Governor Lujan Grisham has been quick to wield the power of the executive during the last year and sees no reason to change it. On Friday she addressed the legislative proposals aimed squarely at relieving her of the ability to prolong emergency health orders for months. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Friday she would veto legislation that would curb the power of the executive branch over extending public health orders. HB 139 and SB 74 are two bills that deal with the issue, one of which would place a 45-day limit on an emergency health order and require legislative approval to extend it past 45 days is scheduled to be considered by the full Senate.

The Governor insists that while she respects the separation of powers, her authority to implement public health emergency procedures is central to an adequate handling of the pandemic. “New Mexico’s successes with COVID have largely been because we’re a centralized public health state,” Lujan Grisham told reporters during a news briefing Friday.

If the Governor does veto either of these legislative proposals, lawmakers have the ability to over ride her veto. In New Mexico it is rare to see such action because it would require a two-thirds vote in both the democratically held House and Senate. However, Governor Lujan Grisham has said that she doesn’t expect to have to use the veto this time. “I don’t think I’ll have to veto any bills — I don’t think they get upstairs” the Governor told reporters on Friday. Click HERE to read more.