Heinrich Emphasizes Need To Safeguard National Historic Preservation Act To Protect America’s Public Lands, Improve Permitting Processes
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) delivers opening remarks at a hearing to examine the Section 106 consultation process under the National Historic Preservation Act before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Oct. 29, 2025. Courtesy photo
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In his opening statement at a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the National Historic Preservation Act, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), the Committee’s Ranking Member, emphasized the importance of protecting America’s public lands by preserving opportunities for Read More
Common Cause New Mexico Launches Statewide Voter Protection Program
ELECTION News:
ALBUQUERQUE — As voters prepare to cast their ballots on Election Day this Tuesday, Common Cause launched its nonpartisan voter protection program. The program features its bilingual hotline available to all voters as they navigate the election process, the largest such program in the state.
“We know voter enthusiasm is high and we want to make sure all voters know their rights and know how to cast their ballot,” said Molly Swank, executive director of Common Cause New Mexico. “That’s why our hotline is staffed with friendly, nonpartisan experts who can help voters navigate Read More
Gubernatorial Candidate Sam Bregman Launches Statewide ‘Common Sense Over Chaos’ Tour Throughout November
Sam Bregman
POLITICAL News:
ALBUQUERQUE — New Mexico gubernatorial candidate Sam Bregman announced his statewide “Common Sense Over Chaos” Policy Tour, which will take him to communities large and small across New Mexico throughout November.
At each stop, Bregman will meet with residents to discuss the challenges they face and share solutions from his Blueprint for New Mexico. A bold plan to strengthen the state, take on the chaos coming from Washington, stand up to Trump, and move New Mexico’s economy, schools, and quality of life forward.
“We need to stand up to Donald Trump and deal with Read More
Governor Announces $30 Million To Feed New Mexicans
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham
From the Office of the Governor:
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- 460,000 New Mexicans set to lose federal SNAP benefits Nov. 1
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SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced today that the State of New Mexico will provide $30 million in state dollars starting Nov. 1 to ensure that low-income children and families, seniors and New Mexicans with disabilities continue to receive food benefits amidst an ongoing federal government shutdown.
The announcement comes in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits Read More
Council Approves 0.625 Percent Increase In GRT
COUNTY News:
In a 6-1 vote Tuesday night, Los Alamos County Council approved two ordinances to increase the Gross Receipts Tax (GRT) in Los Alamos by 0.625 percent. The increase goes into effect July 1, 2026.
The increase is in response to a substantial reduction in GRT revenue that the County will receive from its largest GRT contributor, Los Alamos National Laboratory, now that a portion of its operations is falling under the state’s GRT exemption for manufacturing.
Administrative Services Director Helen Perraglio explained that the increase was necessary because without it the County Read More
Reps. Stansbury, Vasquez, And Leger Fernández Introduce SNAP BACK Act To Protect Families From Federal Shutdown And Prevent Cuts To Food Assistance
U.S. CONGRESS News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the Trump administration plans to cut off food assistance for 42 million Americans on November 1, U.S. Reps. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), and Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) introduced the SNAP BACK Act to ensure that no child, parent, elder, or veteran goes hungry because of the Administration’s refusal to release SNAP benefits.
The SNAP BACK Act guarantees funding for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) during the current government Read More
National Association Of Counties Leaders Advocate For FEMA Act During Visit To Washington D.C.
NACo News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nearly two dozen county leaders from 15 states are in attendance this week at a National Association of Counties (NACo) fly-in focused on disaster reform. The participants are members of NACo’s Intergovernmental Disaster Reform Task Force, a group of elected and appointed county leaders focused on strengthening our nation’s disaster mitigation, response and recovery capabilities.
In over two dozen meetings on Capitol Hill, participants advocated for the passage of the FEMA Act (H.R. 4669), which was approved by the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Read More
Neeper: About Those Medical Measurements Pertaining To Political Choices
By DONALD NEEPER
Los Alamos resident 1968-2014
John Bartlit’s column of Oct. 26 (link) reviewed medical measurements which showed that political choices are set more by brain history than by logical choice. The measurements could support the idea that the desire for group acceptance is an inherited feature that enhanced the survival of early Homo sapiens.
In my recent book on our societal polarization, I reviewed numerical models based on the shifting internal rules of behavior that we each carry. The models, published in 2021, predicted irreversible polarization in America.
On a continental Read More
Robinson: Universal Childcare Needs Legislators’ Close Scrutiny
By SHERRY ROBINSON
All She Wrote
© 2025 New Mexico News Services
Back in September, the governor announced that on Nov. 1 New Mexico would become the first state to offer universal childcare. We made national headlines. It would be a huge benefit to working families and employers, of course, but legislative budget makers are starting to ask hard questions about costs. And they should.
This is when I like to remind readers that I’m not Hard Hearted Hannah.
When I was a single mom on reporter wages, day care took such a big bite out of my paycheck that I had almost nothing left after rent and groceries. Read More
Senator Brantley Votes Against Confirmation Of State Fair Commission Members
U.S. Sen. Crystal Brantley. Courtesy photo
STATE News:
SANTA FE — Oct. 24, the Senate Rules Committee voted 5–4 to advance the governor’s appointments to the New Mexico State Fair Commission for full Senate confirmation during the upcoming regular session.
