NM economic development secretary offers lawmakers reassurances amid film industry slowdown New Mexico Economic Development Department Secretary Rob Black speaks before state lawmakers on the interim Economic and Rural Development and Policy Committee in Los Lunas on June 30, 2026. (Joshua Bowling/Source NM) Despite challenges like the film industry’s slowdown in New Mexico, the state’s economy is diversifying and growing, New Mexico Economic Development Department Secretary Rob Black told state lawmakers Tuesday. A recent study presented to state lawmakers in May found that many state tax incentives — particularly the Film Production Tax Credit — generate pennies on the dollar for every dollar the state invests. Productions have slowed, too. Recently, Netflix announced it was canceling “The Boroughs,” which filmed on locations across the state and supported hundreds of local vendors, just weeks after it premiered on the streaming service. On Tuesday, though, Black cited several successes for the state’s economy. While New Mexico’s median household incomes remain low compared to the rest of the nation, U.S. Census Bureau data from late last year showed that the state was first in the U.S. for family income growth, he said. Five years ago, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed legislation to expand the Local Economic Development Act by allowing a portion of state and local gross receipts tax on construction projects to go into a state Local Economic Development Act Fund. LEDA, as it’s known, has helped to create more than 7,000 jobs across the state and has generated $17 billion in economic output, according to Black’s presentation. Black said the state Economic Development Department has recently prioritized “shovel-ready” projects in virtually every corner of the state and that his department’s Technology and Innovation Office has specifically focused on investing in quantum technology, advanced energy and aerospace and defense industries. Despite the