SANTA FE, N.M. – We are about halfway through this 60-day legislative session, and New Mexico’s state lawmakers already have a lot to show for it.

A public safety package and a behavioral health reform package crossed the halfway point over the weekend. Two initiatives lawmakers promised to prioritize in the first 30 days.

Proposals expanding New Mexico’s red flag law and giving cannabis regulators new law enforcement authority are just one vote away from crossing the halfway point as well. That being said, a bipartisan juvenile justice reform bill is still at the starting line, and it’s still not clear when or if lawmakers plan to debate it.

A bill exempting veterans and their spouses from state property taxes unanimously cleared the House over the weekend. While an effort from Republican lawmakers to eliminate New Mexico’s personal income taxes failed to clear its first hurdle Monday morning.

“I agree that we do need to look for ways to diversify our economy. But are there better ways other tax cuts that we could do that improve our economic prospective? Prospects more with more certainty?” said state Rep. Cristina Parajón.

Meanwhile, some lawmakers are really digging into some new education proposals as we enter the back half of this session.

A bill shielding public librarians from politically-charged book bans is now headed to the House floor for a vote. A proposal making it easier for school districts to switch to electric school buses narrowly cleared its first hurdle.

Another attempt at asking New Mexico voters to establish a state school board just barely made it out of its first committee Monday morning.

The education conversation is largely focused on New Mexico’s public universities right now, and that debate got a little heated Monday.