SANTA FE, N.M. — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham used her eighth and final State of the State address Tuesday, Jan. 20, to urge lawmakers to move quickly during the 2026 legislative session on a slate of proposals focused on universal childcare funding, public safety changes, health care access reforms, K-12 education priorities, housing and major infrastructure investment.
Tribal leaders, including the presidents from Laguna and Acoma, were among those in attendance for the joint session of the New Mexico House and Senate. After the governor’s remarks, the joint session adjourned and legislators returned to their respective chambers. In a statement released by the governor’s office, Lujan Grisham framed her priorities as a push to “finish strong” in her final year, calling for action on universal childcare, health care reform, public safety, K-12 education improvements, economic development and infrastructure. “We need to ensure universal childcare for every New Mexico family for years to come,” the governor said in the statement. “We need to get crime under control. We need more housing, better schools, and a health care system that works.”
Education Priorities
A cornerstone of the governor’s agenda is a request for a $160 million recurring increase intended to sustain universal childcare statewide over the long term. The governor and her administration argue the funding is meant to guarantee access for families for years to come.
Lujan Grisham also emphasized K-12 changes aimed at boosting student outcomes, including stronger literacy and math expectations so students graduate with skills needed for work and life.
In her public priorities, the governor also called for a ban on cell phones in schools, arguing the policy would reduce distractions and help students stay focused during the school day. The governor pressed school districts on maintaining a 180-day academic calendar, an executive priority she was sued on in the last academic year because some districts maintained such a calendar was not feasible, she called on further legislative studies over the action.
If enacted statewide, those changes would require implementation at the district level, including updates to student handbooks and enforcement practices in communities served by Grants-Cibola County Schools and surrounding districts.
Public Safety and Juvenile Justice
Early in her remarks, Lujan Grisham returned to public safety and urged lawmakers to act on juvenile justice reforms aimed at severe teen crimes and preventing reoffending through added resources. She also called for an assault weapons ban, new accountability measures for gun dealers, and stronger penalties for felons found in possession of firearms.
The governor urged lawmakers to support pretrial detention policies for defendants accused of violent crimes, saying the changes are necessary to keep communities safe while cases proceed through the courts.
Healthcare Reforms
Healthcare was another central focus of the address, with Lujan Grisham arguing that access to care should be treated as a fundamental right rather than a luxury.
Her agenda includes medical malpractice reform, which her office says is intended to protect patients while lowering costs and keeping providers in New Mexico. She also urged lawmakers to approve health care licensing compacts to ease staffing shortages by allowing more outof- state professionals to practice in New Mexico.
The governor’s proposals include eliminating the gross receipts tax on medical services to reduce costs and expanding the University of New Mexico’s medical school, with the goal of doubling enrollment and growing the state’s pipeline of doctors and health care workers. For rural counties such as Cibola, where Governor Grisham said patients often travel for specialty care and provider shortages can be acute, those policies could influence both access and affordability.
Housing, Roads and Economic Development
Pivoting to the economy, Lujan Grisham’s package also includes a $1.5 billion transportation bonding proposal for major state-managed road projects, which her office says would free up funds for local improvements.
Her priorities also list $110 million for new housing units and homelessness initiatives, alongside zoning reforms intended to expedite housing production.
On economic development, the governor proposed $150 million in tax credits intended to strengthen New Mexico’s ability to attract investment in industries such as quantum and fusion energy.
Climate Goals
The governor also urged lawmakers to codify the state Climate Action Plan, which her office said is aimed at cutting pollution 45 percent by 2030 and meeting net-zero emissions goals by 2050.
State climate policy debates frequently intersect with rural concerns including drought, wildfire risk and land management – issues that directly affect communities in western New Mexico like Cibola, which is designated as 100 percent in drought while seeing a drawdown in water availability in Bluewater Lake and the Rio San Jose according to recent USGS data.
Closing Message
Lujan Grisham repeatedly encouraged lawmakers to act quickly during the 30day session, urging progress on “critical issues” early in the legislative calendar.
The governor is expecting quick work this session, which is constitutionally mandated to only be 30 days as the legislature creates a budget for the state. Lujan Grisham said, “I want to thank Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth for recognizing the urgency of three critically important issues that simply can’t wait. He’s leading an effort to fast track our road bonding package, medical licensing compact and our call for a modernized civil commitment law ,with the goal of passing them through the Senate in the first week of the session.”
As she wrapped up her final State of the State, Lujan Grisham struck an optimistic tone and pushed back on what she described as a persistent New Mexico mindset of falling short. “Our mentality sometimes is that we’re not good enough,” she said, arguing the state should reject that narrative. She urged New Mexicans to “strike from our existence the idea” that New Mexico “is not #1,” adding, “it’s not true.”
She also returned to a theme she has used throughout her administration — encouraging lawmakers and residents to work across disagreements. “Disagreement is healthy,” she said, calling on New Mexicans to spend more time together and talk face-to-face. “Talk to each other. Spend time together… Communicate. Listen. Disagree. And keep trying,” she said.
Lujan Grisham ended by thanking lawmakers and urging action during the 30-day session. “Thank you, God bless you, and God bless New Mexico,” she said. “Let’s go to work!”