Heinrich Questions Trump Nominees On Screwworm Mitigation Efforts, Funding International Conservation Programs, And Administrative Budget Cuts And Expenses
Ranking Member Heinrich (D-N.M.) questions Kevin Lilly, Trump’s Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks and William Hague, Trump’s Assistant Secretary of the Interior nominee before U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, June 23, 2026. Courtesy photo
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — During a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing to consider pending Trump nominees, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), the Committee’s Ranking Member, questioned Kevin Lilly, President Trump’s nominee to be Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife Read More
Canceled: APP Board Meeting Due To Lack Of Quorum
COUNTY News:
The Art in Public Places Advisory Board (APP) meeting scheduled for Thursday, June 25 is canceled due to lack of quorum.
The next meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 23 in Suite 110 at the Los Alamos County Municipal Building, 1000 Central Ave. The meeting is open to the public.
About the Art In Public Places Advisory Board:
To encourage the integration of art into the architecture of municipal structures, increase the general public awareness of art, to visually enhance the community, to capture a part of our history for future generations, to promote the establishment Read More
Heinrich, Fischer, Welch, Curtis Introduce Legislation To Protect Firefighters From Harmful Chemicals
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and John Curtis (R-Idaho) introduced the Protecting Firefighters and Advancing State-of-the-Art (PFAS) Alternatives Act of 2026, legislation to support the development of next-generation, PFAS-free protective gear to better protect firefighters from the dangers of their work.
Firefighters are exposed to carcinogens when they respond to virtually every type of fire or incident. This includes PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, which can be found in firefighters’ Read More
Luján And Others Introduce CHILE Act To Strengthen Support For Specialty Crop Growers
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On June 23, U.S. Sens. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research, Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) introduced the Cultivating Horticultural Innovation in Local Economies (CHILE) Act, legislation to strengthen federal support for specialty crop growers facing economic losses and market disruptions.
The CHILE Act builds upon language included in the House-passed Read More
Luján, Slotkin, Warnock, Booker, Bennet, Fetterman Introduce Legislation To Strengthen Support For Specialty Crop Growers Of Pecans To Chile
From the Office of U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján:
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research, Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) introduced the Cultivating Horticultural Innovation in Local Economies (CHILE) Act, legislation to strengthen federal support for specialty crop growers facing economic losses and market disruptions.
The CHILE Act builds upon language included Read More
New Mexico Foundation For Open Government Files Lawsuit For Release Of Communications About Project Jupiter
NMFOG News:
LAS CRUCES – The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government (NMFOG) has filed a lawsuit against the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners for release of emails and other communications related to construction of a data center in Southern New Mexico known as Project Jupiter.
The county’s refusal to allow inspection of these public records violates the state Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA), and NMFOG is asking the Third Judicial District Court to order the county to release the records as required by IPRA.
At a meeting on Sept. 19, 2025, the Doña Ana County commissioners met Read More
Heinrich Announces Senate Passage Of Legislation To Build More Housing & Lower Costs For New Mexico Families
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced the Senate passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, bipartisan legislation to tackle the housing crisis in New Mexico and nationwide by increasing the housing supply and lowering the cost of housing for working families.
“More and more New Mexicans are being priced out of a place to live. That’s unacceptable, and it’s something I’ve been working to fix. We need to bring housing costs down and put the American dream of home ownership within reach for more New Mexico families,” Heinrich Read More
Rep. Vasquez Visits Belen To Highlight $1 Million Investment To Upgrade Wastewater Treatment System
Courtesy photo
STATE News:
BELEN — On June 18, 2026, U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) visited Belen’s wastewater treatment facility to highlight the over $1 million he brought home to the city to make much-needed repairs. The funding, which was secured through the Fiscal Year 2026 Community Project Funding process, will be used to repair cracks, rebuild a lift system, and build an aeration diffuser system—ensuring that every Belen resident has access to clean, safe drinking water.
“Belen is growing, which means its infrastructure needs to grow with it. I’m proud to have secured over a million Read More
Senate Energy And Natural Resources Committee Advances Bipartisan America The Beautiful Act
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — During a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee business meeting to consider pending legislation, the Committee advanced S. 1547, the America the Beautiful Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Angus King (I-Maine) to reauthorize the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund. The Committee also adopted a bipartisan amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by Chairman Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.).
“The bipartisan advancement of the America Read More
Posts From The Road: Two Lanes & A Tank Of Fuel
View From the Pass: Dead Indian Pass is the highest point on the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway in Wyoming. Shown is a view of the road as it twists and turns as it drops in elevation when leaving the pass to the north. The pass is 8,071 feet in elevation and offers spectacular views of the Absaroka Mountains and beyond from the scenic viewpoint. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Coastal Landscape: A view of the coastline, Highway 1, and the iconic Bixby Bridge is seen from a scenic viewpoint about a dozen miles south of Carmel, Calif. and a short distance north of the bridge. The late afternoon sunlight Read More
New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martínez Congratulates Leader Peter Wirth On Two Decades Of Service
From the Office of House Speaker Javier Martínez:
SANTA FE — Senate Majority Floor Leader Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) announced that he will not run again for Majority Leader prior to the 2027 Legislative Session and will not seek another term in the Senate in 2028.
