from all sides.
Let’s be real—it’s clear we can’t count on legislators to get the job done. But you know who we can rely on? Our beautiful community. And they more than deserve all the flowers for the powerful work they put in this session.
They were out here doing the real work organizing, mobilizing, and refusing to let harmful legislation slip by unnoticed. With fierce organizing we made sure a whole stack of harmful bills never saw the light of day. There was the thinly veiled attack on trans youth, HB 185 tried barring trans girls from sports while peddling tired, harmful stereotypes. HB 234, wrapped in manipulative myths about “infants born alive.” Let’s not forget HB 543, which would’ve forced parental involvement in young people’s gender-affirming care, or SB166, trying to funnel more people into the criminal legal system under the guise of mental health “intervention.” Every one of these bills? Stopped in their tracks. Our communities showed up, spoke out, and made sure hate didn’t win this round.
This was the session to show up loudly for our communities — LGBTQ+ families, Black and Brown folks, rural New Mexicans, survivors, young people — all of us living with the reality that rights aren’t guaranteed, and that silence is complicity.
So yes, thank you to the advocates from all parts of the state who showed up, fought hard, and didn’t back down. You’re the power that drives progress. But to most of our legislators who played it safe, or let “political strategy” be their excuse for doing nothing while people’s lives are on the line? “Disappointed” doesn’t even cut it. Worst of all, it’s only been a few months since Trump took office but the havoc his regime has unleashed is staggering—and it’s our communities who will continue to pay the price.
This moment demanded courage, action, and major offense. If New Mexico wants to be a true beacon of hope, then we need legislators who act like it — Especially when it’s hard.