{"id":1937,"date":"2025-03-22T11:55:11","date_gmt":"2025-03-22T17:55:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/new-mexico\/?post_type=press&#038;p=1937"},"modified":"2025-03-22T10:57:18","modified_gmt":"2025-03-22T16:57:18","slug":"small-steps-forward-for-new-mexicos-democracy-in-2025-session","status":"publish","type":"press","link":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/new-mexico\/press\/small-steps-forward-for-new-mexicos-democracy-in-2025-session\/","title":{"rendered":"Small Steps Forward for New Mexico\u2019s Democracy in 2025 Session"},"template":"","class_list":["post-1937","press","type-press","status-publish","hentry","press_type-press-release"],"acf":{"details":{"summary":"New Mexico\u2019s 2025 legislative session concludes with lobbying reform and wins for expanding access to elections.","featured_image":"","press_type":145,"authors":"","related_issues":false,"related_work":false,"location":34},"sidebar":{"helper_enable_sidebar":false,"helper_media_contact":{"heading":"Media Contact","manually_enter_person":false,"person":"","name":"","role":"","phone":"","email":""},"helper_links_downloads":{"heading":"Links & Downloads","links":null}},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Massive lobbying reform wins, but other pro-democracy reforms stall<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\r\n<b>Santa Fe, New Mexico <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014 New Mexico\u2019s 2025 legislative session concludes with lobbying reform and wins for expanding access to elections, but legislature modernization and campaign finance reform fail to become law.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nmlegis.gov\/Legislation\/Legislation?chamber=S&amp;legType=B&amp;legNo=85&amp;year=25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SB 85<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nmlegis.gov\/Legislation\/Legislation?Chamber=S&amp;LegType=JR&amp;LegNo=1&amp;year=25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SJR 1<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> were some of the strongest good government, pro-democracy reforms of the session. SJR 1 would have created the groundwork for a more representative state legislature by establishing legislative salaries, while SB 85 closed loopholes in the state\u2019s campaign finance law. Both bills got to the root of the big money problem, leveling the playing field and ensuring that the people\u2019s needs come before the needs of special interests.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This year\u2019s democracy wins include:<\/span>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nmlegis.gov\/Legislation\/Legislation?Chamber=H&amp;LegType=B&amp;LegNo=143&amp;year=25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HB 143:<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The biggest lobbying reform of the last decade, HB 143 strengthens accountability and transparency in the state legislature by requiring increased disclosures for lobbyists for the public to access.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nmlegis.gov\/Legislation\/Legislation?chamber=H&amp;legtype=JR&amp;legno=2&amp;year=24\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HJR 2:<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Enhances transparency and accountability in the legislative process by eliminating the governor's pocket veto power, requiring each veto to be accompanied by an explanation on why legislative measures were blocked. This resolution will go to voters in 2026<\/span><\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nmlegis.gov\/Legislation\/Legislation?chamber=S&amp;legType=B&amp;legNo=5&amp;year=25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SB 5:<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Modernizes wildlife management in New Mexico, increasing transparency and government efficacy for the department.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nmlegis.gov\/Legislation\/Legislation?chamber=S&amp;legType=B&amp;legNo=16&amp;year=25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SB 16<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Establishes semi-open primaries to include the 330,000+ independent voters in taxpayer funded primary elections. Independent and decline to state voters are the largest and quickest growing voting block in the state and we believe that all voices should be heard throughout our electoral process.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Statement of Common Cause New Mexico\u2019s Policy Director Mason Graham<\/b><\/p>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cRight now, the most important thing we can do is invest in our state\u2019s democracy to ensure that it stays healthy and accessible to everyone for years to come. That means modernizing our state legislature, closing loopholes that allow monied interests to have an outsized influence in our elections, and ensuring that all New Mexicans have equal and equitable access to the ballot.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhile this legislative session saw some important wins, our work to improve our state democracy continues as its urgency increases. With instability at the federal level, we encourage our state legislators to act aggressively in the best interest of New Mexicans as we move forward together.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe have the privilege in New Mexico of doing proactive legislative work in our state, rather than the defensive work that some state legislatures must do to safeguard their rights. Now is the time to invest in our collective futures through meaningful, pro-democracy reform.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCommon Cause New Mexico looks forward to continuing our work to strengthen our democracy in collaboration with our state legislators.\u201d<\/span>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">###<\/span><\/p>\r\n&nbsp;"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_add_component","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_add_component":null},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_work","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_work":{"heading":"Work","manually_curate":false,"work":null}}]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.6 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Small Steps Forward for New Mexico\u2019s Democracy in 2025 Session - Common Cause New Mexico<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"New Mexico\u2019s 2025 legislative session concludes with lobbying reform and wins for expanding access to elections.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/new-mexico\/press\/small-steps-forward-for-new-mexicos-democracy-in-2025-session\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Small Steps Forward for New Mexico\u2019s Democracy in 2025 Session\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"New Mexico\u2019s 2025 legislative session concludes with lobbying reform and wins for expanding access to elections.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/new-mexico\/press\/small-steps-forward-for-new-mexicos-democracy-in-2025-session\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Common Cause New Mexico\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/new-mexico\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/GettyImages-489052057.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2048\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1536\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"New Mexico\u2019s 2025 legislative session concludes with lobbying reform and wins for expanding access to elections.\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/new-mexico\/press\/small-steps-forward-for-new-mexicos-democracy-in-2025-session\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/new-mexico\/press\/small-steps-forward-for-new-mexicos-democracy-in-2025-session\/\",\"name\":\"Small Steps Forward for New Mexico\u2019s Democracy in 2025 Session - 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