$1.25 Billion Capital Outlay Bill Nears The Finish Line
By LILY ALEXANDER
The Santa Fe New Mexican
The New Mexico Legislature is set allocate more than $1.255 billion for building projects throughout the state in the next fiscal year, including more than $175 million in pork barrel spending in the capital city and Santa Fe County.
Senate Bill 240, which soared through the Senate on Wednesday and was still waiting for a vote on the House floor before the session’s final hour, includes at least $7.3 million in capital outlay for city of Santa Fe projects and more than $8 million for the county government. A large portion of funding in the county—$95 Read More
New Mexico Legislature Passes Senate Bill 29 To Strengthen Math Education Statewide
Public Education Secretary Mariana D. Padilla
NMPED News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Legislature has passed Senate Bill 29 (SB 29), bipartisan legislation designed to strengthen mathematics instruction and improve student outcomes in public schools across the state.
SB 29 establishes a comprehensive framework to enhance math teaching and learning, including stronger preparation requirements for educators, expanded professional development and early identification of students who may need additional support in mathematics.
Beginning in the 2027–2028 school year, schools will Read More
Jury Finds Angel Fire Mayor Knowingly Violated Procurement Code In State Ethics Commission Enforcement Action
New Mexico State Ethics Commission News:
ALBUQUERQUE – A Colfax County jury returned a verdict in favor of the New Mexico State Ethics Commission in State Ethics Commission ex rel. Village of Angel Fire v. Lindsey, et al., finding that Angel Fire Mayor Barry Lindsey knowingly violated the New Mexico Procurement Code in connection with a $1 million contract awarded to Carristo Creative Consulting LLC.
The verdict was returned on Feb. 17, 2026, following a jury trial in the Eighth Judicial District Court in Raton, N.M., before the Honorable Steven Romero. The jury found that Mayor Lindsey knowingly Read More
Spaceport America Hosts Student Rocket Launches
New Mexico State University students pose with their rockets ahead of a series of NAR certification flights at Spaceport America on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. Courtesy/William Gutman
An NMSU student rocket takes off from Spaceport America’s Horizontal Launch Area on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. Courtesy/William Gutman
Students and supervisors from the Albuquerque Civil Air Patrol pose with their rocket ahead of a series of test flights at Spaceport America on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. Courtesy/William Gutman
SPACEPORT AMERICA News:
LAS CRUCES — Students from New Mexico State University Read More
House Advances Tax Package With 1% Raise For New Mexico Workers, State Budget
By DANIEL J. CHACÓN
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Proposed 1% raises for state government employees that were stripped from New Mexico’s spending plan in House Bill 2 to fund other priorities found a lifeline Wednesday in an unlikely place: an omnibus tax package.
“When … our people are left out in the cold with their pockets not as full as they could be, we have to do something to make it right,” Rep. Derrick Lente, D-Sandia Pueblo, said before the House passed the tax package, Senate Bill 151, on a 43-19 vote.
The tax package has an estimated total capacity of $110 million, generated by “decoupling” Read More
Last-Ditch Proposal Would Aid New Mexico Communities Set To Lose ICE Revenue
The Roundhouse in Santa Fe. Post file photo
By CLARA BATES
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Editor’s note: If the House takes action on this bill tonight there may be an updated version.
Local governments in New Mexico affected by the state’s decision to ban contracts with the federal government to hold immigration detainees could receive “bridge funding” under legislation the Senate passed unanimously Wednesday.
The Senate’s vote to pass Senate Bill 273 came with only around 24 hours before the end of this year’s regular legislative session. The bill, which also cleared two Senate committees with Read More
Robinson: One-sided Clear Horizons Act Failed In Senate
By SHERRY ROBINSON
All She Wrote
© 2026 New Mexico News Services
The Clear Horizons Act was another of those bills we’ve seen so often in New Mexico that balances the environment against the economy. In a floor vote, the Senate chose the economy.
Senate Bill 18 was one of those marquee bills that got a lot of attention before and during the session. Senate President Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, revamped the bill she carried last year. It would help reduce natural disasters driven by climate change if legislators could cement greenhouse gas reductions in state law, supporters believed.
I’m not Read More
Dr. Lee Lui: Happy Chinese New Year!
Artist Xu Beihong’s famous brush painting of a horse. Courtesy photoBy Dr. LEE LUI
Los Alamos
Dear Los Alamos and New Mexico,
Happy Chinese New Year, the Year of the Horse!
Horse presence, power and freedom, look at those who are running in the open field in the west.
Horse presence, passion and wisdom, their joy and love for life, and to live honestly in the present,
Horse presence, transformation and moving forward, to change from a passenger to the driver of your own destiny.
So many heartfelt stories filled with those intelligent animals. We
Doctors Thank Rep. Christine Chandler For Leadership In Sponsoring, Championing HB 99 Medical Malpractice Reform
By Robert McAtee, MD
Española
By Elena McAtee, MD
Los Alamos
We would like to express our gratitude to Representative Christine Chandler for her leadership in sponsoring and championing HB 99, a long-needed step toward meaningful medical malpractice reform in New Mexico.
Throughout this process, Representative Chandler listened carefully to her constituents, thoroughly researched this complex issue, and then worked diligently to advance thoughtful
solutions. Passing this legislation required navigating significant resistance and complex competing interests, making its success Read More
National History Day Showcase Featuring Local Students’ Projects Presented By Los Alamos Historical Society
Historical Society News:
The Los Alamos Historical Society invites the community to a National History Day Showcase from 6:30-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at Fuller Lodge.
Community members are invited to stop by, explore student projects, including exhibit displays, websites, and documentaries, and wish participants well before they advance to the regional competition in Santa Fe.
The 2026 theme for projects is Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.
National History Day is a nationwide academic program for students in grades 6-12 that promotes in-depth historical research, critical Read More
