LobbyComply Blog

The New Mexico Legislature adjourned the Second Special Session of the 57th Legislature sine die on November 10. In the one-day session, lawmakers passed a bill appropriating funds for food benefits until mid-January, or until federal SNAP funding is restored if earlier. Judicial security and systems updates were also addressed. This does affect lobbying reporting. The grassroots lobbying report for advertising campaigns will be due on November 25.

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Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a special session beginning November 10 to extend state-funded food benefits. The special session is expected to last one day. This does affect lobbying reporting. Expenditures of $500 or more made or incurred by a lobbyist or employer during the special session must be reported within 48 hours. The grassroots lobbying report for advertising campaigns will be due 15 days after the end of the session.

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The New Mexico Legislature adjourned the First Special Session of the 57th Legislature sine die on October 2. Lawmakers passed bills addressing SNAP, food banks, and local media funding; health insurance affordability; rural healthcare; criminal competency proceedings; and vaccine availability. This does affect lobbying reporting. The grassroots lobbying report for advertising campaigns is due 15 days after the end of the session on October 17.

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Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a special session beginning October 1. Legislators are being asked to address various fiscal measures including rural health care funding, health insurance affordability, food assistance, and funding for public broadcasting. The special session may last up to 30 days. This does affect lobbying reporting. Expenditures of $500 or more made or incurred by a lobbyist or employer during the special session must be reported within 48 hours.

On April 11, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham vetoed a lobbying disclosure bill aimed at increasing disclosure.

House Bill 143 required lobbyists provide more details about the specific legislation lobbied, whether legislation was supported or opposed and if their positions changed, and the names of a lobbyist’s employer that lobbied on the legislation, either directly or through the registered lobbyist. The bill also required that if a lobbyist or lobbyist’s employer commenced lobbying on legislation after the adjournment of a legislative session, a lobbying activity report would have been required to have been filed prior to the end of the time period in which the governor could have acted on legislation.

In her House Executive Message No. 21 vetoing the bill, the governor wrote, “ While I support the intent of this legislation, [House Bill] 143 needs work. For example, it imposes an onerous requirement that lobbyists or their employers file these reports within forty-eight hours of commencing the lobbying activity – including any time their ‘position on legislation has changed’- irrespective of weekends and holidays.”

The bill would have also required lobbying reports be preserved for a period of 10 years.

The State Court of Appeals ruled the Ethics Commission has authority over organizations engaging in ad campaigns intended to influence state lawmakers. The ruling stems from a complaint filed with the commission against Albuquerque-based New Mexico Families Forward (NMFF), which registered with the Office of Secretary of State as a lobbying advertising campaign but did not disclose the identity of its donors or the amounts contributed. NMFF argued the commission’s jurisdiction to enforce the Lobbyist Reporting Act extended only to complaints against individuals who are lobbyists and lobbyist employers. NMFF took the commission to court in October 2022, and the Second Judicial District Court ordered the commission to halt all proceedings against NMFF and to dismiss the complaint. The commission appealed and the Court of Appeals reversed, ordering the case back to the commission.

The New Mexico Legislature adjourned at noon on March 22 after 60 days in session. During the session, lawmakers passed a bill requiring lobbyists to file activity reports disclosing their stances on legislation, and, if positions change, to update their stances within 48 hours. House Bill 143 is being transmitted to the governor’s desk for signature. During a news conference following the Legislature’s adjournment, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham indicated a special session to address public safety is likely in the aftermath of a March 21 mass shooting in Las Cruces.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will call state lawmakers back to Santa Fe for a special session on April 5 to address economic relief due to rising costs.

State lawmakers had considered calling for an extraordinary session after the governor vetoed a spending bill that had been approved during the regular session.

A revised supplemental spending bill will be reviewed during the special session.

It is unclear when the special session is slated to end.

A 48-hour legislative report will be due for a lobbyist or employer who makes or incurs an expenditure of $500 or more during the special session.

