Senate Committee Finalizes Budget Proposal
By Margaret O’Hara
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Who’s going to benefit most from the latest version of New Mexico’s proposed budget of nearly $10.8 billion?
A strong argument could be made for the state’s middle and high schoolers.
The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday voted 9-2 to approve its version of House Bill 2, the state’s budget bill. The proposal would impose a maintainable 6% increase over fiscal year 2025, providing an extra $76 million for middle and high schoolers in the state’s per-pupil funding formula, plus raises for teachers and other Read More
Legislation To Safeguard New Mexicans’ Personal Data Headed To The Governor’s Desk
NMDP News:
SANTA FE — Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed two key bills to protect New Mexicans’ safety and privacy by restricting the disclosure of certain personal information.
Senate Bill 57, which passed 42-25, would protect the rights of medical professionals who provide reproductive care at public institutions, by exempting their personal information from the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA). This narrow IPRA exemption would help ensure the personal safety of providers and the privacy of their patients.
SB 57 is sponsored by House Majority Leader Reena Szczepanski Read More
Governor Reacts To Tragic Murder Of Cyclist
STATE News:
SANTA FE — Tuesday, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham responded to Monday’s arrest of a 13-year-old boy charged with the murder of Scott Dwight Habermehl, a 63-year-old Sandia National Laboratory employee who police say was struck by a stolen vehicle while cycling to work last May.
Video shows an 11-year-old passenger brandishing a firearm as the vehicle driven by the 13-year-old swerves into Habermehl. Police records indicate that the 11-year-old has an extensive criminal history, including previous arrests for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, shooting incidents, Read More
Cannabis Industry Still Hoping Key Legislation Gets To Gov. Lujan Grisham’s Desk
Roundhouse in Santa Fe. Post file photo
By CORMAC DODD
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Members of New Mexico’s state-regulated cannabis industry have long raised concerns about the rollout of sales for recreational use: the volume of dispensary licenses, taxes and the lack of enforcement of a still-thriving illegal market.
Duke Rodriguez, CEO of New Mexico cannabis giant Ultra Health, said it was possible key legislation addressing some of these issues could land on the governor’s desk before the session ends this week, but he was not particularly optimistic.
“It’s Read More
Legislative Roundup: 4 Days Remaining In Session
The Santa Fe New Mexican:
Let’s get this (official state) bread: Bags of fresh tortillas awaited lawmakers as they entered the Senate chamber Tuesday afternoon.
Lawmakers received the stacks of tortillas — a bag of corn tortillas and a bag of flour tortillas, both of them from Andele Restaurant in Mesilla — in honor of Senate Bill 315, which would designate the tortilla as New Mexico’s official state bread.
The bill will head to the House after unanimously passing the Senate Monday, where it sparked some important debate.
For instance, Sen. Pat Woods, R-Broadview, asked, “Mr. President, I’ve Read More
Health Care Authority To Equip All ISD Offices With Narcan
HCA News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA) is making naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, available in every Income Support Division (ISD) office and training staff to help prevent opioid overdoses and save lives.
“ISD offices help people across New Mexico, including those and their loved ones who may be at risk of an opioid overdose,” said Kari Armijo, cabinet secretary of the Health Care Authority. “By providing naloxone in every ISD office and training staff, we are making life-saving resources more available to communities that need them most.”
To strengthen overdose Read More
LARSO Executive Director Jacci Gruninger To Speak At National Council On Aging Conference In Washington D.C.
LARSO Executive Director Jacci Gruninger
By KIAH MCCONNELL
Marketing & Program Coordinator
LARSO
Los Alamos Retired and Senior Organization (LARSO) Executive Director Jacci Gruninger has been selected to present at the National Council on Aging’s Age+Action Conference, happening in May in Washington, D.C. As the premier aging conference in the nation, this event brings together thought leaders, practitioners, and advocates in the field to share innovative solutions and strategies that enhance the lives of older adults.
Gruninger will present on LARSO’s successful scam awareness Read More
NMED: New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission Notice Of Public Rulemaking Hearing
NMED News:
The Water Quality Control Commission (“WQCC”) will hold a public hearing for this matter to begin May 13, 2025, following the WQCC’s regularly scheduled meeting, which starts at 9 a.m., and continuing thereafter as necessary.
The hearing shall be conducted in-person at the New Mexico State Capitol, 490 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87501, and virtually via a video conferencing platform. The hearing will last as long as required to hear all testimony, evidence, and public comment.
Detailed information concerning the time, location, and the virtual meeting link can be Read More
Trask: Denish’s Diatribe On Musk A Misguided Hit Piece
By CHARLIE TRASK
Los Alamos
At the end of her Op-Ed, Diane Denish recommends that we speak up and push back against Elon Musk. Well, SURPRISE, I’m going to push back on Denish and the failure of our Democrat leadership. I’m urging our normal citizens to stand up for America.
Denish has thrown her/their cards on the table. She tells us that the world’s smartest person is a racist, bullied kid, non-engineer, Trump donor, user of drugs, father, emotionless, adolescent user of “X”, empathy-less, lover of chaos, and a multitude of other unfounded liberal innuendos and lies.
