New Mexico
When does the 2025 New Mexico Legislative session begin? What to know
New laws in 2025: From gun reforms to cage-free eggs
From gun reform to agriculture, hundreds of laws and amendments will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. Here are a few to know.
What is the legislative session?
New Mexico lawmakers will address various issues important to New Mexicans, including budgets, education reforms, healthcare policies and infrastructure developments during the 2025 legislative session in Santa Fe.
The session will be historic; women will hold the majority of seats in the New Mexico Legislature, making it the largest female legislative majority in U.S. history.
When is the New Mexico legislative session?
- Jan. 2 – Jan. 17: Legislation may be prefiled
- Jan. 21: Opening day (noon)
- Feb. 20: Deadline for introduction
- March 22: Session ends (noon)
- April 11: Legislation not acted upon by governor is pocket vetoed
- June 20: Effective date of legislation not a general appropriation bill or a bill carrying an emergency clause or other specified date
How to connect with your legislators
New Mexicans are encouraged to engage with the legislative process by following bill progress, attending public hearings and communicating with their elected representatives to ensure their voices are heard in the state’s lawmaking process.
- Phone calls: A direct way to voice your concerns.
- Email: A good option for providing detailed information.
- Letters: Can be impactful, especially when sent as part of a larger campaign.
- In-person meetings: Best for building a personal connection.
- Public testimony: Share your perspective at legislative hearings.
Use the New Mexico Legislature’s “Find My Legislator” tool online at https://www.nmlegis.gov/Members/Find_My_Legislator.
What are the Legislative priorities for the 2025 session in New Mexico?
Budget requests
Governor Lujan Grisham released the 2026 fiscal year budget recommendation of $10.9 billion in recurring spending — an increase of 5.3% over current year spending. The budget contains an additional $172 million for state employee pay raises, which includes additional compensation for New Mexico educators, according to the Office of the Governor.
“This fiscally sound budget proposal prioritizes early childhood education, clean energy, infrastructure, affordable housing and expanded healthcare access to build a stronger foundation for New Mexicans,” said Grisham. “My administration looks forward to discussing these proposals with state lawmakers and reaching consensus on the priorities that matter most to our state.”
Public safety
Improvement to public records requests: The New Mexico Counties (NMC) Board of Directors is seeking to amend the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA). This would bar certain requests made to “compromise and obstruct critical local government services,” according to NMC.
Reckless driving: Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and Police Department Chief Harold Medina are pushing for increased penalties for reckless driving, aiming to make the consequences as severe as those for homicide. This includes penalties for street racing and driving that result in death or serious injury.
Felons with firearms: Keller and Medina are also advocating for stricter laws against felons caught with firearms, seeking harsher penalties to enhance public safety, alongside Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story.
“We cannot do this alone,” Keller said. “The challenges facing Albuquerque, New Mexico, are a combination of homegrown and national, and they’re big, and we will keep fighting in every single way, every single day to push back against crime, against housing challenges around homelessness.”
Corrections and detention
Detention workforce: Funding the Corrections Workforce Capacity Building Fund will address staffing shortages in county detention centers. Legislators are focusing on recruitment and retention of detention officers.
Detention Reimbursement Fund: Fully funding the County Detention Facility Reimbursment Act Fund would reimburse counties for the costs associated with housing state inmates. The current fund is $5 million and legislators are looking to increase it by $3.2 million.
Healthcare and family support
Paid family and medical leave (PFML): AARP New Mexico is prioritizing legislation for paid family and medical leave, reflecting broader efforts to support families and workers across the state.
“We will be putting a lot of time and effort into getting PFML passed this time,” AARP New Mexico Associate State Director for Advocacy Othiamba Umi said.
Infrastructure and economic development
Courthouse funding: Investment in the construction and renovation of state district courthouses would ensure they meet modern standards of security and functionality, according to the NMC.
Municipal revenue sources: The New Mexico Municipal League will address the financial impacts of state policy changes on municipal revenues.
Community services and quality of life
Affordable housing: Priorities in Las Cruces include funding for affordable housing projects like Paseos Verdes and Amador Crossing, which aim to provide housing for veterans, low-income families and the elderly.
Public transportation: Investment in infrastructure would support electric bus charging stations and enhancements to public transit facilities.
Firefighter and EMS recruitment
Funding for emergency services: Legislators are looking for continued funding for the operational costs of 700 MHz radios and recruitment funds to ensure adequate staffing and resources for firefighters and EMS personnel, according to NMC.
Border-Related Humanitarian and Crime Efforts
Funding for border security: Legislators are seeking $5 million to go to counties for state and federal resources to combat drug and human trafficking networks, according to a release from NMC.
U.S. Representatives Gabe Vasquez and Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico have comprehensive lists of priorities published on their sites that will be discussed during the 2025 Legislative Session.
Yonke’s prediction: Eck gets the better of Fleck in the Rate Bowl.
Photo By – Imagn Images. New Mexico Lobos Minnesota Golden Gophers NCAAF
Bowl season ramps up in a big way Friday with a three-game slate, highlighted by a compelling Power Conference vs. Group of 5 clash in the Rate Bowl between the New Mexico Lobos and Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Jason Eck has emerged as a popular name on the coaching carousel for good reason, and he’ll look to notch his 10th win in his first season with the Lobos against a very beatable Big Ten opponent.
