Summary:

 House Bill 239 (HB 239) appropriates one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) to the Cultural Affairs Department to partner with the Higher Education Department to conduct a feasibility study for establishing a lowrider museum in Espanola.


 

Legislation Overview:

 House Bill 239 (HB 239) appropriates one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) from the General Fund (GF) to Cultural Affairs Department (DCA) for expenditure for Fiscal Years (FY) 2026 and 2027 to partner with the Higher Education Department (HED) to conduct a feasibility study for establishing a lowrider museum in Espanola.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY 2027 reverts to the GF.

 

Current Law:

 The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines lowrider as a customized car with a chassis that has been lowered so that it narrowly clears the ground. The term is used to describe the person driving such a vehicle, and both car and driver have long been potent cultural symbols,
Although there has been a rivalry between California and New Mexico as to where and when low rider culture began, the people of Espanola claimed their town to be the Lowrider Capital of the nation. Lowriders have symbolized resistance to some because one changes the suspension of the car which is unlawful. Mistakenly associated with gangs and drugs, this culture has become more visible and more accepted over the years with car shows, festivals, news articles and museum displays.