New Mexico’s 30-day legislative session adjourned sine die at noon February 17.

During the session, a bill that would require post-session lobbying reports was introduced.

Senate Bill 61 provides prior to the adjournment of a legislative session, a lobbyist or lobbyist’s employer that is required to file an expenditure report or registration statement must file a report with the secretary of state disclosing the lobbyist’s or lobbyist’s employer’s lobbying activity on legislation and identifying the specific legislation lobbied, the support, opposition or other position taken on the legislation by the lobbyist or lobbyist’s employer and the name of the lobbyist’s employer that lobbied on the legislation, either directly or by the registered lobbyist.

The bill is currently in the Senate Rules and Health and Public Affairs Committees.

If passed, it would become effective May 18.

The New Mexico State Ethics Commission is proposing additional disclosure laws to require legislators to release more about the sources of their personal income and business relationships.

Additionally, the commission would like to increase transparency requirements for lobbyists by requiring disclosure of what bills and provisions they are advocating for or against.

Lastly, because some lawmakers are married to lobbyists, a proposed change would require lawmakers to disclose before voting if any family member lobbied on a bill.

It is unclear if these proposals will be heard during the 30-day legislative session, starting January 18.

New Mexico legislators concluded a volatile 12-day special session December 17 by granting final approval for a new map for Senate districts and authorizing an emergency update to New Mexico’s medical malpractice law.

The two proposals now head to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who has until January 6, 2022 to take action on them.

The final work of the Legislature came in the House, where lawmakers engaged in another aggressive debate over how to redraw political boundaries to reflect 2020 census data.

Over the last two weeks, much of the sparring has been especially personal, as lawmakers’ own districts and reelection chances are at stake.

For each separate expenditure of $500 or more made or incurred by a lobbyist or employer during a special legislative session, a report will be due within 48 hours.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will call the Legislature into a special session December 6 to finalize and approve new legislative district maps.

The special session will also address how to spend the outstanding American Rescue Plan Acts funds.

It is not yet clear when the session is slated to end.

For each separate expenditure of $500 or more made or incurred by a lobbyist or employer during a special legislative session, a report will be due within 48 hours.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will call a special session of the New Mexico Legislature tentatively for Wednesday, March 31 to address the regulation of cannabis in the state.

The Senate Majority Leader addressed the fact that there was not enough time in the 60-day session to pass House Bill 12 before the session adjourned at noon on March 20.

The length of the special session has not yet been addressed.

During a special legislative session, a lobbyist or lobbyist employer must file a report within 48 hours of making or incurring expenditures of $500 or more.

The 55th New Mexico Legislature is set to adjourn sine die March 20.

During the session, several bills were introduced relating to lobbying and campaign finance.

Two key bills related to lobbying and the legislative session are advancing through the Legislature.

House Joint Resolution 13, relating to the legislative session, proposes to change the date each regular session of the Legislature begins and seeks to remove the restrictions on bills that may be considered in even-numbered years and the date laws would go into effect after adjournment sine die.

Under the bill, the legislative session would convene on the third Tuesday of February rather than January and would remain in session no longer than 45 days instead of thirty.

Additionally, bills would go into effect 75 days rather than 90 days after adjournment of the session.

If passed, House Joint Resolution 13 would be submitted to voters for their approval or rejection at the next general election or at any special election prior to that date that may be called for that purpose.

Separately, House Bill 244, relating to ethics commission responsibilities for campaign reporting and lobbyist regulations, provides the ethics commission, in consultation with the secretary of state, must issue advisory opinions when requested.

The bill designates the ethics commission, rather than the secretary of state, to receive any complaints regarding a violation of the Campaign Reporting Act.

Under the bill, the secretary of state may promulgate rules to implement the provisions of the Lobbyist Regulation Act.

If passed, House Bill 244 would become effective July 1, 2021.

Legislation not acted upon by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will be pocket vetoed on April 9, meaning passed bills will become law without her signature.