Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Capitol Press Corps and The Line

This week on New Mexico in Focus, it’s a preview of the upcoming legislative session. Lawmakers are already at work in the Roundhouse, and the full Legislature returns Tuesday, Jan. 21, to begin the 30-day session. Ahead of the State of the State address, NMiF Senior Producer Matt Grubs sits down with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for a preview of what to expect when the governor delivers her official call to legislators for her second session as chief executive. The governor has already introduced a budget that will create a trust fund for early childhood development, and create a state department for the same purpose. But Lujan Grisham has different ideas than lawmakers about how much money the early childhood effort will take. Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel delve into the governor’s plans to add their insights and informed opinions to the conversation. The group also gauges the mood at the Capitol as the Legislature arrives to another year with hundreds of millions of dollars in extra revenue, thanks to the oil boom in southeast New Mexico. Correspondent Gwyneth Doland talks to members of the Capitol press corps for their views on what to watch for as the session begins. While the budget is the first priority in the “short” sessions for New Mexico, lawmakers will introduce hundreds of bills in the hope of getting approval from the governor to add their issue to the agenda. Among the controversial bills expected are a “red flag” law that would temporarily seize guns from suspected domestic abusers after a court hearing, and a measure to legalize recreational cannabis.