NEW MEXICO FRONT PAGE NEWS
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s been a busy 60 days, but the 2023 regular legislative session draws to a close at noon today. And while legislators may be sighing with relief, the political work isn’t entirely done.
Up to the Governor
Over 140 bills have been sent to the Governor’s desk. And she has some power to decide which become law.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has until April 7 of this year to decide which bills she wants to sign into law. She also has the option to veto bills. She’s already vetoed a bill to make a task force to study dual credit programs in public schools. And it’s entirely possible that she’ll veto other bills as well.
She can also partially veto bills that contain an appropriation. For example, she can cross off certain expenditures in bills.
If she chooses to veto bills, she can explain why in official messages to the Legislature. But she can also ‘pocket veto’ bills, meaning she simply takes no action by April 7.
If the Governor vetoes a bill, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the end of the road. A two-thirds majority vote of the Legislature can override the Governor’s veto.
When do bills go into effect?
Different bills go into effect at different times. If a bill has an emergency clause (often denoted with an asterisk before the bill number), it will go into effect as soon as the Governor signs it. The state’s budget also goes into effect immediately.
Other bills have specific set dates at which they’d go into effect. And bills without an emergency clause or a specified date go into effect on June 16, 2023.
As reported by KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos
