The idea of redrawing state lines has long been the stuff of political fantasy, but a combination of legislative frustration in New Mexico and opportunism in Texas has breathed new life into the concept.
In January, New Mexico Republican state representatives introduced a joint resolution that would have established procedures for counties to petition to join a neighboring state. Though that resolution died in committee, it caught the attention of Texas’ Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, who has since directed a state legislative committee to study the feasibility of annexing several eastern New Mexico counties ahead of the 2027 Texas legislative session.
The New Mexico Resolution That Started It All
The immediate catalyst was HJR 10, introduced on January 29 by Rep. Randall Pettigrew, R-Lovington, and Rep. Jimmy Mason, R-Artesia. The resolution proposed amending the New Mexico constitution to allow three or more contiguous counties to petition to join an adjoining state. The sponsors were candid that it was more statement than blueprint, and the measure died when New Mexico’s 30-day session ended in mid-February. It was not the first attempt, former state Sen. Cliff Pirtle, R-Roswell introduced a similar resolution, SJR 15 in 2021, which also failed to advance.
Texas Responds
Speaker Burrows publicly embraced the idea, posting on X that “Texas would gladly welcome Lea County back to Texas, where it rightfully belongs.” He directed the newly created Select Committee on Governmental Oversight to study “the constitutional, statutory, fiscal, and economic implications of adding to Texas one or more contiguous counties of New Mexico” and to prepare draft legislation for the 90th Texas Legislature in 2027. The counties in focus are Lea, Roosevelt and Eddy, situated along the New Mexico-Texas border and adjacent to the Permian Basin oil and gas complex. Texas Rep. Carl Tepper, R-Lubbock, framed the push in cultural terms, telling Spectrum News that the residents of those counties are oil producers, cattlemen, and farmers who “feel much closer to us than they do the government in Santa Fe.”
The Legal Hurdles
The legal pathway to annexation is narrow. Any boundary change would require affirmative legislative action in both Texas and New Mexico, as well as approval from the United States Congress. University of Texas law professor Sanford Levinson called it “very, very hard to imagine winning that trifecta,” noting that New Mexico would have strong fiscal incentives to resist: Lea and Eddy counties together account for more than half of the state’s general fund revenue. Regulatory complications add further friction, as cannabis dispensaries and casinos that operate legally in the targeted counties would face closure under Texas law. New Mexico officials have been dismissive, with Democratic Gov. Michelle Luján Grisham’s office dismissing the idea as “not a serious proposal”, The Guardian reports.
The Texas select committee is expected to report its findings ahead of the 2027 session. FOCUS will continue to monitor developments as the committee’s work progresses.
