It was straight to business Thursday as Senate lawmakers took to the floor and presented the merits and concerns they have with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s special session agenda.
During the hour-and-a-half debate, it became clear that the rift between Lujan Grisham and top Democratic legislators over the special session remained wide open, even as Republican senators praised the governor and sponsored a slate of bills.
In comparison, the House only introduced one piece of legislation. House Bill 1 funds the special session but also puts money towards assisted outpatient pilot programs and provides grants and loans for wildfire response.
A mere three hours after the opening gavel, and after passing the HB 1 to the Senate, the House adjourned sine die, usually signaling the close of a session.
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Legislative rules require that if one chamber remains in session, while the other gavels out, the adjourned body must return every three days as part of procedure. But there’s no requirement for them to do legislative work.
If the House continues not to convene, there would be no means for the Senate’s proposed legislation to become law.
‘I haven’t moved my positions’
Seventeen senators participating in the special session, just under half of the 42-member body, either announced retirement, or chose not to seek reelection.
Most of the bills introduced related to crime, which the governor laid out as the priority in her proclamation. Lujan Grisham’s agenda garnered praise from Sen. Crystal Diamond Brantley (R-Elephant Butte) and Sen. Craig Brandt (R-Rio Rancho).
Sen. Mark Moores (R-Albuquerque), who is not running for reelection and has moved to Las Cruces, said he is proud to sponsor the governor’s bills, saying they’re a step in the right direction to address crime.
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“I haven’t moved my positions, but it seems like the governor has moved, and seen and actually is trying to take leadership,” he said.
Senator Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, and Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe, present a bill to increase the waiting period for background checks when purchasing a firearm in during the 30-day 2024 session. (Photo by Eddie Moore / Albuquerque Journal)
Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D-Las Cruces) called the lead up to the special session frustrating, saying the governor’s office continued to change the proposed policy ideas.
“These proposals have changed month to month, week to week, hour to hour,” he said. “In the last 24 hours, we’re seeing new proposals that were never presented, never contemplated for this special session.”
Cervantes chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee and is poised to review most of the bills introduced in the special session.
Cervantes said lawmaking needs to be careful, saying some of the proposals already exist on the books or could have unintended consequences the way they are written now.
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Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino (D-Albuquerque) urged his colleagues to support additional funding for pilot projects in courts across the state to offer treatments instead of jail time.
Ortiz y Pino said the governor’s statements that the legislature is not addressing crime are untrue, and the problems with a lack of mental health and drug abuse treatment won’t be solved with jailing people who can’t access it.
“To say we’re going to mandate treatment without providing any additional services is a guarantee you’re going to have people staying in jail because there is no room for them,” Ortiz y Pino said.
Sen. Katy Duhigg (D-Albuquerque) said she was concerned the median safety bill, also called the panhandling bill, could inadvertently limit free speech, does not address the real causes of pedestrian deaths and could potentially criminalize other activities, such as the annual Easter pilgrimage to Chimayó.
“Cities already have the ability to do this if they want to,” Duhigg said. “We do not need a state law, regulating – potentially limiting the public speech – on medians and roadways.”
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Another top priority is addressing the damage from the South Fork and Salt fires in the Ruidoso areas, which is further flooding danger from the monsoon rains.
More than 850 homes were lost, and others remain imperiled by continued flooding, according to state officials.
Sen. William “Bill” Burt (R-Alamogordo) called on his colleagues to support state funding and relief efforts, saying while no official estimates are out, damages could be between $100 million and $150 million.
“I am hoping each and every one of you will consider in your heart to help the people of Lincoln, Ruidoso and Ruidoso Downs to begin the recovery and healing of the devastation,” Burt said.
In all, lawmakers introduced 15 bills and one constitutional amendment.
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Of those, six bills were immediately assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Seven bills were instead sent to the Senate Committee’s Committee to determine if they are germane to the governor’s proclamation, then be heard by other committees.
As of 4:30 p.m. there were no posted agendas for any Senate committees.
Proposed legislation:
Senate Bill 5 – Amending the state’s racketeering laws.
Senate Bill 6 – Making the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death a capital felony
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Senate Bill 7 – Requestings the state offer $119 million in zero-interest loans for public infrastructure damage during the South Fork and Salt fires and subsequent flooding
Senate Bill 8 – Appropriating $100 million to build a barrier at the New Mexico-Mexico border
Senate Bill 9 – Changing the definition of “harm to self” and “harm to others” in the state’s commitment procedures
Senate Bill 10 – Initiation of civil commitment proceedings, changing competency proceedings
Senate Bill 11– Unsafe use of public highways and medians act
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Senate Bill 12 – Increasing crimes during an evacuation
Senate Bill 13 – Exempting law enforcement and a buyer with a valid concealed carry license in another state from certain state gun laws.
Senate Bill 14 – Changing the sentencing for the crime of selling fentanyl
Senate Bill 15 – Prohibiting cities and counties from restricting personnel or resources in federal immigration law enforcement
Senate Bill 16 – Appropriation for cellular and radio towers in Doña Ana, Hidalgo and Luna counties.
