She began with a nostalgic video and proceeded to deliver a vanilla speech that leaned heavily into the major success of her seven years at the helm of state government---the adoption of universal child care. 

Transcript here. Video here (starts at 1:46).

The chatty and often casual address from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was dotted with gubernatorial ad libs and received a mostly mild reception from the 112 lawmakers. 

The lame-duck executive kept things friendly, not pressing her luck by presenting any major challenges or criticisms in this, her final legislative session. 

As for the elephants in the room, the chaotic Trump presidency and the threat of ICE that has shaken so many of her constituents in her majority-minority state, they were mostly kept in their cages. There was no call to arms or even a lament over Trump, perhaps wisely given his reputation for retaliation but seen by progressives as missing the moment.

The aforementioned video had MLG mixing it up with three former Republican Governors--Garrey Carruthers, Gary Johnson and Susana Martinez. Former Dem Gov. Toney Anaya chimed in to the chummy session by phone as all present celebrated themselves and their respective eras.  

The state's baby boomer Governor, 66, was intent on going out on a warm and fuzzy note, often invoking the good old days of bipartisanship and friendship even as today's citizens grapple with one of the most polarized political environments in the nation's history. 

Her appearance with the three former GOP governors served to emphasize how New Mexican politics today is dealing with a nearly extinct GOP. 

'26 State of State

"Bipartisanship" for this Governor is really uniting the factions in her own party that holds an overwhelming majority in the legislature, all the state executive offices and the entire congressional delegation. 

The Republicans have been shunned. Their partially radicalized national agenda has contaminated them here so the Governor's appeal to bring them in from the cold fell flat in the chamber. 

It has been MLG's division with her progressive wing that has given her the most headaches of late after conservative Dems were erased in primary elections during her tenure. Her get tough on crime bills repeatedly going up in flames is a prime example. Yet Republican legislators said on opening day they now have an "unlkely ally" in the Governor on crime. But what they and she don't have is the votes. 

Tuesday afternoon she again championed juvenile code reform and pre-trial detention measures and was greeted with mostly silence on the Dem side. That had the Governor quipping that she would move on to a subject that the lawmakers might like more--healthcare. 

She presented quite a robust package including the hot button of medical malpractice reform, building a $600 million new UNM School of Medicine, approving interstate medical compacts and eliminating the gross receipts tax on medical services. The positive reception that met her mention of malpractice reform drew more applause than one might expect and keeps the topic front in center at the 30 day session.

Like childcare, her record on healthcare will be remembered favorably. Her reminder of her commitment to Medicaid, affordable health insurance and reproductive rights were a speech highlight that had Dems applauding heartily. 

SWAN SONG FINALE 

MLG's legislative swan song was delivered against a backdrop of her losing majority support in the Democratic state after two commanding statewide victories in '18 and '22. But it has not been a drastic drop with a 45 percent approval rating in the September '24 ABQ Journal survey. Her attention to traditional Dem issues has kept her in good stead with much of her party. 

In closing she pushed back against the state's low self-esteem that posits New Mexico as a backwater failure. She pointed to her own set of statistics that show improvement in the state's standings, including a reduction in child poverty. 

The Governor's more genial approach to the legislature in her final State-of-the-State in lieu of her often demanding rhetoric struck the right note for a goodbye. The state now begins a transition to a new administration to be elected in eight months. In La Politica, it's always a story of "to be continued. . ."

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.