Leader Wirth has served in the Senate since 2009 and previously served in the House of Representatives for four years. He was first elected as the Majority Leader by the Senate Democratic Caucus in 2016.
New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martínez (D-Albuquerque) issued the following statement:
“Leader Wirth is a thoughtful, collaborative, Read More
Dannemann: New Mexico Makes It Tough To Be An Independent Candidate
By MERILEE DANNEMANN
If you are reading this article on or before June 25, and you might like to make this year’s governor’s race a little more interesting, there’s something you can do.
Go to the Secretary of State website and sign the nominating petition for Ken Miyagishima for Governor. Then sign the separate nominating petition for his running mate, JC Lopez, for lieutenant governor. It just takes a couple of minutes. The forms are at www.electronicpetitions.elections.sos.nm.gov.
He’s running as an independent and you can sign the petition even if you are registered in a major or minor party. Read More
Stephanie Garcia Richard Stands Ready If Called Upon To Serve As Lt. Governor Of New Mexico
Stephanie Garcia Richard
By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
caclark@ladailypost.com
On Thursday Maggie Toulouse Oliver announced she was suspending her campaign for lieutenant governor of New Mexico citing health and family concerns.
Fellow Democrat Stephanie Garcia Richard last year suspended her campaign for lieutenant governor for similar reasons, which in her case were related to the health of her husband Eric. He is now on the mend and with Toulouse Oliver’s withdrawal from the race followed by strong encouragement from constituents, Garcia Richard has announced on her Facebook Read More
FBI: Man Charged With Making Online Threats To Blow Up White House And Kill Federal Law Enforcement
FBI News:
HOUSTON – Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck has announced that a 35-year-old man from a small town in Grimes County, Texas has been charged for allegedly transmitting interstate threats via social media.
Authorities took Peter James Bloomfield into custody June 10 where he remains on related charges. He is expected to make his initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge in Houston in the near future.
The criminal complaint alleges authorities discovered a Texas-based X account with multiple threatening messages directed at federal law enforcement and others. The Read More
FBI: Justice Department Announces Results Of Operation Spring Cleaning
Scene of vehicles lined up on a road, with mountain silhouette and city lights in the background. Courtesy/FBI
FBI agents gather at a SWAT operation. Courtesy/FBI
Two FBI agents in tactical gear stand near the back of an armored vehicle and a Ford pickup truck during a SWAT operation. Courtesy/FBI
FBI News:
- In Three Months, Operation Results in 1100 Arrests, Nearly 1,000 Illegal Firearms Seized, and Seizure of Over 2700 Pounds of Various Drugs
ALBUQUERQUE — The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Spring Cleaning, a nationwide initiative spearheaded by the FBI to combat Read More
Luján Issues Statement Commemorating Juneteenth
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.) issued the following statement commemorating today’s Juneteenth:
“As our nation commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we must remember that the promise of freedom was not extended to all Americans in 1776.
“More than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, informing more than 250,000 enslaved people that they were free.
“Juneteenth marks Read More
Española City Councilor To Attend NALEO Emergency Management Technology Summit
Sam LeDoux
Española City Councilor
ESPAÑOLA — Española City Councilor Sam LeDoux will attend the NALEO Institute on Technology & AI in Emergency Management from June 23-24 in Bentonville, Arkansas, where Latino elected and appointed officials will examine how technology and artificial intelligence can strengthen emergency preparedness, response and decision-making.
LeDoux said the summit comes at an important time for small and rural communities, where emergency management demands continue to grow while many communities face shortages in emergency personnel.
“Small cities Read More
Planning & Zoning Commission To Meet June 24, 2026
COUNTY News:
The Los Alamos County Planning & Zoning Commission is scheduled to meet 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 24 in Council Chambers at the Municipal Building at 1000 Central Ave.
The meeting is open to the public in person and for convenience, the following Zoom meeting link and/or telephone call in numbers may be used for public viewing and participation:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81885706651
Or Telephone:
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 719 359 4580 or +1 253 205 0468 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 444 9171 or +1 669 900 6833 Read More
Senate Majority Floor Leader Peter Wirth Announces He Will Not Run Again For Majority Leader And Will Not Seek Re-Election In 2028
STATE SENATE News:
SANTA FE — Senate Majority Floor Leader Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) announced today that he will not run for the position of Senate Majority Floor Leader prior to the start of the 2027 Legislative Session, and will not seek a sixth term in the state Senate in 2028. Wirth will complete his current Senate term in full, continuing to represent his Santa Fe constituents and serve alongside his colleagues through 2028.
These decisions reflect a conviction Sen. Wirth has held throughout his tenure in public life: that the measure of good leadership is not how long one holds a position, Read More
Audit Exposes New Mexico’s SNAP Program Plagued By Errors, Weak Oversight
NMHR News:
RUIDOSO — A new Legislative Finance Committee evaluation found New Mexico’s SNAP program is operating with weak oversight, limited verification, and one of the highest payment error rates in the nation.
The state’s SNAP payment error rate has climbed to 16.6 percent, the fifth highest in the country. As a result, New Mexico could face up to $173 million annually in federal cost-sharing penalties.
The audit found that some of the largest sources of payment errors stem from information that is largely self-reported and often not independently verified. Despite having Read More
