Sawyer Garners, 17, of Glorieta plays the vibraphone alongside the New Mexico School for the Arts Latin band in the rotunda at the state Capitol Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. Photo by Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican
Neema Pickett, a liaison for the city of Albuquerque Office of Black Community Engagement, speaks to the group gathered in support of HB 281 outside the state Capitol Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. Photo by Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican
The Santa Fe New Mexican:
Haaland expected to formally announce: All signs point to Deb Haaland formally announcing her gubernatorial run today.
A series of seconds-long, cryptic videos posted on X appear to show the former U.S. interior secretary and congresswoman building anticipation over her looming announcement.
The first video, posted Saturday, shows Haaland walking in front of a camera, sitting down on a wooden chair and introducing herself.
In the second video, posted Sunday, Haaland simply says, “We must be fierce.”
The third video was posted Monday. In it, Haaland says only five words: “Are you ready, New Mexico?”
All three videos end with a date: “2.11.2025.”
A spokesperson for Haaland confirmed late last month she “is getting ready to run to be New Mexico’s next governor.”
Senate confirms regents: The Senate on Monday confirmed four appointments and two reappointments to the boards of regents at two of the state’s higher education institutions.
Christina Campos and Patricia Greene Williams were appointed to the University of New Mexico Boards of Regents, and Victor Reyes was reappointed as the board’s student member.
The Senate also confirmed the appointment of Dolores Lila Gurule and Ronald Lovato to the Northern New Mexico College Board of Regents and the reappointment of Erica Rita Velarde.
All six were confirmed with no opposition.
Braiders take the Roundhouse: Hair braiders rallied at the Capitol on Monday, seeking to exempt practitioners of African-style, natural hair braiding — which requires no dyeing, coloring, application of heat or use of caustic chemicals — from getting licensed as full-service hairstylists.
Currently, state law requires braiders to complete at least 1,200 hours of cosmetology training before practicing their craft professionally, a policy advocates said makes New Mexico “one of the worst states in the country for natural hair braiders.”
House Bill 281, sponsored by Rep. Janelle Anyanonu, D-Albuquerque, would exempt braiders from that licensure requirement.
“Braiding and bleaching hair are very different things,” said Rachel Gonzalez, activism associate at the Institute for Justice. “This is a commonsense reform that will ensure that this industry dominated by African American women isn’t stifled by a law that’s been forcing them to spend thousands of dollars on over a thousand hours of coursework that has nothing to do with the services they provide.”
‘Lowrider Capital of the World’: Move over, Smokey Bear.
Sen. Leo Jaramillo, D-Española, introduced a bill Monday to create a “Lowrider Capital of the World” license plate for cars, trucks, motorcycles and tow trailers in New Mexico, which has a long list of specialty plates, including one honoring the firefighting black bear that was signed into law last year.
Jaramillo said he was excited to sponsor the special registration plate “as a proud native son of the Española Valley,” which has long been known as the “Lowrider Capital of the World”.
“Lowrider culture is alive and well not only in the beautiful Española Valley but across New Mexico,” he said. “This license plate aims to honor the history, art and culture of lowriding and to promote lowriders as vital elements of New Mexican culture and heritage.”
The bill was introduced a day ahead of Hispanic Culture Day at the Capitol.
Fentanyl bill may join public safety package
Lawmakers passed on a bill implementing optional sentencing enhancements for serious fentanyl traffickers on Monday, saying the measure would likely be considered again Wednesday as part of a larger legislative package aimed at addressing public safety.
House Bill 16, taken up Monday by the House Judiciary Committee, is a candidate for a public safety package that includes legislation to crack down on devices that convert semiautomatic firearms into automatic ones and expand the list of crimes that qualify some criminal suspects for involuntary commitment to inpatient treatment.
Under HB 16, people caught with 100 to 500 fentanyl pills, or 10 to 50 grams of fentanyl powder, could face an extra three years in prison. Those caught with 500 or more pills — or 50 grams or more, which is a little less than 2 ounces — could face an extra five years, as could those found to have supervised, directed or recruited someone else to traffic fentanyl.
Rep. Andrea Reeb, R-Clovis, said she would support the bill, but she expressed some concern it would not go far enough to catch traffickers who may not have 100 pills on them but still have significantly more than they should.
“I don’t want to tie our hands,” she said.
Attorney Mark Baker, an expert witness for the bill, told lawmakers the measure is not intended to punish fentanyl users or small-time traffickers, and instead targets larger, “more serious traffickers”.
Quote of the day: “I’m not a lawyer. I just dress better than them.” —Sen. Harold Pope, D-Albuquerque, after being warned a bill he presented to the Senate Education Committee was likely to generate a lively debate before the Senate Judiciary Committee amid legal questions Monday. Pope is among the best-dressed lawmakers at the Capitol.
