‘They’re So Vulnerable’ … Fiscal Problems Driving Rural New Mexico Hospitals To Brink
Stephen Stoddard
Executive Director
New Mexico Rural Hospital Network
By GABRIELLE PORTER
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Even after a decade on the job, Dr. Jessica Roberts still has a hard time wrapping her mind around how far some of her patients drive to see her.
The only obstetrician-gynecologist on staff at Miners Colfax Medical Center in Raton, Roberts said she sees women from across a wide swath of northeastern New Mexico — and plenty of people just passing through on Interstate 25. The closest other obstetric care options are Pueblo, Colo., to the north; Santa Fe to the south and Dalhart, Texas Read More
Lawmakers Hope To Expand Historic Women Markers Program In New Mexico
Miriam Hill, left, and Susannah Barsom, both of Silver City, walk past a historic marker near the state Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. For nearly 20 years the state has had a New Mexico Historic Women Marker program in which dozens of women who contributed to the history of New Mexico are honored with roadside markers around the state. Two lawmakers are pushing for more money to expand the program and create another 16 monuments. Photo by Luis Sánchez Saturno/The New Mexican
By ROBERT NOTT
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Call them monuments to both the forgotten and famous women in New Mexico history. Read More
Power Struggle With Governor In Spotlight As Committee OKs Policymaking Changes
By ROBERT NOTT
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Lawmakers have long decried a state law allowing a governor to quietly kill a bill the Legislature has passed by taking no action before a deadline.
Under a bipartisan resolution that saw its first victory Friday, voters would get to decide whether to kill the so-called pocket veto.
It was one of several measures that gained the support of the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee to overhaul the state’s policymaking processes — with voters’ approval. Many of the measures spotlight an ongoing power struggle between the executive and Read More
Roundhouse Roundup: Days Remaining In Session – 19
Roundhouse Roundup
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Gun ban bill goes forward: Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 6-2, along party lines, to forward a bill that would prohibit the carrying of firearms within 100 feet of a polling place Friday evening. Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, co-sponsor of the bill, said he believes it is necessary to ensure the safety and fairness of elections for New Mexicans exercising their fundamental right to vote.
Wirth said he is trying to prevent “the intimidation people feel with folks with guns in voting places.” Wirth amended the original Read More
Legislation To Increase Oil And Gas Royalty Rate On New Mexico State Lands Passes Senate Conservation Committee
NMSLO News:
SANTA FE — Legislation to increase the top royalty rate charged for oil and gas development on state lands from 20% to the market rate of 25% passed the Senate Conservation Committee, New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard announced Monday.
Senate Bill 24 (also filed as House Bill 48), which is sponsored by Sen. Bill Tallman and Rep. Matthew McQueen, would bring New Mexico’s royalty rate in line with what is charged in Texas and would generate millions more in revenue each year for New Mexico’s public schools and other institutions.
“This bill passing its Read More
Testy Exchanges Fill Public Safety Committee Hearing
Chairwoman Joanne J. Ferrary
By PHILL CASAUS
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Two pieces of public safety legislation created heat and testy exchanges between legislators during a lengthy committee hearing Tuesday — and could be a sign of things to come on the emotional subject of guns.
House Bill 27 proposes changes to the state’s Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order, including adding health care professionals to the list of people who can ask law enforcement officers to file a petition for the order.
Meanwhile, House Bill 114 would impose potential civil penalties on gun manufacturers for a number Read More
Rising Construction Costs In New Mexico Raise Concerns About Capital Outlay System
By ROBERT NOTT
The Santa Fe New Mexican
As state lawmakers face potentially billions of dollars in new capital outlay requests from local governments — while $5 billion they allocated in previous years remains unspent — construction costs continue to skyrocket.
Price tags for infrastructure projects in New Mexico are rising at a significantly higher rate than those nationwide.
A report recently released by the Legislative Finance Committee says the costs of nonresidential construction in New Mexico increased 50% between 2019 and 2023, compared to 34% on the national level.
That bodes poorly Read More
Conservation Voters New Mexico Response To Biden Administration’s Pause On Methane Gas Exports
CVNM News:
SANTA FE — Friday, the Biden Administration announced an immediate pause on permitting new methane gas projects and exports across the country.
Liquified natural gas (LNG) is a potent contributor to climate change and is generated by the oil and gas industry during operations.
In the Administration’s remarks about this decision, climate change, and frontline community impacts were among the primary reasons for the pause. The United States is also the top exporter of LNG worldwide, with exports expected to double by the end of the decade.
In response, Conservation Voters New Mexico Read More
NewMexicoKidsCAN Opposes SJR 9 Constitutional Amendment To Establish State Board Of Education
NewMexicoKidsCAN News:
SANTA FE — During Friday’s Senate Education Committee meeting, New Mexico legislators voted to advance Senate Joint Resolution 9, laying the groundwork for a floor discussion regarding a constitutional amendment to establish a state board of education.
While this resolution would bring a major change to New Mexico’s public education system, NewMexicoKidsCAN opposes this resolution.
