New Mexico Health Professionals For Climate Action Urge Governor To Support HB 42 & SB 5
Courtesy/NM Health Professionals for Climate Action
From NM Health Professionals for Climate Action:
To: The Honorable Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the Honorable Secretary of Health Patrick Allen.
We are writing on behalf of the rapidly growing network of New Mexican health professionals alarmed by the dangerous health effects of climate change we currently see manifesting among patients and communities in our state.
We admire your commitment to improving the well-being of all New Mexicans under your leadership.
We request that you continue this commitment by supporting the creation Read More
House Unanimously Approves Funding For New Mexico Law Enforcement Recruitment & Retention
NMDP News:
SANTA FE — House Bill 357, an important measure to support New Mexico law enforcement and enhance the safety of our communities, passed the House of Representatives Tuesday with a vote of 64-0.
The bill would help recruit and retain municipal and county law enforcement officers across New Mexico, through raises, recruiting initiatives, hiring bonuses, relocation expenses for new employees, and professional development programs, including training in community policing.
“One important step we can take to make our communities safer immediately is to provide our law enforcement Read More
Legislative Roundup: 10 Days Remain In 2023 Session
Legislative RoundupThe Santa Fe New Mexican
Instead of driving to Santa Fe, the first-term senator got up early and took a 25-minute walk from his home in Middle San Pedro to the Española Transit Center, where he boarded the North Central Regional Transit District’s Blue Bus.
“Española Day [at the state Capitol] is coming up on March 15th, and I want to show Española residents how easy it is to get to the Capitol free of charge to be part of the Read More
Senate Passes Abortion Protection Bill After Fierce Debate
From left, Marshal Martinez, Ellie Rushforth and Erin Armstrong, react to Sen. David Gallegos’ comparison of abortions in New Mexico to the Holocaust as bill co-sponsor Sen. Katy M. Duhigg, right, responds during the Senate debate today at the Roundhouse. Javier Gallegos/The Santa Fe New Mexican
By DANIEL J. CHACÓN
The Santa Fe New Mexican
A bill to protect access to abortion and gender-affirming health care in New Mexico amid pushback from communities in more conservative parts of the state is one step closer to reaching the desk of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
After nearly three hours of emotional Read More
Ringside Seat: Nominee For UNM Regent Gave Generously To Politicians
By MILAN SIMONICH
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Paul Emir Blanchard knows more than most about making news. He’s been grabbing headlines since 1967, when he upset Joe LaMotta in a high school wrestling match in Florida.
Joe was a tough kid and a big name, the son of Raging Bull Jake LaMotta, onetime world middleweight boxing champion.
After Blanchard finished high school in Coral Gables, he had a short stay at the University of Miami. His athletic talents weren’t appreciated by the football coach, so Blanchard went west to play for the University of New Mexico.
He lettered as a Lobo linebacker for Read More
Annual César Chávez & Dolores Huerta Celebration Marks 30th Anniversary Honoring Civil Rights Leaders
RCCC News:
ALBUQUERQUE — The Recuerda a César Chávez Committee (RCCC) has announced the 30th Annual César Chávez and Dolores Huerta Celebration – the only celebration of its kind in the country that honors both great civil rights leaders.
RCCC is committed to educating communities throughout Albuquerque and the state about the legacy, life, and work of the great American civil rights activists César Chávez and Dolores Huerta. This year marks the 30th anniversary of those efforts.
RCCC shares the vision that César and Dolores championed – that nonviolence is our strength and in recognition Read More
County: Reporting Citizen Concerns Just Got Easier
Courtesy/LAC
COUNTY News:
The Los Alamos Customer Care Center launched a new app called Los Alamos Now for citizens so they can more easily reach county staff and find county information quickly. Through this app, users can report potholes, ask utility billing questions, get information on parks, pay utility bills and so on.
The Los Alamos Now app is free through the Apple App Store (iOS) and the Google Play Store (Android). Users do not need to create accounts to use it.
To download it, scan the QR code below with your smartphone’s camera app:
The app is handy not only for citizens, but also for Los Read More
Bill To Expand Voting Access Heads To Full Senate
Bill Sponsor Sen. Mark Moores
By DANIEL J. CHACÓN
Santa Fe New Mexican
New Mexicans would be automatically registered to vote when they do business at the Motor Vehicle Division, and the voting rights of convicted felons would be automatically restored the day they get out of prison under a bill that cleared its final legislative committee Monday.
House Bill 4, which passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 6-3 party-line vote, heads next to the full Senate. If it passes the Senate, it will need to return to the House for a concurrence vote on amendments before reaching the governor’s desk.
If Read More
Key Children, Youth And Families Department Reform Legislation Headed To House Floor
NMDP News:
SANTA FE — A key Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) reform bill is now headed to the House Floor, after passing the House Appropriations and Finance Commitee Monday with a unanimous vote of 17-0.
House Bill 11 would establish the Office of the Child Advocate within the Attorney General’s office. This new office would review and strengthen the services provided by CYFD to better protect children’s rights to privacy, health care, and education. It would also investigate and work to resolve complaints, make referrals and recommendations, operate a toll-free hotline, Read More
Perls: On Open Primaries
By BOB PERLS
Registered declined-to-state voter
Former State Representative and former U.S. Diplomat
Founder of New Mexico Open Elections
Currently in Los Alamos, 28% of registered voters are independent (declined to state/DTS). While everyone has different reasons to register as such, a majority of this population is employed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory and leans toward neutrality regarding politics in the workplace.
