Rio Rancho lawmakers reflect on short session

SANTA FE — Rio Rancho area lawmakers have lots to talk about when it comes to this year's legislative session, including the passage of long-awaited medical malpractice reform and a constitutional amendment that would remove the prohibition on paying lawmakers.

Reps. Kathleen Cates and Catherine Cullen, and Sens. Cindy Nava and Jay Block all spoke about the session, which ran Jan. 20 to Feb. 19. Of the 700 bills that were filed — with 74 approved — the local delegation of lawmakers all supported at least one piece of legislation: House Bill 99 (Medical Malpractice Changes), which placed caps on punitive damages for hospitals, dropped malpractice insurance premiums for doctors and made it harder for victims of medical malpractice and their families to sue for damages.

But the lawmakers didn't all agree on a whether there should be a constitutional amendment to pay them for their work.

Nava, a Democrat from Bernalillo, called the session successful due to its collaborative efforts between the House, the Senate and the governor's office.

"That's how we were able to move so many things along — by collaborating and being strategic on setting priorities that were of urgency to our communities and New Mexico," Nava said.

Block, a Republican from Rio Rancho, called the session "fast-paced" and even offered some praise to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who marked her last session this year before she is set to leave office in 2027.

"She's been getting away from the radical left, and I've appreciated that a lot," Block said, citing the governor's stance on crime and medical malpractice reform.

Sen. Craig Brandt, R-Rio Rancho, was unavailable for comment. Reps. Alan Martinez and Joshua Hernandez, R-Rio Rancho, did not respond to inquiries.

Kathleen Cates

Cates, a Democrat serving Rio Rancho and Corrales, said this session was no different from others in that there was not enough time to pass all initiatives. But for a 30-day session, lawmakers "got a ton of stuff through," she said.

Cates was referring to HB 99 and interstate licensing compacts for doctors and social workers, making it easier for out-of-state health care providers to practice in New Mexico. Cates called medical-related legislation a top priority of this session.

"The constituents have clearly communicated that when (doctor shortages) started to affect them being able to get primary care doctors in a timely way, they wanted that addressed," Cates said. "There are a lot of ways to address them, but two of them were medical malpractice reform and compacts."

She noted that not all compacts made it to the governor's desk, including one which mandated state and federal criminal background checks for dentists.

Cates had hoped one of her bills, HB 295, could make it out of the New Mexico Senate. The legislation, which passed the House 57-6, would have made it easier for people with disabilities to report any challenges they might have with accessing a state building or website.

"We have no centralized data on how well we are doing on accessibility in this state," she said. "We wanted to start a small department that would gather data ... and provide an annual comprehensive report (for the Legislature) to make budgetary decisions every year."

Cates agrees lawmakers should be paid for their work. She said being an elected official is a like a full-time job. Her time-consuming duties range from meeting with constituents and answering their calls to hours of traveling.

"I have replaced three windshields in four years because I've had so much driving to do," Cates said. "It is expensive to be a legislator. ... I am trying to take the financial hit in being able to do this job."

Cindy Nava

Nava touted HB 9, which prohibits cities and towns from entering into agreements with the federal government to detain illegal immigrants, or terminate those pacts if they do. She said lawmakers felt an urgent need to respond to President Donald Trump's policies on immigration.

"We knew that we needed to take action to implement protections in some way, shape or form," Nava said.

Other bills, like Senate Bill 100, did not fare through the legislative process the way Nava hoped. SB 100 (Burglary Definition of a Dwelling) would have added a portal to the definition of a structure. The bill was written in response to a 2025 New Mexico Supreme Court decision that overturned a man's murder conviction after it invalidated the underlying charge of aggravated burglary. Joseph Jones was convicted in 2023 of killing Robert Romero in the backyard of his Santa Fe home in 2018, but on appeal years later, justices concluded the portal where Romero was found dead was not a "structure" as defined in state law.

"In New Mexico, portals are attached to a home," Nava said. "We worked really hard to ensure that we get (the current definition) changed, but ... we're going to continue working on that. We support families, and God forbid, we land in that situation again."

The constitutional amendment that would provide a salary to lawmakers is long overdue, said Nava, who noted New Mexico is the only state that does not pay legislators.

"If you want to have more young people in that (legislative) body, you have to provide a salary," she said. "We were all aware (of not being able to receive a salary), but we're not going to continue a structure from 1912."

Catherine Cullen

Cullen, a Republican from Rio Rancho, said this session deserved a "mixed review."

"There were important wins for families, patients, and public safety, and I was proud to be part of those efforts," she wrote in an email. "At the same time, too many practical, bipartisan solutions were blocked or delayed. New Mexicans deserve better results, and we still have work to do."

Aside from medical malpractice reform, Cullen was proud to support interstate medical compacts (Senate Bill 1) and legislation focused on improving literacy and math outcomes (Senate Bill 37 and 29, respectfully)

"These bills addressed real challenges facing our communities," she wrote. "While some (legislation) moved forward, others faced unnecessary resistance. Even so, I'm encouraged that we kept these priorities front and center."

Cullen, elected to the Legislature in 2025 following her service on the Rio Rancho school board, knew her position was unpaid — and it doesn't bother her.

"Public service has never been about a paycheck for me," she wrote. "I believe our top priority must remain fixing crime, healthcare, education, and affordability before we even think about paying ourselves."

Jay Block

Block, a Republican from Rio Rancho, described the session as fast-paced, but the "biggest win" — medical malpractice reform — came out of it nonetheless.

"We're the only state that was losing doctors because of no medical caps, and the people that were running health care were trial lawyers," Block said. "It affected 2 million New Mexicans, so this is a step in the right direction."

Still, he would like to refine the bill to include more protections for doctors over trial lawyers — but any changes can wait until the next session in January 2027.

Unlike Nava, Block was upset with the passage of HB9, claiming thousands of federal jobs will be lost in the state because of it.

"That was the biggest disappointment in the session," Block said. "These Democrats who talk affordability literally made sure that they would put 1,000 New Mexicans and their families out of work."

Block was also disappointed that a tax exemption for veterans' pensions did not make it out of committee.