SANTA FE, N.M. – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says there’s an 80% chance she will call state lawmakers back to the state Capitol to approve new public safety laws. That’s according to our partners at the Santa Fe New Mexican.

The governor has been hinting at calling a special session ever since the 30-day legislative session ended back in February. She wanted state lawmakers to approve more of her public safety agenda, and it seems she’s not willing to wait until next year to get it done.

A spokesperson with her office says the governor has not made a final decision yet, but “she has been meeting with legislative leaders of both parties to evaluate which issues to put on the agenda.”

That spokesperson told KOB 4 these are the four proposals at the top of her list:

• Address unsafe panhandling
• Increase penalties for felons with firearms
• Rework criminal competency process
• Establish civil competency process

That competency issue has been at the center of this special session conversation.

District attorneys, public defenders, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree that there needs to be a better way to handle suspects who are repeatedly deemed incompetent to stand trial and then released back on the streets.

It seems the governor wants state lawmakers to approve a bill that would allow the courts to mandate behavioral health treatments for those suspects.

Speaker of the House Javier Martinez says that’s a complicated proposal.

“Some of them are very complicated bills from a technical perspective. And so we want to make sure we get it right before walking in. Because I don’t think anyone wants us to be up there for weeks at a time without there being an agreement on what we can pass or not,” said Martinez. 

Martinez says he’s still having conversations with the governor about a potential special session, but he’s also getting a head start on those complicated debates.

He’s planning to meet with a group of experts early next month to discuss that competency issue, and that’s partly because calling a special session is expensive – roughly $50,000 per day. New Mexico taxpayers would be footing the bill.

Martinez says he’s not against a special session.

“Anything that can help improve the lives of New Mexicans, I am for. Whether or not it should be in a 60-day session, or before that during a special session, I think it’s up to, you know, first of all up to the governor, because as I said, she’s the one who has the ability to call a special session. But if we can get something done before the regular 60-day session, I would be supportive,” said Martinez. 

It’s worth noting that the panhandling proposal didn’t make it very far during the regular session, and lawmakers will likely need to discuss that one ahead of time.

So, is there any idea when a special session could happen?

It appears the governor and legislative leaders are trying to figure what they can get done ahead of time before actually making a final decision. But it seems more and more likely lawmakers will return to the Roundhouse before January.