Rep. Gail Armstrong shares a Republican’s view on the good, bad and ugly of the legislative session
Around the RoundhouseShow Notes
With just over a week left in New Mexico’s 30-day legislative session, a handful of bills have been passed and signed into law but there’s still a lot up in the air for lawmakers. Some of the bills passed so far have had bipartisan support, but others have faced strong opposition by the Republican minority in both chambers. In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to offer her take on the good, the bad and the ugly of the session so far. The Magdalena Republican starts with sharing her support for the interstate compacts for doctors and social workers, and the medical malpractice reform bill that is still working its way through the Legislature. Armstrong also discusses her opposition to the passage of House Bill 9, a bill to ban local governments in New Mexico from contracting with the federal government to detain undocumented immigrants and others with pending civil immigration cases. She later talks about Senate Bill 17, a gun control bill Republicans have called unconstitutional. Chacón asks Armstrong about Republicans’ hopes of picking up seats in the Legislature in the upcoming election. She discusses what it’s been like being in the minority party, saying “we’re really sick and tired of being pushed around” and that better balance is needed in the Roundhouse. Armstrong ends the podcast by talking about her House district, which is the largest in the state and very rural. “I probably have more cows and elk than I do people. I kind of like it like that,” she says. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
More from Around the Roundhouse
One of the biggest stories of the year in New Mexico has been the construction of Project Jupiter, a controversial hyperscale data center in Southern New Mexico. In the latest episode of The New Mexican’s Around the Roundhouse podcast, hosted by politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón, state Sen. Carrie Hamblen, a Las Cruces Democrat, discusses concerns around the project, which is being built in her Senate district. Hamblen, a former broadcast journalist who spent more than 20 years working both behind the scenes and on air for local NPR affiliate KRWG, also talks about recent recognitions she received from the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, as well as the New Mexico Press Association. Hamblen, who is known at the Roundhouse for being a thoughtful and collegial legislator with a playful side, also discusses her role as president and CEO of the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Allegra Love is an immigration lawyer who for nearly 20 years has been on the front lines of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity by providing legal assistance to immigrants in Santa Fe and across New Mexico. On the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Love joins Santa Fe New Mexican politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to discuss the impact of the uptick in ICE arrests during President Donald Trump’s second administration and the toll it is having on immigrant communities. Love works with Las Cumbres Community Services to provide rapid response legal services for people whose family members have been arrested by ICE. She discusses her experiences fighting for immigrants’ rights and her perspective on the Trump administration’s narrative that ICE is only going after “the worst of the worst.” Love brings up the case of Edgar Chacon-Miranda, a Santa Fe resident who has legal status in the United States but was still arrested by ICE and detained for 30 days before being released. Love talks about how such actions impact families, noting the loss of income suffered by Chacon-Miranda’s family while he was in detention and unable to work, and the fear experienced by his daughters as they didn’t know what was going to happen with their father. Also a public elementary school teacher, Love shares how she got involved in immigration issues and describes the emotional struggles of her work as an immigration attorney. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Linda Trujillo was elected New Mexico’s new Senate majority leader Sunday by the Senate Democratic caucus, becoming the first woman to hold the position. She will take the place of fellow Santa Fe Democrat Peter Wirth, who served in the role for a decade before announcing earlier this year that he would not seek another term as majority leader. In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Trujillo joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to discuss her leadership style and the priorities that the Senate Democratic caucus will pursue in the 2027 legislative session. To start, Trujillo shares why she decided to pursue the majority leader position and describes her relationship with Wirth, who she described as a strong and steady leader during his time in the role. A major focus for the Senate Democratic caucus in the 2027 session will be affordability. In discussing priorities, Trujillo offered examples including passing a cost of living adjustment for the state’s Public Employees Retirement Association members, continuing to provide support for childcare, making housing more affordable, filling gaps in health care and supporting senior citizens. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Michael Roybal has worked in the courts for more than a decade, spending time at both the Santa Fe County Magistrate Court and the First Judicial District Court. He’s served as a court clerk, court monitor and a pretrial services officer, and now he’s vying to earn a spot in a judge’s seat. Roybal, a Democrat and a 2008 Santa Fe High graduate, is running against Forward Party candidate Harry Montoya to be a Santa Fe County magistrate judge. In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Roybal joins Santa Fe New Mexican politics reporter Clara Bates to discuss his background and share his reasons for running. Working in the courts since 2014, Roybal says his roles in the court system have allowed him to see the problems that plague the community. He also talks about his family’s interactions with the judicial system his firsthand experience of seeing how drugs can impact a family. Roybal says if elected he would work to get people with substance and behavioral health issues the treatment they need while also holding people accountable for their actions. Roybal also talks about his involvement with the JB White Foundation, which helps raise awareness about gun violence among youth and puts on youth basketball tournaments. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Paul Gessing has spent the past 20 years working to shape policy in New Mexico as president of the Rio Grande Foundation, an Albuquerque-based think tank focused on promoting “individual freedom, limited government and economic opportunity,” according to the organization’s website. In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Gessing joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to discuss a proposal to raise the state’s gas tax, why he supports eliminating the personal income tax in the state, his thoughts on the gubernatorial race and more. New Mexico hasn’t seen an increase in its gas tax in more than three decades. Funds raised from the tax go to repairing the state’s roads. State Sen. Roberto “Bobby” Gonzales, D-Rancho de Taos, is considering introducing the proposed increase during next year’s 60-day legislative session. Gessing thinks raising the gas tax would be a bad idea, saying he thinks there are other places the state can draw funds from to repair its roads. “Simply put, it is crazy to even be talking about raising taxes,” Gessing said. Members of the state’s Republican Party, which is a minority in the both chambers of the Legislature, have also been pushing for eliminating personal income tax. Gessing shares why he thinks it would be a good move for the state and says he thinks it would be best to phase it out over a number of years rather than all at once. Chacón also asks Gessing to share his thoughts on the governor’s race between Democrat Deb Haaland and Republican Gregg Hull. Gessing says he wishes the public would get the chance to see multiple debates between the two candidates before the election, which seems less likely as Nov. 3 approaches. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.