See why my New Mexico vs. Minnesota predictions and college football picks for the Rate Bowl on Friday, December 26 are backing the Lobos.
New Mexico vs Minnesota predictions for the Rate Bowl
Who will win the Rate Bowl?
New Mexico will pull off the upset.
The Lobos have the better metrics overall and seem to have made a home run hire with Jason Eck. Finding a 10th win would be a massive victory for this program, and the momentum is heading in the right direction for a team that won six games and probably should’ve featured in the Mountain West championship game if we lived in a just society.
New Mexico vs Minnesota best bet: New Mexico +2.5 (-110)
Much has been made about the fact that the Minnesota Golden Gophers are 6-0 in bowl games under PJ Fleck. That’s all well and good — and it is of importance whether or not a coach has a reason to motivate his team in the wild era of current bowl games — but it’s not the only handicapping factor.
What stands out most to me is that Minnesota wasn’t a very good football team in 2025.
They had a young quarterback, injured running backs, uninspiring wide receivers, a terrible offensive line, and a bad defense that allowed far too many crippling big plays. Even though they finished 7-5, the Gophers ranked outside the Top 90 in EPA per play on both sides of the ball and needed great fortune to go bowling.
The Gophers were also dreadful away from Minneapolis, losing all five games by an average margin of 24.4 points. They weren’t even competitive.
The New Mexico Lobos finished the season with six consecutive wins, building significant momentum in Year 1 of the Jason Eck era. He’s truly revitalized this program, and they’d love nothing better than to put an exclamation point on the season by toppling a very beatable Power Conference opponent.
Now that is motivation.
The Lobos have better metrics on both sides of the ball and are stout in the trenches (12th in stuff rate offensively, 19th defensively) — a necessary component when stepping up in competition. Give me the underdog.
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New Mexico vs Minnesota same-game parlay
Minnesota’s defense has been bad enough that New Mexico should have very realistic expectations of finding the end zone several times.
If the Lobos fail in that mission, it’d be a massive disappointment against a Gophers defense that ranks 116th in success rate and 106th in PFF’s overall defensive grade.
On the other side of things, New Mexico is solid defensively, but not elite. The expectation is for Minnesota to feature star running back Darius Taylor in this matchup, and start Drake Lindsey will hope to build confidence heading into next season.
The Gophers cashed the Over in every game away from home this season, so here’s betting on another.
New Mexico vs Minnesota SGP
- New Mexico +1.5
- Over 43.5
New Mexico vs Minnesota game predictions
New Mexico vs Minnesota spread prediction
The Lobos will cover this spread, making it five times in their last six games that they’ve done so. Eck’s squad was an underdog in six games this season and covered the spread in four of those contests. Count them out at your own peril.
New Mexico vs Minnesota Over/Under prediction
This game will sneak over the total due to Minnesota’s overrated defense that frankly hasn’t done much of anything well this season. The Gophers have allowed at least 38 points in four of their five games away from Minneapolis, so you can’t trust them in the bowl game.
New Mexico vs Minnesota odds
- Spread: New Mexico +1.5 (-110) | Minnesota -1.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: New Mexico +110 | Minnesota -130
- Over/Under: Over 43.5 (-110) | Under 43.5 (-110)
New Mexico vs Minnesota trend to know
Minnesota is 0-5 ATS away from home. Find more college football betting trends for New Mexico vs Minnesota.
How to watch New Mexico vs Minnesota
| Location | Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ |
| Date | Friday, December 26, 2025 |
| Kickoff | 4:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
New Mexico vs Minnesota latest injuries
New Mexico vs Minnesota weather
Monitor gametime conditions with our College football weather info.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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From Thunder–Spurs to Wolves–Nuggets and Knicks–Cavs, which NBA Christmas Day matchup are you most looking forward to?
An NBA veteran made a Christmas Eve stop for something green at a Santa Teresa cannabis dispensary.
Markieff Morris of the Los Angeles Lakers visited Hi Life Dispensary in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, on Christmas Eve while spending time with family in the El Paso area, according to budtender Edgar Omar Tovar, who goes by “Chino.”
Hi Life, located at 5620 McNutt Road, offers both medical and recreational cannabis under New Mexico’s legalization laws. Retail sales of adult-use cannabis began in April 2022.
Cannabis sales in New Mexico continue to climb. In November, dispensaries reported $45.9 million in revenue from 814,229 transactions, with adult-use purchases totaling $35.8 million and medical sales $10 million. Since legalization, cumulative statewide sales have surpassed $2.02 billion, including $1.45 billion in adult-use and $572.7 million in medical sales, across more than 45 million transactions, according to the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department.
Are NBA players allowed to use cannabis?
Under the 2023 NBA–NBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), cannabis is not a prohibited substance and players are not randomly tested for marijuana. However, the league can still take action if a player is impaired during team or NBA activities or violates the law or conduct rules.
The agreement also permits players to invest in cannabis-related businesses (with restrictions) and endorse certain CBD products with prior approval. In short, off-court cannabis use is not automatically a violation, but on-duty impairment remains prohibited.
Read the complete CBA here.
Aaron Bedoya is a manager and content strategist for the El Paso Times. He can be reached at abedoya@elpasotimes.com.
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