SANTA FE, N.M. — State lawmakers celebrated Saturday what they call a huge step in the right direction to address public safety concerns in our state.

“We put in the hard work, and today we’re seeing the fruits of that labor,” Sen. Mimi Stewart said.

Sen. Joseph Cervantes said they vowed to concentrate on public safety this session after the special session last summer.

He and other supporters of the bills said that approving House Bill 8 and Senate Bill 3 is a promise fulfilled.

“We as legislators appreciate the frustration of the public and law enforcement in the courts with what’s perceived to be a revolving door, and we hear that and see that frustration,” Cervantes said.

HB 8 packages six bills together, addressing a range of public safety concerns such as criminal competency, which the governor is a huge supporter of, and goes hand in hand with SB 3. That bill aims to create more access to behavioral healthcare across the state.

“These behavioral health bills that are part of this package are really the key to the success of the public safety package,” Sen. Peter Wirth said. “We can’t just incarcerate our way out of an addiction crisis.”

There was opposition from some Republican lawmakers who say there could have been more done. But Speaker of the House Javier Martinez said this bipartisan effort is just step one.

“Can we do more? Of course, we can do more,” Martinez said. “That’s why we have been working on public safety for seven, eight years now. This is a process. There’s not one silver bullet.”

Legislators said they have other public safety and behavioral health bills they still want to discuss, and especially look into bills about CYFD reform.

Speaker Martinez said that can be a big part of addressing juvenile crime.

Track HB 8 during the legislative session.

Track SB 3 during the legislative session.