Rep. Christine Chandler, left, chats with Dr. Angela Bratton prior to Thursday’s Legislative Preview at Fuller Lodge. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com

Sen. Leo Jaramillo, left, chats with Los Alamos Retired and Senior Organization (LARSO) Executive Director Ramon Garcia prior to Thursday’s Legislative Preview at Fuller Lodge. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com

BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com

Despite freezing temperatures and snowy road conditions, attendance was impressive Thursday evening at Fuller Lodge for the 2026 Legislative Preview hosted by the League of Women Voters of Los Alamos (LWVLA) and American Association of University Women (AAUW). Rep. Chtiistine Chandler and Sen. Leo Jaramillo discussed their priorities for the second session of the 57th Legislature, which opens Jan. 20 at noon. Sen. Roberto Gonzales was unable to attend due to inclement weather and sent a message via Sen. Jaramillo.

REP. CHRISTINE CHANDLER

Rep. Christine Chandler is finishing out her fourth term in the legislature and has been chair of the House Judiciary Committee for the last three years. Prior to that she was chair of the Tax committee and has been on that committee for her entire career in the House so far, as well as on the House Judiciary Committee.

“These are two extremely important committees in terms of policy. Judiciary receives a huge number of bills that touch on a whole array of topics,” she said.

Chandler discussed two AI bills she is working on, one that would require notice to the person that AI is being used in areas such as employment and housing. She mentioned people who are not selected for a job and don’t even get an interview.

“Then you can ask why and they have to identify why you were not chosen and if there was incorrect information used, you have a right to correct it and appeal – so that a human has to look at what you submitted, so that there’s some kind of check,” Chandler said. “There’s also a chatbot added onto this transparency bill, and what it does is require that chatbot to say, ‘I am a chatbot. I am not a person’. That’s right out of the box when you initiate the interactive session and every 3 minutes there has to be a break and re-notice that you are not talking to a human being. The intent, of course, is to break up that flow and try to make sure that the person is conscious of the fact that they’re not engaged in a conversation.”

Chandler jumped to medical malpractice, which was her main focus during her initial 15 minutes of speaking. She said she has had many conversations over the last couple of years about medical malpractice.

“In 2021 we passed a bill with the concurrence of all the medical field but it has turned out to maybe have created some problems in a number of ways. My goal for the summer was trying to understand that and try put aside all the noise, because frankly there has been a lot of noise from all of the parties – the trial lawyers, the hospitals, the trade associations. There has been a lot of misinformation and diversion and half information, so it was my goal to try to actually really understand it,” she said.

Chandler said she did a deep dive into the bill and went around and talked to people who actually practice medical malpractice litigation.

“My intent was to really hear what is happening. I don’t need to hear from a lobbyist. They don’t understand most of the bills. They don’t understand the Malpractice Act. The ones at the hospitals don’t, the Medical Society really don’t, and so I went and talked to actual practitioners and asked them what is going on and if can they inform me as to where the soft spots are. In addition to that I went and looked at other state laws. Not just the summaries, because I also heard about all the different parts – what Colorado does and what Arizona does or doesn’t do…. What I found out was we are out of alignment. with what Colorado and Arizona do,” she said.

Chandler said she centers most of her attention on Colorado for the reason that they are neighbors and they are similar to New Mexico in out political values,

“They have cultural similarities in many respects seemed like that was a fair model… and if we are recruiting medical providers it might be somebody’s interest in the West or Southwest and it seemed logical. They have a lot of guardrails and they have caps on punitive damages and they have a higher burden of proof,” she said.

One of the biggest issues she has heard about from all the providers and the hospitals and the independent doctors was that they are terrified of excessive punitive damages awards.

“They may be few and far between. It’s very hard to know but they are pled in all cases and nearly all medical malpractice lawsuits will have punitive claims… and that is a problem because it is used in negotiations to leverage higher settlements than might be warranted depending on the damages and the like. It also makes doctors very nervous to have punitive damages against them and of course then that encourages settlement because doctors are saying. ‘Personally, I can’t handle a punitive damage award’,” Chandler said.

Legislators are going to try and get their arms around the issue in a bill that Chandler has worked on that will cap punitive damages.

“It will tie the cap to the cap that exists on monetary damages. It will also raise the standard of proof to clear and convincing evidence which is a moderate level of standard of proof, and it would also not permit the pleading of punitive damages until the discovery is nearly completed. And then you have to go to the judge to ask permission to have a claim and you have to have a showing through the discovery that you’ve collected. And the judge will say you have enough to get it to a jury or you don’t.” she said.

Chandler thinks that will help in terms of settlement – if there are settlements to keep them within a reasonable range and that people “will be more rational in how they decide these things”. She said there are some other provisions she would like to have in the bill, but that they’re “very technical and they’re very dull”.

