Facing the Harsh Reality
Now that the 2026 Legislative Session has closed, New Mexico faces a stark reality. For the first time in years, protecting corporate interests or entrenched systemic power often outweighed the needs of the communities lawmakers were elected to serve and protect.
Across various issues, corporate forces engaged in and funded massive disinformation campaigns. They claimed that protecting New Mexicans from the harms of these interests would “kill jobs” or “hurt the economy,” ignoring the very real human costs of inaction, particularly for people of color and LGBTQ communities. From climate policy to data privacy, these false narratives often obstructed policies that would have protected lives. It is hard for an unpaid Legislature, who doesn’t get to work more than a month or two per year - to be able to sift through the disinformation they are fed, and yet we do believe they are responsible for taking the bold action their communities demand. This is not to say they must take the blame, but emphasizes our responsibility as constituents to make expectations clear.
Community Advocates and Allies Persist
Even in this challenging environment, there were lawmakers who fought to center our priorities. House leadership worked tirelessly to include our issues among their top priorities, pushing conversations on the Rainbow Budget, advocating for PREA safeguards, and raising the profile of NMCHISPA data privacy protections. While these proposals did not pass, the fact that they were actively discussed is a sign of what can happen when leaders are willing to uplift people-first policies.
While many crucial fights were lost to systemic and corporate powers, we saw community organizations and elected allies come together to fight for New Mexicans. This serves as a reminder that while some leaders play politics and gamble with New Mexicans’ livelihoods, many of the folks in the Roundhouse are still there to fight for our communities. After almost a decade of advocacy for the Immigrant Safety Act, it quickly passed the House and Senate and was signed by the Governor by the third week of the session. Thanks to the hard work of community advocates, sponsors, and supporters, New Mexico is now removed from the immigrant detention industry. We were especially excited to see this passage - as an organization that was working on this topic years ago, and witnessing the young people who took over this fight lead with such commitment to our communities . SB40, the Driver Privacy and Safety Act passed in the final days of session, protecting New Mexicans from being tracked and targeted through law enforcement tools like automated license plate readers. We cannot overstate the importance of enacting community-centered privacy policies like this to protect New Mexicans!
This session was a tough one, especially for those who are there to protect their communities instead of corporations. But there’s a clear juxtaposition that we must face in order to move forward intentionally and effectively: while many are focused on aiding and maintaining the exploitation of New Mexicans by multi-billion dollar entities and harmful systems, EQNM and our partners and allies alike have reaffirmed our commitment to protect our most vulnerable communities.
This session highlights that the fight against corporate and systemic forces cannot rest on a few champions alone. It requires all of us stepping up together. Equality New Mexico will work toward this vision with our Built by Us framework: community-centered, people-powered, and policy-driven.
A Call for Every New Mexican to Step Up
We are calling on New Mexicans to join this movement, and help ensure that the voices of our communities, not the influence of systemic powers, shape policy. By engaging, organizing, and holding decision-makers accountable, we can turn the conversations this session started into action.
The work ahead is clear: corporate interests will keep pushing myths that profit should come before people. But with enough people ready to stand together, we can ensure that future sessions truly reflect the needs of our communities. This is the time to get involved, raise your voice, and help build the New Mexico we know is possible, built by us.