New Mexico lawmakers decry $55 million spent to settle lawsuits against the state

The soaring cost of settlements New Mexico agencies are paying in lawsuits drew the concern of lawmakers at a recent budget hearing — along with the rising cost of civil rights liability insurance occurring as a result.

"Those claims are getting astronomical," said Sen. George Muñoz, a Gallup Democrat who chairs the powerful Senate Finance Committee, at a Nov. 20 Legislative Finance Committee meeting. "If they go any higher, I don't know how we're going to handle those."

The state paid over $55.2 million in claims in fiscal year 2025, which ended in June — over $33 million of which was for civil rights claims. Those include high-profile cases against the Corrections Department and the Children, Youth & Families Department.

The Risk Management Division within the state General Servic