The State Fair Commission is responsible for setting policy and overseeing the operations of Expo New Mexico and the annual New Mexico State Fair. The commission helps guide decisions related to event management, fairgrounds maintenance, youth agricultural programs, and the long-term direction of one of the state’s largest cultural Read More
County Personnel Board To Meet Tuesday Morning
Los Alamos County Council To Hold Regular Session Tuesday
COUNTY News:
Los Alamos County Council to meet in regular session, 6 p.m. Tuesday in Council Chambers at 1000 Central Ave.
The meeting is open to the public in person and via Zoom (link). View Tuesday’s agenda at lacnm.com/agenda and use the eComments tool to provide public comment.
Highlights of the meeting include:
- Proclamation: National Native American Heritage Month
- Presentations: Artificial Turf Feasibility Study; Guaje Pines Cemetery Master Plan
- Public Hearings: Proposed 0.625% Gross Receipts Tax increase effective July 2026
- Business: 2025 Open Space and Trails Management Plan
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Responds To USDA Suspension Of SNAP Benefits
From the Office of the Governor:
SANTA FE – Today, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s suspension of SNAP benefits for 42 million individuals nationwide effective Nov. 1:
The federal government’s refusal to pay for SNAP benefits in November is unconscionable — and the absurdity doesn’t end there. For New Mexico, that’s 460,000 people in our state — 21 percent of our population, the highest participation rate in the nation. The federal government has abandoned its responsibility to feed families.
My administration Read More
Orth: LWV’s Stance On Voter Photo ID Laws
By FELICIA ORTH
President
Los Alamos League of Women Voters
Delia Cruz-Murphy posed two valid and timely questions to the League of Women Voters: What is the League’s position regarding any requirement that a voter show proof of citizenship before casting a vote, and why does the League feel that such a requirement would be problematic (link)?
The League of Women Voters supports free, fair, and accessible elections for all eligible Americans, and we oppose efforts to create barriers that block citizens from fully participating in our democracy. We believe it is wrong to pass laws that deny Read More
Tales Of Our Times: Hi-Tech Probes Show Partisans’ Minds ‘Thinking’ In A Democracy
Tales Of Our Times
By JOHN BARTLIT
Los Alamos
Such wonders! The tool’s first wonder is how we can “see” a brain at work by detecting tiny magnetic differences outside the skull due to blood inside the
Local Climate Advocates Welcome Sam Daley-Harris In Virtual Presentation On Transformational Advocacy Nov. 5
New Mexico Citizens’ Climate Lobby News:
The New Mexico State chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) will host a virtual presentation open to the public featuring author and hunger eradication activist Sam Daley-Harris.
According to Sam, “agonizing, protesting, and turning off the news” aren’t our only options for making a difference on the issues we care about. There’s another way—what Daley-Harris calls transformational advocacy, a form of advocacy where you work to change an issue, and you are changed in the process. It’s not the only solution needed, but it is one essential missing Read More
Outdoor Recreation Gathering At Fuller Lodge Monday
Cull, Laurent: Working Together To Sustain Services That Support LANL And Our Community
Theresa Cull
By THERESA CULL, Chair of the Los Alamos County Council
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ANNE LAURENT, Los Alamos County Manager
Shared Responsibility and Partnership
In response to Director Thom Mason’s Oct. 23, 2025, letter, “Raising Gross Receipts Tax Could Hinder LANL’s Growth and the Region’s Prosperity,” we want to reaffirm our strong partnership with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and our shared responsibility to sustain a thriving community that supports the Laboratory’s mission and workforce.
Until 2006, when LANL was operated by the University of California as a nonprofit, the Laboratory Read More
Hampton: Community Encouraged To Attend November Los Alamos County Health Council Meeting
By LISA HAMPTON
Chair
Los Alamos County Health Council
As Chair of the Los Alamos County Health Council, I wanted to personally invite you to attend the Thursday, Nov. 6 Health Council Meeting at noon, in the Municipal Building, Room 330 (third floor).
We will have our Council Member, Leah Blackwell, Chaplain with Los Alamos Visiting Nurse Service and Grief Group Facilitator, give a presentation. She will explore the topic of grief with us, learning how to cultivate grief education and literacy. She will also discuss how to support others who are experiencing grief and explore ways to move through Read More
Op-Ed: A Bike Park Is A Smart, Community-Inspired Investment In Los Alamos’s Future
By JAMES WERNICKE
Bike Park Working Group Member
Outdoor, all-ages, all-abilities recreation that fosters physical health and social connection is as much a part of Los Alamos’s identity as its scientific legacy.
We are a community that plans and deliberates carefully—perhaps to a fault—and consistently expresses that we value our natural assets, quality of life, fiscal responsibility, and operational excellence.
While some may view it as “excessive”, the proposed North Mesa Bike Park represents a fiscally prudent, environmentally responsible, and community-supported Read More
