Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) –Data presented to state lawmakers on Tuesday during a Legislative Finance Committee meeting indicates the Governor’s emergency executive orders are costing the State of NM hundreds of millions of dollars. In 2025, the governor signed 417 executive orders costing the state $304 million, a 543% increase over the last five years. Executive orders have increased in recent years due to public health emergencies, wildfires and flooding like the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire in 2022 and the South Fork and Salt Fires in 2024. Emergency orders allow the Governor to respond quickly to emergencies however the increased spending tied to executive orders conflicts with the Legislature’s power to appropriate under the state constitution. And the spending usually continues years after the initial event. The report recommends among other things, the Legislature formalize the definition of an emergency, consider adding in statute a definition of the end of an emergency and consider adding a time limit on emergency spending after which the governor must engage with the Legislature for emergency appropriations.