Recognizing that a governance restructure is a significant decision, NewMexicoKidsCAN advocates for a thorough review of its potential impact. It is unclear how this change Read More
Luján, Welch Introduce Bicameral Legislation To Enhance Consumer Protection, Hold Mega-Corporations Accountable For Safety Violations
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján
From the Office of U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Sens. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) to introduce the Consumer Advocacy and Protection (CAP) Act, legislation to enhance consumer protection and ensure the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) can hold companies accountable for consumer safety violations. The CAP Act aims to deter companies from committing safety violations by increasing CPSC’s penalty authority. Representatives Read More
Heinrich Joins Legislation To Reduce Cost Of Child Care Through Permanently Expanded Child Tax Credits
From the Office of U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined legislation led by U.S. Sens. Bob Casey (D-Penn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to ease the burden of child care costs on working families by making permanent tax cuts that they successfully fought for in the American Rescue Plan.
The temporary expansion of a child care tax credit, the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, quadrupled the average family’s credit from $593 Read More
New Mexico House Committee Moves 3 Gun Bills Forward
Sponsor of House Bill 129, Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe, listens to testimony in favor of the bill during a hearing in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee at the state Capitol on Thursday, Jan 25, 2024. Gun control legislation continued to make headway in the Legislature Thursday with three key bills getting through the committee. Courtesy/SFNM
One of the most vocal opponents of the three gun control bills, Republican Rep. Stefani Lord, questions the sponsor of House Bill 129 during a hearing in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee at the state Capitol on Thursday, Jan Read More
Roundhouse Roundup: Days Remaining In Session – 20
Roundhouse Roundup
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Positive reception for tribal ed fund: Two bills to step up funding for Native American education took a step through the Legislature on Friday morning.
The House Education Committee voted unanimously to advance House Bill 135. House Bill 134 was held until next week so it can be amended. Committee Chairman Andrés Romero, D-Albuquerque, said he wants to move quickly so the bill can get out of his committee and to Appropriations and Finance.
“There’s the legislative will in the budget to get this done,” Romero said.
HB 134 would appropriate $100 million Read More
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Announces Legislation That Increases Access To Mental Health Services For Repeat Defendants In New Mexico
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham
From the Office of the Governor:
SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced the introduction of legislation aimed at enhancing criminal procedure standards. Sponsored by Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Piño, Senate Bill 16 addresses concerns about a defendant’s competency, establishing competency restoration programs, and ensuring the provision of state-funded mental health examinations.
“This bill reflects our commitment to a justice system that is fair, compassionate, and responsive to the mental health needs of individuals involved in Read More
Think New Mexico: Senate Bill 137 Introduced To Upgrade Training And Transparency Of Local School Boards
Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart
THINK NEW MEXICO News:
Senate Bill 137, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque) and Senate Education Committee Chair William Soules (D-Las Cruces), has been introduced to upgrade the quality of local school boards with enhanced statutory requirements for training and transparency.
The bill is based on reforms proposed by the nonpartisan statewide think tank Think New Mexico, which recommended these reforms in a 2022 policy report.
In that report, titled A Roadmap for Rethinking Public Education in New Mexico, Think New Read More
New Mexico Construction Industries Commission Votes To Adopt Energy Efficient Building Codes That Support Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
NMRLD News:
ALBUQUERQUE — Recognizing the growing market demand for electric vehicles and the demand for charging they create, the New Mexico Construction Industries Commission voted last week to adopt both the 2021 Commercial Energy Conservation Code and the 2021 Residential Energy Conservation Code.
The adoption of these codes will require electric vehicle infrastructure to be built into new commercial and residential construction projects. It will also require contractors to follow certain energy efficiency building standards that will help save energy and put money back into Read More
Controversial Proposed Oil And Gas Bill Changes Pass First Committee
The Roundhouse. Post file photo
By SCOTT WYLAND
The Santa Fe New Mexican
A bill that would make the most significant changes in decades to a nearly 90-year-old state fossil fuel law stirred a lengthy and heated discussion among lawmakers about increasing regulation on an industry that generates roughly 40% of New Mexico’s tax revenue.
The House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee voted 6-5 Thursday, mostly along party lines, to advance a bill that has drawn staunch opposition from the industry and its advocates, who say it’s a regulatory attack that will drive smaller Read More
Senators Heinrich, Klobuchar, Blackburn, Thune Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Enhance 9-1-1 Emergency Response System
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and John Thune (R-S.D.) introduced the Enhancing First Response Act, which would make important updates to our 9-1-1 emergency reporting system to ensure Americans can reach help when they dial 9-1-1 during natural disasters.
The legislation will also ensure 9-1-1 dispatchers are recognized as protective service workers to ensure their job classification appropriately recognizes the lifesaving nature of their work. This legislation is also co-sponsored Read More
Roundhouse Roundup: Days Remaining In Session – 21
Roundhouse Roundup‘30 by 30’ faces pushback: An initiative by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to conserve at least 30% of all lands in New Mexico by 2030 would face a major roadblock under legislation two Republican lawmakers are spearheading.
The bills introduced by Sens. Pat Woods of Broadview and Steve McCutcheon II of Carlsbad would restrict the New Mexico Game and Fish Department and the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department from acquiring land for preservation.
“We have fundamental disagreement about what conservation means,” McCutcheon, Read More
Paid Leave Bill Clears First Hurdle, But Opposition Remains
By GABRIELLE PORTER
The Santa Fe New Mexican
A proposal to create a state-run paid family and medical leave program in New Mexico cleared its first hurdle Wednesday after passing a committee on a party-line vote.
But if the debate before the House Health and Human Services Committee was any indication, the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act seems poised to face much of the same opposition that has stalled it for the past five years: criticisms that the plan will hurt small businesses, that it’s written too broadly, and that it leaves itself open to abuse.
The proposed program, which has been reintroduced Read More
