State Governors Close 2026 Legislative Sessions With Final Bill Signings

In separate 2026 state legislative sessions, governors in Iowa, Vermont, and New Mexico took final actions on bills passed by their respective legislatures. In Iowa, Governor Kim Reynolds, who is not seeking re-election, signed her final bills as governor, including measures related to Early Childhood Iowa and restrictions on gubernatorial powers; she also signed property tax limitations she described as the legislature's top accomplishment, projected to save taxpayers $4.2 billion over six years. In New Mexico, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a package of bills at the close of her final regular session, including medical malpractice reform aimed at lowering doctors' insurance premiums, a $1.5 billion transportation bonding package (SB 2), and a ban on local governments contracting with the federal government for immigration detention. New Mexico's legislature also passed universal no-cost child care as part of the session's priorities. The state's FY 2027 budget was set at $33.4 billion, including more than $11 billion from the general fund, with a 2.6% increase in recurring general fund spending and reserves maintained at 27%. Several of Lujan Grisham's other priorities did not pass, including a firearms sale ban and multiple interstate professional licensing compacts; while one report says eight health care worker compacts failed, another indicates several compacts overall, including licensing agreements for doctors and social workers, did not reach her desk. In Vermont, Governor Phil Scott's office announced actions taken on a series of bills from the General Assembly, though specific bill contents were not detailed in available reporting. In Iowa, Democratic lawmakers criticized a Senate Republican proposal—related to preventing state government shutdowns through continuing appropriations—as an attempt to limit the powers of a potential future Democratic governor; this measure's final status was not specified. The exact number and full list of bills signed by each governor were not detailed in the available reporting. It remains unclear which specific interstate licensing compacts passed versus failed in New Mexico, as sources present differing counts. No further legislative action was indicated as pending in Vermont based on the available announcement.