The Albuquerque Journal has reported on the Southwest Public Policy Institute’s recent legal victory over the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department (NMTRD), following a nearly three-year legal battle over public records access.
The case centered on SPPI’s request for access to the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) database, which was denied by NMTRD despite the clear requirements of New Mexico’s Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA). The Institute sought the data to conduct a quantitative analysis of vehicle registrations, with the goal of evaluating how Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s electric vehicle (EV) mandate might disproportionately affect low-income and minority communities.
After failed mediation, the matter proceeded to a one-day trial in January 2025. Judge Bryan Biedscheid ruled in favor of SPPI, ordering NMTRD to provide the requested records and to pay $30,796.93 in attorneys’ fees and litigation costs.
In the article, SPPI President Patrick M. Brenner described the ruling as a win for transparency, while noting that the court stopped short of awarding full statutory damages available under IPRA. “Unfortunately, Judge Biedscheid split the baby,” said Brenner, “eliminating any possibility of appeal while withholding the additional penalties intended to deter future violations.”
Despite the partial award, the ruling affirms the Institute’s right to access public data and lays the groundwork for SPPI’s forthcoming research into the demographic impact of EV mandates in New Mexico.
Read the full article at the Albuquerque Journal here (subscription may be required).