This is such a standard play Read More
New Mexico Senate Floor Wrap For March 16, 2025
SENATE News:
SANTA FE — Sunday, the New Mexico State Senate met to debate and discuss legislation that would improve access to healthcare and prescription drugs, prioritize the use of Land Protection Revolving Funds to lower wildfire risk, and celebrate our state’s beloved professional soccer team. The actions include:
Expanding New Mexico’s Prescription Drug Donation Program
Senate Bill 122 (passed 40-0) expands New Mexico’s existing Prescription Drug Donation Program to allow greater participation in the donation and redistribution of unused prescription drugs. The expanded rule Read More
Legislative Roundup: 5 Days Remaining In Session
Kaylhni Andrade, visiting the Capitol from Albuquerque, smiles as she covers herself in the folds of Sahira Guillen’s quinceañera dress during a presentation for Early Childhood Education Day on Monday, March 17, 2025. Guillen, with OLE NM, along with three other young women, donned quinceañera dresses to represent the 15 years that they have fought for better wages for early childhood educators. Photo by Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican
The Santa Fe New Mexican Staff:
CYFD reform heads to governor: A bill to create an Office of Child Advocate within the New Mexico Department of Justice to Read More
‘Effectively Disappeared’: Little Info About 48 People Taken By ICE Across NM, Advocates Say
Edwin Jesus Garcia Castillo talks about his experience of being detained at the Torrance County Detention Facility during a news conference Monday, March 17, 2025, at the state Capitol. Photo by Matt Dahlseid/The New Mexican
By Esteban Candelaria
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Four dozen people have “disappeared” from three New Mexico cities after a weeklong operation by the federal government earlier this month, according to a complaint filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico on Sunday.
Little is known about the 48 people who were arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Read More
Bill Strengthening Protections For Kids In CYFD’s Care Headed To Governor’s Desk
NMDP News:
SANTA FE — Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted to concur with Senate amendments to House Bill 5, which would create an independent Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) to oversee child well-being in the state.
House Bill 5, which passed the House unanimously March 4, 2025, would establish the Office of the Child Advocate as an independent office that would not only receive and investigate complaints related to children’s services at the Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD), but also ensure their resolution, and inform the public, legislature, and Governor Read More
Luján Statement On Senate Passage Of Bipartisan Legislation To Halt All Lethal Trafficking Of Fentanyl
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement on the March 14 Senate passage of the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act:
“The fentanyl crisis has taken far too many innocent lives and has devastated communities across New Mexico and the United States. The bipartisan HALT Fentanyl Act will give law enforcement the tools necessary to combat the fentanyl crisis, keep fentanyl off our streets, and help protect New Mexico communities.
“This legislation is a critical step toward protecting our communities Read More
House Passes Bill To Address Rising Grocery Prices
Sponsor Rep. Charlotte Little (D-Albuquerque)
STATE News:
SANTA FE — The House of Representatives passed legislation Friday to help address rising grocery prices in New Mexico on a vote of 39-27.
House Bill 17 would establish a commission to study and make recommendations on how to reduce grocery store prices and improve local supply chain issues that may impact the price of goods. The commission would focus on policies and proposal recommendations to reduce the cost of household essentials like bread, eggs, tortillas, and milk, as well as proposing strategies to expand access to locally-grown Read More
Senators Heinrich, Britt, Hirono And Hyde-Smith Resolution Honoring National Board Certified Teachers Passes Senate
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) announced that their bipartisan resolution recognizing the importance and contributions of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) passed the Senate.
Students taught by National Board Certified Teachers gain 1-2 months of additional instruction per year and are 11% more likely to score proficient on literacy exams.
Nationally, there are over 141,000 teachers who have earned National Board Certification. In New Mexico, there Read More
Robinson: New Mexico Doctors – ‘We Are Exhausted And Demoralized’
By SHERRY ROBINSON
All She Wrote
© 2024 New Mexico News Services
Five progressives killed the medical malpractice bill.
You might say the trial lawyers got their money’s worth. You might say it’s late in the session and everybody’s getting tired and cranky. You could even observe that the strife of national politics has haunted this legislative session. It would all be true.
But there’s another element that’s more troubling, and that’s denial and willful ignorance.
New Mexico doesn’t have enough doctors. It’s a national problem, but it’s worse here. In recent years New Mexico was the ONLY state Read More
Dannemann: The Trial Lawyer Argument Is Bogus
By MERILEE DANNEMANN
© 2025 by Merilee Dannemann
In New Mexico, there aren’t enough doctors. There aren’t enough nurses. There aren’t enough hospitals, especially in small towns. There aren’t enough patients paying full price for their healthcare and too many on Medicaid.
You probably already know this. We talk about it all the time.
Two other factors contribute to this crisis. One is the presence of private for-profit ownership of hospitals and the other is our high rate of malpractice insurance.
But one of these two issues is claiming to be the solution to the other one, and that is pure nonsense. Read More
New Mexico House Committee Ties Tax Credit For Working Class To Oil Tax Hike
Rep. Derrick Lente, D-Sandia Pueblo
Chair
House Taxation and Revenue Committee
By NATHAN BROWN
The Santa Fe New Mexican
A House committee has advanced a bill to cut or even eliminate state income taxes for many working New Mexicans — but also added a tax hike for oil producers, stirring opposition from Republicans and the industry.
House Bill 14, which passed the House Taxation and Revenue Committee on a 7-5 vote Friday and now heads to the full House, would replace the state’s Working Families Tax Credit with an Earned Income Tax Credit, eliminating state income tax liability for single Read More
House Passes Environmental Protection, Clean Energy Bills
Lead Sponsor Rep. Joanne Ferrary (D-Las Cruces)
STATE News:
SANTA FE — Friday, the House of Representatives passed key legislation to help facilitate transition to clean energy and protect New Mexicans from toxic chemicals.
House Bill 361, which passed unanimously, would help clean up and repurpose depleted oil and gas wells across New Mexico. The bill would authorize the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) to utilize these wells for energy storage or geothermal energy development. If no other uses are found viable, the wells would be plugged.
“New Mexico has nearly Read More
