New Mexico

Strange laws in New Mexico, including trouble for tripping a horse

Published

1 year ago

December 17, 2024

Strange laws in New Mexico, including trouble for tripping a horse

Every state has its own unique, rather strange laws that make you wonder where they come from and why they are still there.

Some strange laws in states have since been repealed, or were never true laws after all, and rather just rumors that have circulated.

Though, there are weird laws that can be found in U.S. states with just a simple search.

Among the strange laws in New Mexico include ones involving tripping a horse and calling for a duel. (iStock)

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In New Mexico, some of the strangest laws include the playing of the national anthem as well as strict penalties for engaging in the tripping of a horse.

Read more about a handful of weird laws in New Mexico below.

New Mexico’s dueling law
Punishment for tripping a horse
No improper use of the national or state anthem

1. New Mexico’s dueling law

New Mexico still has a law that prohibits duels in the state.

An ancient duel was a planned fight between two individuals who engaged in combat to settle a disagreement.

New Mexico is one U.S. state that explicitly bans duels in law.

New Mexico explicitly describes and prohibits duels in state law. (Florilegius/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

PAST AND PRESENT VERMONT LAWS THAT WILL SHOCK YOU, INCLUDING HEFTY FINE FOR PAINTING A HORSE

Dueling law in the state is laid out in New Mexico Statutes Chapter 30. Criminal Offenses § 30-20-11, according to FindLaw.com.

In the law, the definition of a duel is described as consisting of a person “conveying by written or verbal message a challenge to any other person to fight a duel with any deadly weapon, and whether or not such duel ensues; accepting a challenge from another person to fight a duel with any deadly weapon, and whether or not such duel ensues; engaging in or fighting a duel with any deadly weapon; or aiding, encouraging or seconding either party to a duel and being present at such duel when deadly weapons are used.”

According to the statute, those who break the law are “guilty of a fourth degree felony.”

BIZARRE LAWS IN WASHINGTON, SUCH AS BEING CHARGED WITH RECKLESS DRIVING IF HUGGING BEHIND THE WHEEL

2. Punishment for tripping a horse

One head-scratching law in New Mexico is one that involves the penalty for tripping a horse.

The details of this law can be found in New Mexico Statute § 30-18-11, according to Justia.com.

“Unlawful tripping of an equine consists of intentionally using a wire, pole, stick, rope or any other object to cause an equine to lose its balance or fall, for the purpose of sport or entertainment,” the law states.

Tripping a horse in New Mexico is against the law, and causing injury or death is a fourth-degree felony. (iStock)

BIZARRE NEW YORK LAWS INCLUDE RESTRICTIONS, PENALTIES FOR TAKING A SELFIE WITH A TIGER

Under the law, an equine is described as a donkey, horse, pony, mule or a hinny.

“The provisions of Subsection A of this section do not apply to laying an equine down for medical or identification purposes,” the law also states.

Those who break this law will be guilty of a misdemeanor, though if the horse is injured as a result of the incident, the penalty becomes more severe.

“Whoever commits unlawful tripping of an equine that causes the maiming, crippling or death of the equine is guilty of a fourth degree felony,” according to the law.

WEIRD LAWS IN MASSACHUSETTS INCLUDING A $20 FINE, POSSIBLE JAIL TIME FOR FRIGHTENING A PIGEON

3. No improper use of the national or state anthem

Many U.S. states have laws that revolve around the national anthem. New Mexico is one example of a state with such a law.

In New Mexico, it is illegal to “improperly use” the national anthem or the New Mexico state anthem, “Oh Fair New Mexico.”

This law is written out in New Mexico Statute § 30-21-5, according to Justia.com.

Those who “improperly use” the national anthem, or the state anthem of New Mexico, are guilty of a petty misdemeanor, according to state law. (iStock)

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The law defines “improper use” as “singing, playing or rendering ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ or ‘Oh Fair New Mexico’ in any public place or assemblage in this state except as an entire or separate composition or number.”

Those who break the law are guilty of a petty misdemeanor.

Ashlyn Messier is a writer for Fox News Digital.

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New Mexico

New Mexico deserves speedier game commission appointments

Published

10 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

New Mexico deserves speedier game commission appointments

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New Mexico

What bills have been filed for New Mexico’s 2026 legislative session?

Published

22 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

What bills have been filed for New Mexico’s 2026 legislative session?