Our current primary elections exclude nearly a third of Los Alamos voters from participating by forcing them to change their voter registration in order to Read More
Op-Ed: HB 126 Graduation Requirements Unfair
By KOURTNEY GRAZIER
Senior
Los Alamos High School
As a senior in high school, it is unfair that the high school graduation requirements may change.
I go to school in Los Alamos, the standards the students have to face here are outrageous. The graduation requirements should not be changed. I understand that it is important for education in New Mexico to change for the better but this bill is not the way to create positive change.
Watering down the graduation requirements is going to hurt students in the long run. After looking at what is possibly changing, there appears to be more harm than good. Read More
Heinrich, Brown, Collins, Mullin Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Increase Access To Mental Health Services For Older Americans
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) introduced bipartisan legislation to increase access to mental health care services for older Americans by ensuring Medicare beneficiaries have access to clinical psychologists across all settings of care.
This legislation, the Increasing Mental Health Options Act of 2023, would update the Medicare program to ensure Medicare beneficiaries can access clinical psychologists directly for mental Read More
Op-Ed: House Bill 126 Graduation Requirements Redundant
By ERIC ALMAN
Student
Los Alamos High school
The new policy for high school graduation requirements is a topic being discussed throughout schools across the state of New Mexico. The new graduation requirements are a bit redundant in my opinion. The policy is supposed to drop the requirement of taking an Algebra 2 class and instead requiring students to take a higher level of mathematics.
It also proposes that there be more career clusters, work study, and study out in the community. I believe that this is a bit of a problem because not everyone has the ability to do higher levels of math. Also, people Read More
Mental Health Bill For New Mexico Firefighters Advances
Rep. Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Thomson
STATE News:
SANTA FE — House Bill 257, which would help provide behavioral health support to firefighters, passed the House Monday with a bipartisan vote of 64-2.
These support programs would allow firefighters to offer peer-to-peer behavioral health support within their departments. The State Fire Marshal’s Office would offer training courses for fire departments that choose to implement these programs.
The training courses would focus on substance misuse, critical incident stress, grief support, line of duty deaths, serious injury or illness, suicidal Read More
NM Lawmakers Unveil Massive Omnibus Tax Policy Bill
The Roundhouse in Santa Fe. Post file photo
By ROBERT NOTT
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Lawmakers on Monday unveiled an omnibus tax policy bill that offers a number of credits and relief for most taxpayers across the state. But it falls short of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s efforts to offer hefty rebate checks to state residents battling inflation and the after-effects of COVID-19.
Those hoping for rebates in the $750 to $1,500 range — the figures Lujan Grisham cited in her State of the State address — could see somewhat lighter checks as part of a nearly 70-page piece of legislation that its proponents Read More
Legislative Roundup: 11 Days Remain In 2023 Session
Legislative RoundupTuition and fee increases: Colleges and universities would have to justify increases in tuition or fees after the state adopts its budget for the new fiscal year under a bill the Senate passed on a narrow 23-19 vote Monday.
Otherwise, higher education institutions would see a funding decrease of an equal amount.
Senate Bill 494, sponsored by Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup, authorizes the Higher Education Department to reduce an institution’s approved budget by the same amount of revenue a tuition or fee increase would generate if the institution Read More
Worker Spotted Crawling Out From Inside Bonita A Replica Juvenile Bistahieversor Outside Roundhouse In Santa Fe
Joseph Martinez, who works as dino operator and with exhibit maintenance at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science in Albuquerque, crawls out from inside Bonita, a replica juvenile Bistahieversor, outside of the Roundhouse today. Also known as the Bisti Beast, the dinosaur was excavated from the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness in northwest New Mexico. A larger animatronic version of Bonita, named Bella, is part of the Bisti Beast display at the museum. Matt Dahlseid/The Santa Fe New Mexican Read More
Op-Ed: High School Requirements Argument
By MALIA WEISNER
Student
Los Alamos High School
As a student in the New Mexico public school system, I think it is important to speak on behalf of the students whom it will concern and voice my opinion regarding House Bill 126-A.
If passed, the bill would eliminate the requirement of Algebra 2, two electives, a class in career and technical education (CTE), and a language, lowering state-required credits from twenty-four to twenty-two. While some may argue that this would encourage students towards graduation and provide more freedom, there is a lot of evidence that it will have the opposite effect.
House Taxation & Revenue Committee Approves New Mexico Tax Reform Package
Tax & Rev. Committee Chair Rep. Derrick Lente
DPNM News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico House Taxation and Revenue Committee passed House Bill 547 today, an omnibus tax reform package, with a vote of 9-5.
The tax package would make New Mexico’s tax code more equitable, provide relief for working families, ease the tax burden on small businesses, veterans, and seniors, and support climate goals.
“This tax package is a responsible way we can use our capacity now to effect generational change,” Rep. Derrick Lente said (D-Sandia Pueblo) who chairs the House Taxation and Revenue Committee and is the Read More
Op-Ed: New Mexico Medical Malpractice
By KURT C. LANGE, MD.
Taos and Los Alamos
Most of us love New Mexico but we know it has its problems. In 2019, according to US News and World Report, New Mexico ranked 48 out of 50 states as a place to live. In addition, healthcare ranked #33, education #50, crime #47 and opportunity #49. I think it’s obvious that following the COVID epidemic, things haven’t improved for New Mexico. These are the things a state government should provide for its citizens, but it appears they are failing.
Being a long time physician practicing medicine in Texas and later moving to New Mexico to continue to practice, I think Read More
