Residents in communities across New Mexico have felt the impact of a physician shortage that has led to patients facing long wait times and a struggle to schedule appointments. A bipartisan group of state legislators has been working to help improve access to health care through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, which would allow fully licensed physicians in one member state to obtain licenses more quickly in other member states.

State Sen. Linda Trujillo, D-Santa Fe, is a lead on the bill that will be introduced as the 30-day legislative session opens next week. She joins the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast to speak with Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón about the importance of the bill, the changes that have been made since last year, and her level of confidence that the bill will reach the governor’s desk.

Trujillo discusses other bills she’s been working on, including legislation that deals with nontraditional health care options being included in health coverage plans, a bill addressing human trafficking and a juvenile justice bill.

Chacón asks Trujillo, a member of the Legislative Finance Committee, if she anticipates a battle over child care funding between legislators and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The LFC’s budget plan that was released last week didn’t fully fund the governor’s free universal child care initiative.

Trujillo also talks about how she preps for the legislative session, what the transition has been like going from the House to the Senate, and how her background as superintendent of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department has helped her now that she’s back in the Legislature.