RELEASE: Governor delivers 2025 State of the State address

SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Tuesday delivered her seventh State of the State address, laying out 2025 legislative priorities for 2025 that include public safety, affordable housing, child welfare, health care, economic development and more. “Working with the legislature over the past six years, we’ve achieved so much in New Mexico from reducing child poverty, to ensuring free college for every New Mexican to adding a record number of jobs and strengthening health care and environmental protections,” Lujan Grisham said. “Of course, there is still more to do. That’s why I’m proposing new initiatives to tackle our crime problem, expand affordable housing, protect at-risk children, improve our health care system and more. I look forward to working with lawmakers over the next 60 days to create an even better New Mexico.” Some of the governor’s specific proposals for the New Mexico Legislature’s 60-day session include: Public safety: Updates to criminal competency laws to ensure individuals repeatedly cycling through New Mexico’s courts receive treatment instead of being released. Stronger penalties for convicted felons in possession of a firearm in the commission of a crime. Housing and homelessness: Establishing a state Office of Housing supported with funding and expertise. $50 million in development subsidies to build houses for people who are priced out—making homebuying more affordable in New Mexico. $50 million to fight homelessness with dedicated services that lift individuals up and help them become stable, productive members of society. Climate and energy: Updates to the Oil and Gas Act. Establishing a state-sponsored fire insurance program outside the private market to protect families and their homes – and to help make people whole when tragedy strikes. A strategic water supply for clean energy projects, advanced manufacturing, and even putting out wildfires. Economic development: Providing $20 million to assist in expanding or relocating qualified business entities that are stimulating economic development and producing public benefit. Health care, behavioral health & child well-being: Establishing an independent Child Protection Authority, jointly appointed by the legislature and the executive, that ensures CYFD adequately resolves all complaints from families and foster parents. Moving the responsibility for CARA—the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act that helps pregnant mothers and newborns affected by substance abuse—to the Department of Health. Investing an additional $50 million in the Rural Health Care Delivery Fund and $100 million in behavioral health expansion. Establishing a state-sponsored medical malpractice program. Education: Making the new Office of Special Education permanent in law—establishing consistent statewide standards for all K-12 special education students. Establishing a $50 million annual investment in the Indian Education Fund. Creating a comprehensive math and STEM program to match our strides in literacy. Providing a substantial increase for programs and services at the Early Childhood Education and Care Department. ### Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s 2025 State of the State Address Santa Fe, New Mexico Tuesday, January 21, 2025 Good afternoon. Thank you, Mr. Lieutenant Governor, Mr. Speaker, Madam Pro Tem, distinguished senators, representatives, tribal leaders, and Secretary Deb Haaland. I also want to recognize my husband, the First Manny, my daughter Taylor, my brother Gregory, and my niece Chantelle. I also want to thank my daughter Erin, son-in-law Ian and grandkids Avery, Mason and Kaden who couldn’t join us today. Today, I am here to speak to you about six years of success. So, settle in and get comfortable, everybody. We’ll have someone order dinner. I’m joking––we’ll get you out of here well before dark. But seriously, I do want to highlight many of our shared achievements today––in education, jobs, the environment, healthcare, and so much more. We’re making smart choices with record oil and gas revenues––including fortifying our general fund reserves and strengthening our pension funds––prompting Moody’s to upgrade New Mexico’s credit outlook from stable to positive. Now, we’re poised for a bond rating upgrade––a reward for investing today and saving for tomorrow. But I also want to focus on the places where we can do more: Public safety and child well-being, for example, need our action now . And we need to talk about how we can and must continue improving the quality of life for every New Mexican––so the promise of this state reaches everyone who calls it home. That begins with a world-class cradle-to-career education system. We all know that a comprehensive, high-quality education can set the trajectory for success – today, and more importantly for decades to come. That’s why we established a first in the nation constitutional right to childcare, universal pre-K, and then free college for any resident who wants it. It’s an unprecedented commitment to New Mexico’s young people that will pay dividends for generations to come. This profound promise is why we’re still working to deliver truly universal free childcare for all. In New Mexico, the cost of childcare is out of reach for most families, with many spending $3,000 per month––or more–– to enroll just two children. That’s more than rent or a house payment for many, and it’s shattering household budgets. But because of our investment in free childcare, more than 30,000 New Mexico children are now getting the support that they and their parents need to succeed in their education and careers. We’re close to realizing truly universal child care in New Mexico. But we’re not there yet. And that’s why I’m calling on this legislature to finish the job . For $205 million more, we can make that promise real for every New Mexico family. Let’s become the first state in America to give every child the start they deserve, with universal access to high quality childcare today and…