“The biggest and probably the most significant for the providers will be getting our arms around the punitive damages awards, then I think we might be able to move forward in a more realistic way. I have spent a lot of time trying to understand what is done elsewhere and that was my conclusion afterwards – leaving out all the noise as much as I can. We’ll see how it goes and I hope that we’ll file it relatively early. I’d like to pre-file it and I’m circulating it around to some of the stakeholders to get some input and maybe adjust it a little bit.” Chandler said.

She also referred to the challenges in New Mexico with regard to bringing in medical professionals.

“For example , our salaries tend to be lower than other places. We have a lot of Medicaid payers and that’s a struggle for providers as well. There’s concern about our schools in certain parts of the state. It’s really something we need to be thinking about. We are planning to present a package of healthcare initiatives. I will be carrying a physician/healthcare provider loan repayment program and the way it’s structured at the moment is we’ll probably be offering double what I’m hearing across the country. This is in the $300,000 range for physicians if they commit to stay in the state for four years and there will be a lesser package for other healthcare providers that don’t have that debt load such as nurse practitioners, physical therapists and dentists,” she said,

At least 50 percent of the fund for physicians loans and a $25 million appropriation is being considered.

“I’m getting a lot of good feedback on that with my leadership and the members of the Appropriation Committee so I hopeful that it will stay generally within that ballpark,” Chandler said.

SEN. LEO JARAMILLO

Sen. Jaramillo noted that the first legislative session of the year focuses primarily on the budget and when that happens, bills that need to be heard outside the budget, need to be on the call of the governor.

“it’s very rare that you get bills that are going to be heard that aren’t on her call are reflected in the budget. One of those bills will be an interstate licensing compact. We’ve heard from constitituents that have talked about the need to make sure that we can keep doctors in the state of New Mexico, and what we’re thinking with this bipartisan bill is that this will allow physicians to move from stateline to stateline with other states that have the compact. So we’re hoping this can attract physicians to New Mexico,” Jaramillo said.

He took some time to”brag on some stuff ” that he got to do this year.

“I served as vice chair of the Rules Committee in the Senate, which oversees confirmations from the governor’s office for boards and commissions throughout the state. I was elected as the Rising Star of the Democratic Party of New Mexico, so I’m really excited about that. They’re excited about the work I’m doing, not just in my community but for rural New Mexicans. That’s what help me get that award. I was also named the West Chair of the National Hispanic Conference of State Legislators, which means I represent Latino legislators from New Mexico up to the Canadian border and Alaska to Hawaii,” he said.

The role of the West Chair is to take the voice of Latinos and Latino legislators to Washington.

“I’m doing something different in that I’m educating Americans about the role of Hispanos in New Mexico and how our forefathers were here long before the forefathers in the east, and how we helped shape this country along with our brothers and sisters,” Jaramillo said.

He noted that there are several bills that he is carrying this session that he is excited about.

“I’ll be carrying one that focuses on rural New Mexico as the vice chair of the Land Grant Committee. Land grants were given by the King of Spain to families when they moved here in 1598 to ensure that they would have collective property where they could build community, and it wasn’t intended for individuals to own this property, but for it to be communal,” he said, adding that the United States honored the land grants.

“Land grants are closely tied to our acequia communities. There are community ditches. Native Americans had acequias here long before the Spanish got here. The Spanish understood acequias when they got here. They governed them and made them a piece of government. Land grants and acequias are political subdivisions of the state, but there’s no true funding that comes in. Rural New Mexicans look for capital outlay for infrastructure projects that they have, and if you ask the Representative (Chandler), capital outlay can look like just a Band-Aid for some major projects that are needed throughout the state.” Jaramillo said. “This bill would ensure that some funds would come to the acequias and land grants annually in the amount of $5-$8 million a year to help them work on infrastructure projects…. In most cases when they look for grants, they’re asked to match their dollars. Rural New Mexicans don’t have those dollars in most cases.”

This funding, he said, would help to ensure that they can get the work done that they need to throughout these historic communities.

Sen. Jaramillo said one key bill under consideration that he supports would allow New Mexico to join interstate licensing compacts for physicians and social workers.

“These compacts streamline licensing so qualified professionals from other states can practice here, similar to how a driver’s license is recognized across state lines. Many neighboring states have already joined these compacts and have seen increases in available providers. With ongoing health care workforce shortages — especially in rural and underserved communities — this bipartisan legislation aims to expand access to care. Additional compacts for other health professions, such as paramedics, physical therapists, and psychologists, are also being evaluated for future consideration,” he said.

Jaramillo said that as the vice chair of the Legislative Land Grant Interim Committee, he will be introducing the Land Grant Merced and Acequia Infrastructure Act.

“This bill would create a permanent and reliable infrastructure funding program to support historic land grants–mercedes and acequias in our rural communities. Land grants–mercedes are historic community land holdings that date back to the Spanish and Mexican periods. These lands were granted to communities, not individuals, so residents could share and manage resources such as grazing areas and water. Many of these communities still exist today as political subdivisions that continue to steward the land for the benefit of their members,” Jaramillo said. ” Acequias are centuries-old community irrigation systems that combine physical infrastructure, the ditches themselves, with a traditional form of self-governance. Water users work together to maintain the ditch and manage water fairly so everyone has access, supporting local agriculture and food security.”