The governor sets the agenda for the session, including for the budget, so here is what they are looking at so far.

SANTA FE, N.M. — As the regular session of the New Mexico Legislature is set to begin Jan. 20, lawmakers have already filed dozens of bills.

Bills include prohibiting book bans at public libraries and protections against AI, specifically the distribution of sensitive and “Deepfake” images

Juvenile justice reform is, again, a hot topic. House Bill 25 would allow access to someone’s juvenile records during a background check if they’re trying to buy a gun.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham sets the agenda and puts forth the proposed budget lawmakers will address during the session. The governor is calling for lawmakers to take up an $11.3 billion budget for the 2027 fiscal year, which is up 4.6% from current spending levels.

Where would that money go? More than $600 million would go to universal free child care. Meanwhile, more than $200 million would go to health care and to protect against federal funding cuts.

There is also $65 million for statewide affordable housing initiatives and $19 million for public safety.

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New Mexico

Understanding New Mexico’s data center boom | Opinion

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Understanding New Mexico’s data center boom | Opinion

Paul Gessing, Rio Grande Foundation
| Las Cruces Sun-News

After years of failure to land a “big fish” business for New Mexico’s economy (or effectively use the oil and gas revenues to grow the economy) Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham with the help of her Economic Development Secretary Rob Black have lured no fewer than three large data centers to New Mexico. These data centers are being built to serve the booming world of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and they will have profound impacts on New Mexico.

It is our view that having these data centers locate in New Mexico is better than having them locate elsewhere. While we have many differences of opinion with this governor, we are pleased to see her get serious about growing and diversifying New Mexico’s oil-dependent economy albeit quite late in her second term.

Sadly, the governor and legislature have chosen not to use broad based economic reforms like deregulation or tax cuts to improve New Mexico’s competitiveness. But, with the failure of her “preferred” economic development “wins” like Maxeon and Ebon solar both of which the governor announced a few years ago, but haven’t panned out, the focus on a more realistic strategy is welcome and long overdue.

Currently, three new data centers are slated to be built in New Mexico:

Oracle’s Project Jupiter in Santa Teresa with an investment of $165 billion.
Project Zenith slated to be built in Roswell amounts to a $11.7 billion investment.
New Era Energy & Digital, Inc. While the overall investment is unclear, the energy requirement is the largest of the three at 7 gigawatts (that’s seven times the power used by the City of San Francisco).

What is a data center? Basically, they are the real-world computing infrastructure that makes up the Internet. The rise of AI requires vast new computing power. It is critical that these facilities have uninterrupted electricity.

That electricity is going to be largely generated by traditional sources like natural gas and possibly nuclear. That contravenes New Mexico’s Energy Transition Act of 2019 which was adopted by this Gov. and many of the legislators still in office. Under the Act electrical power emissions are supposed to be eliminated in a few years.

With the amount of money being invested in these facilities and the simple fact that wind and solar and other “renewable” energy sources aren’t going to get the job done. In 2025 the Legislature passed and MLG signed HB 93 which allows for the creation of “microgrids” that won’t tax the grid and make our electricity more expensive, but the ETA will have to be amended or ignored to provide enough electricity for these data centers. There’s no other option.

New Mexicans have every right to wonder why powerful friends of the governor can set up their own natural gas microgrids while the rest of us face rising costs and decreased reliability from so-called “renewables.” Don’t get me wrong, having these data centers come to New Mexico is an economic boon.

But it comes tempered with massive subsidies including a 30-year property tax exemption and up to $165 billion in industrial revenue bonds. New Mexico is ideally suited as a destination for these data centers with its favorable climate and lack of natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. We shouldn’t be giving away such massive subsidies.

Welcoming the data center boom to New Mexico better than rejecting them and pushing them to locate in other states. There is no way to avoid CO2 emissions whether they happen here or somewhere else. But, there are questions about both the electricity demand and subsidies that must be addressed as New Mexico’s data center boom begins.

What will the Legislature, radical environmental groups, and future governors of our state do to hinder (or help) bring these data centers to our State? That is an open question that depends heavily on upcoming statewide elections. It is important that New Mexicans understand and appreciate these complicated issues.

Paul Gessing is president of New Mexico’s Rio Grande Foundation. The Rio Grande Foundation is an independent, nonpartisan, tax-exempt research and educational organization dedicated to promoting prosperity for New Mexico based on principles of limited government, economic freedom and individual responsibility

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