2021 legislative session: What’s been accomplished so far?

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — State lawmakers are feeling the deadline pressure with less than 48 hours left in the 2021 legislative session.

So far, the governor has signed 10 bills, which includes a handful of separate bills that are part of a larger package to help businesses that were hit hard by the pandemic. Other signed legislation includes the Restaurant Gross Receipts Tax Deduction, a bill that would waive liquor license fees, a bill that would allow for alcohol deliveries, a bill to repeal the state abortion ban, the Small Business Recovery Act, and a bill that extends unemployment benefits for New Mexicans.

Around 109 pieces of legislation have cleared both the House and Senate. Some of the big tickets items include the New Mexico Civil Rights Act, the Elizabeth Whitefield End of Life Options Act, a bill that would prevent schools from discriminating against students based on their hairstyle, and a bill that would make changes to the state’s child support system.

Other bills that haven’t fully cleared the legislature include recreational marijuana, increasing the state’s minimum wage, the state budget, mandatory paid sick leave, and any public safety bill.

The bottom line? Lawmakers still have a ways to go.

The legislative session will end March 20 at noon.