Over the weekend, the Albuquerque Journal added its support to the effort to pass the rest of the interstate health care worker compacts during a special session this year. (That editorial is pasted at the end of this document in case you missed it).
It is our understanding that the Governor is willing to call a special session for the compacts as long as the legislature is willing to do their part and actually pass them. The House has passed all the compacts multiple times, but the Senate has killed them either by refusing to hear the bills or by making substantive amendments that mean that New Mexico would not be agreeing to the same terms as other states, which voids our ability to participate in the compact.
We are hoping that you will add your voice to the growing chorus by sending a letter calling for a special session on the compacts. New Mexicans shouldn’t have to wait until next year.
We would recommend sending it not just to Governor Lujan Grisham, but also to the legislative leaders: Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, Senate Minority Leader Bill Sharer, House Speaker Javier Martinez, House Majority Leader Reena Szczepanski, and House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong.
Senate Pro Tem Mimi Stewart mimi.stewart@nmlegis.gov
Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth peter.wirth@nmlegis.gov
Senate Minority Leader Bill Sharer bill@williamsharer.com
Speaker Javier Martinez javier.martinez@nmlegis.gov
House Majority Leader Reena Szczepanski reena.szczepanski@nmlegis.gov
House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong gail@gailfornewmexico.com
Journal Editorial Board
ABQ Journal Article
Albuquerque Journal EDITORIAL - Journal Editorial Board April 19, 2026
Governor can cement her legacy with a short special session
The governor and an overwhelming number of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle teamed up and earned big wins during this year’s legislative session to improve the quality and availability of health care in New Mexico.
Lawmakers muscled through long awaited reforms to medical malpractice laws after years of similar legislation stalling in the Senate Judiciary Committee. It took long negotiations with stakeholders. It required overcoming influential senators on the committee who also work at law firms that specialize in filing medical malpractice lawsuits (Democratic Sens. Joseph Cervantes and Katy Duhigg).
The effort brought a semblance of sanity to punitive damage practices in New Mexico courts.
It was a strong collective effort by dozens of lawmakers, stakeholders and experts. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, especially, deserve appreciation for their leadership.
New Mexico also joined the vast majority of states across the country — both Red and Blue — by entering interstate health care worker compacts for physicians and social workers, which will make it easier for those professionals to bring their skills and experience to New Mexico from other states.
Those were some of the big health care wins. It’s expected to have quick results. The New Mexico Medical Board estimates that by joining the physician compact New Mexico will see a 10-15% increase in the number of doctors applying to work in New Mexico every year.
Yes, the governor earned a victory lap.
The new laws mark a watershed moment for health care in New Mexico and demonstrate that lawmakers can put politics aside and do what’s right even at times when Republicans and Democrats seldom see eye-to-eye.
But there’s a funny thing in life called momentum, and when you’ve got it, keep it rolling.
That’s why Lujan Grisham should call a special session and join the rest of the health care worker compacts.
Lawmakers passed legislation allowing the state to join two of the compacts this year, but other worker compacts — for psychologists, counselors, EMTs, physician’s assistants, speech therapists and audiologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and dentists — were left on the table. We think a limited and precise special session to get those bills across the finish line would be a worthy use of public funds and help cement the governor’s legacy in her final year in office.
The special session wouldn’t be a drawn-out endeavor. The governor has indicated she’s in favor of joining the compacts. There’s broad bipartisan support for the legislation. The New Mexico House unanimously passed bills to join all of them, and the compacts have support from 66 organizations including chambers of commerce and labor unions; Indivisible chapters and the Coalition of Conservatives in Action.
When those groups are on the same page, there’s no reason to wait for next year.
The governor has been bold and tried to make transformative changes to the state during her tenure. She’s used her power to create the Opportunity Scholarship, greenhouse gas rules, a universal child care program and electric vehicle mandates. Under Lujan Grisham, New Mexico became one of the first states to establish an outdoor recreation division. She thought outside the box and ordered policies to attempt to save children, such as her controversial order that babies born with drugs in their system are immediately placed in custody of the Children, Youth and Families Department.
But political winds can shift quickly, and much of what the governor sees as accomplishments hasn’t been codified into law. New Mexico will have a new governor next year. That means a new Cabinet with new directives and priorities.
We think the governor, as a final bold act, should bring lawmakers back to the Roundhouse and find a way to eke a bill through both chambers that allows New Mexico to join the rest of the health care worker compacts.
Such an act would shore up a legacy that Lujan Grisham used her power to try to improve health care access for everyone in the state. The governor of New Mexico wields tremendous power, and she should use the power bestowed upon her one last time.
