SANTA FE, NM – Today, Commissioner Garcia Richard and Senator Ivey-Soto (D-15) joined Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham as she signed Senate Bill 458 into law. The new state law will require public notice and input prior to the land office taking final action on any proposed land sales, land exchanges and rights-of-way (ROW) permits for large-scale electrical transmission lines and oil/gas pipelines involving state trust lands. Commissioner Garcia Richard has already implemented these changes under her authority as Commissioner, but with the Governor’s signature, all future Commissioners will be required to provide the same level of transparency.
“This is an example of a person who was committed on the campaign trail to improved transparency, government accountability, and to be the custodian of our public lands in a meaningful, protective, and productive way so that every New Mexican has the benefit of our entrusted public lands and a Senator who helped her make that a reality for every single New Mexican,” Governor Lujan Grisham said after signing the bill.