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Senate Bill 17 – Requiring reporting from local police departments to the Department of Public safety on crimes, and ballistic information
Senate Bill 18 – Increasing the prison time to 12 years for the conviction of a felon in possession of a firearm
Senate Bill 19 – Creating a school safety division in the Department of Public Safety.
Finally, Senate Joint Resolution 1, would amend the state’s constitution to make it harder for people to avoid being held in jail before trial. It would remove the requirement that only judges can revoke bail conditions. It would change the language to remove limits on revoking bail.
The Nevada women’s basketball team dropped its final home contest of the 2025-26 season on Saturday with New Mexico spoiling Senior Day and pushing past the Wolf Pack for a 63-56 win.
The Wolf Pack led 36-34 at halftime behind a hot-shooting start. Skylar Durley, Imbie Jones and Ahrray Young each had six points as Nevada shot 14-of-25 from the field (56%). But things cooled off in the second half, with the Lobos outscoring the Wolf Pack 19-13 in the third quarter to take a four-point lead into the fourth. Nevada’s shooting woes only worsened in the final period when it made just three field goals, including none in the final four minutes.
Durley led Nevada with 16 points and six rebounds. Young finished with 10 points, three rebounds and three assists. The Wolf Pack made just one three-pointer out of its nine attempts.
The loss drops Nevada to 9-20 overall, 5-14 within the Mountain West Conference. The Wolf Pack now heads to Utah State for Tuesday’s regular-season finale before opening the Mountain West Tournament play next Saturday in Las Vegas.
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Watch our coverage of the game below.
Highlights and reaction from Nevada’s loss to New Mexico.
Expect the offenses to shine when SDSU visits New Mexico in The Pit today, per our college basketball betting picks.
Feb 28, 2026 • 10:23 ET
• 4 min read
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Photo By – Reuters Connect. San Diego State Aztecs guard Reese Dixon-Waters.
The San Diego State Aztecs pulled into a tie for first place in the Mountain West Conference with a win over top-seeded Utah State. Now, they try to stay there when they visit a team just below them in the standings in the New Mexico Lobos.
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My San Diego State vs. New Mexico predictions and college basketball picks believe the high stakes will translate to a high-scoring affair on Saturday, February 28.
San Diego State vs New Mexico prediction
San Diego State vs New Mexico best bet: Over 148.5 (-116)
The New Mexico Lobos had a three-game win streak snapped with a 67-60 loss at Nevada, their second-lowest point total of the season.
They return home, where they are averaging 92.2 points per game in the last 10.
The San Diego State Aztecs have the fourth-ranked offense in the conference. They hung 89 on Utah State in a 17-point blowout win.
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They’ve won seven of 11, including an 89-73 triumph over UNM.
The Lobos have combined with their opponents to score better than 151 points in six straight at home.
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San Diego State vs New Mexico same-game parlay
The Aztecs are coming off their biggest win of the season, and if they can pick up this W at New Mexico, they will be in the drivers’ seat for the Mountain West regular season crown.
SDSU has held its own on the road this year, going 5-3 this season.
San Diego State vs New Mexico SGP
Over 148.5
San Diego State moneyline
San Diego State vs New Mexico odds
Spread: San Diego State +2.5 | New Mexico -2.5
Moneyline: San Diego State +125 | New Mexico -150
Over/Under: Over 149.5 | Under 149.5
San Diego State vs New Mexico betting trend to know
San Diego State has hit the 1H Moneyline in 18 of its last 25 games (+12.40 Units / 9% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for San Diego State vs. New Mexico.
How to watch San Diego State vs New Mexico
Location
The Pit, Albuquerque, NM
Date
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Tip-off
2:00 p.m. ET
TV
CBS
San Diego State vs New Mexico key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
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Eric has been involved in sports media in many different capacities since graduating from journalism school in 1999, back when getting your own column in a newspaper was still considered a thing. He doubled down and graduated from broadcast journalism school five years later, which led to a move to Toronto and a career with The Sports Network (TSN). From behind-the-scenes production work, he moved into the digital realm, where he had his own hoops column (At the Buzzer), while regularly live streaming and chatting with fans during broadcasts as the character known as LeBlog James. He was also a key contributor to TSN and CTV’s Olympic programming during the 2012 London Games.
Eric eventually found his way into the sports betting field in 2016 and has been a mainstay ever since. He was tagged on Twitter as a Top 10 NBA sharp during the 2021 season and has been interviewed about basketball and his handicapping process on shows from Vancouver to India. Eric is now a jack-of-all-sports at Covers, where his predictions span the alphabet soup: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, F1, WNBA, Euro, and Copa.
When making picks, he focuses on finding value first and foremost, and ensuring readers have all the information they need to make an informed choice.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Feb. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Board of Directors of Public Service Company of New Mexico, a subsidiary of TXNM Energy (NYSE: TXNM), declared the regular quarterly dividend of $1.145 per share on the 4.58 percent series of cumulative preferred stock. The preferred stock dividend is payable April 15, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business March 31, 2026.
Background: TXNM Energy (NYSE: TXNM), an energy holding company based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, delivers energy to more than 800,000 homes and businesses across Texas and New Mexico through its regulated utilities, TNMP and PNM. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.TXNMEnergy.com.