The proposed act would provide an estimated $5–$8 million annually to help these communities repair and improve critical infrastructure.

“This approach follows successful models already in place for Pueblos and Colonias through the Tribal Infrastructure Fund and the Colonias Infrastructure Act, ensuring that these traditional communities receive equitable and sustained support,” Jaramillo said.

He discussed meeting with teachers and administrators from across New Mexico at an event last summer at Northern New Mexico College in Espanola.

“Rural school districts asked if there was a way that I could carry a bill that would be a taz credit for companies that would give any type of equipment to a school district so that they can then helo train a workforce in that public school,” Jaramillo said.

He is working with educators at the Chama Valley Public Schools where their vision is if industries would give the equipment to the school – and it wouldn’t be a dumping ground, he said. Industry would bring in the equipment and would train teachers to how to work that equipment. The legislature would give the industries a tax credit of 5 percent of what the equipment is worth. The teachers would be paid on a companion bill to work on training students on how to use that equipment.

“We’re envisioning that this would be a summer program. They would continue to do their curriculum work during the school yearand focus on workforce training during the summer with teachers getting paid and industry getting a tax break,” Jaramillo said.|

This program would be administered through the Public Education Department’s College and Career Readiness/CTE Bureau.

“I look forward to allocating capital outlay funds to support the four counties I represent. I’ll be assisting Los Alamos County with their top priorities – Housing and an Emergency Operations Center. I will nake sure I team up twith Rep. Chandler and Sen. Gonzales to allocal funds to those funds to those projects. I will also beworking with UNM-LA t allocate money in support of any iinfrastructure projects they have,” .

On Feb. 6, Jaramillo said he will host Los Alamos High School NativeAmerican Students during American Indian Day in the Roundhouse.

“I get to host them each year and we get to talk about the importance of representation – representation matters. They come and tell me about issues they’re hearing about. We have a conversation, not only about policy, but why it’s important for representation to be effective in and out of the Roundhouse,” he said.

Jaramillo said it’s going to be a fast session. He mentioned that he juggles his job at Los Alamos National Laboratory with being a senator.

“I’m not complaining! It’s something that I love to do,” he said.

SEN. BOBBY GONZALES’S LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR THE SESSION READ ON HIS BEHALF BY SEN. JARAMILLO

Although Sen. Bobby Gonzales is unable to be with us today, he asked that I share his legislative priorities for the upcoming session.

One of Sen. Gonzales’s major focuses is a comprehensive transportation bonding bill in partnership with the New Mexico Department of Transportation. This proposal would authorize approximately $1.5 billion in bonding, structured at roughly $290 million per year and financed over a period of 10 to 20 years. A key component of this proposal is accountability—projects would need to be fully identified and completed, with no partial or unfinished projects funded through the bond.

In addition to the bonding proposal, Sen. Gonzales strongly supports investment in local roads through the General Fund. He is advocating for approximately $155 million statewide for road maintenance, including $5 million specifically dedicated to the Rural Error Fund, which supports rural and underserved communities.

Public safety and wildfire preparedness are also top priorities. Sen. Gonzales supports ensuring stable, ongoing funding for forest fire response and mitigation. This includes expanding the number of state hotshot firefighting crews across New Mexico. Currently, crews are based in Las Vegas and Socorro; he would like to see a total of six crews statewide. These would be full-time, state-employed firefighters who would not only respond to wildfires during fire season but also conduct year-round forest thinning and fire mitigation work during the off-season.

(I don’t know if you know this, but before Sen. Gonzales became an educator, he fought fires when he was in college, which is something he holds close to his heart)

As an educator, Sen. Gonzales is focused on supporting teachers and state employees by increasing the state’s contribution toward employee health insurance, with a goal of covering up to 80 percent of premiums. He views this as a critical step in retaining and supporting New Mexico’s workforce.

Finally, Sen. Gonzales is actively working on a number of local capital outlay projects across the four counties he represents, ensuring that infrastructure and community needs at the local level continue to be addressed.

He wanted me to thank you for the support you have given him. He is excited that he has started his 31st year in the legislature. His historical knowledge is something that I try to take from him as much as I can, so I am honored to deliver his priorities.

Los Alamos County Assessor George Chandler chats with Becky Shankland, Communications Director of the League of Women Voters – Los Alamos. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com

Sen. Leo Jaramillo with members of the Los Alamos High School Hilltalkers at Thursday’s Legislative Preview at Fuller Lodge. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com

Margo Batha moderates the 2026 Legislative Preview hosted by LWVLA and AAUW Jan. 8 at Fuller Lodge. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com

Barbara Calef, Margo Batha and Jennifer Guy at Thursday’s Legislative Preview. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com