Lawmakers Mull How To Address Teen Gun Problem After Albuquerque Shooting Turns Deadly
From left, Adrian Maestas, Noah Maestas and Stephanie Maestas, father, son and step mother to the late Adrian Maestas Jr., sit together and listen to other individuals speaking of their loved ones who were lost to homicide during Victims of Homicide Day to honor the lives of New Mexican’s loved ones lost to violence in the Rotunda at the state Capitol on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. Adrian , 15, was shot and killed in Rio Rancho in Oct. 2024. Photo by Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican
Noah Maestas, 7, wears a shirt bearing an image of his late brother Adrian Maestas during Victims of Homicide Day in the Rotunda Read More
New Mexico Museum Of Natural History & Science Celebrates Opening Of Bradbury Stamm Construction Hall of Ancient Life With Free Admission Feb. 16
Scene from the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science at 1801 Mountain Road NW in Albuquerque. Courtesy/NMMNHS
NMMNHS News:
New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science (NMMNHS) is celebrating the opening of the new Bradbury Stamm Construction Hall of Ancient Life with a beach party 300 million years in the making!
When: The museum is free with proof of New Mexico residency 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16. Activities run10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.
The Bradbury Stamm Construction Hall of Ancient Life, the museum’s new permanent exhibition showcasing life in New Mexico before the Read More
Friends Of Coronado And Jemez Historic Sites Lecture: Chaco Canyon Reveals Its Secrets Slowly Feb. 23
NMHS News:
New Mexico Historic Sites (NMHS) announces the Friends of Coronado & Jemez Historic Sites monthly lecture series, 2-3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23 at the Martha Liebert Public Library in Bernalillo.
Professor and archaeologist Patricia Crown presents the lecture, “Cylinder Jars, Cacao, and Chaco Canyon” for the Friends of Coronado & Jemez Historic Sites monthly lecture series. Two decades of research in Chaco Canyon has yielded new insights into the use of cylinder jars beyond drinking cacao and possibly another caffeinated beverage. The shifting shapes and sizes of these Read More
Legislative Roundup: 43 Days Remaining In Session
The Santa Fe New Mexican:
Training for regents: University and college regents in New Mexico would undergo 10 hours of training in the first six months of their term under a bill headed to the full Senate.
Senate Bill 19, which was unanimously approved by the Senate Rules Committee on Friday, requires the Higher Education Department to develop and provide the 10 hours of training to regents at all New Mexico postsecondary education institutions.
According to the bill, the training includes:
- Two hours covering the state constitution and state statute pertaining to postsecondary education.
Some Support, Some Have Reservations On Complex Criminal Competency Bill In New Mexico House Judiciary Committee
Rep. Christine Chandler
House Judiciary Committee Chair
By NICHOLAS GILMORE
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Members of the House Judiciary Committee appear ready to support a bipartisan proposal to change the state’s criminal competency laws as part of a larger package of public safety measures.
If approved when the committee takes up the bill next week, House Bill 4 will head to the floor of the state House of Representatives, having cleared its second House committee.
The bill would provide a process for evaluations of competency as well as dangerousness that can be used to order involuntary commitment Read More
New Mexico Lawmakers Claim Intimidation, Bullying By Opponents Of Paid Family And Medical Leave
The Roundhouse in Santa Fe. Post file photo
By Daniel J. Chacón
The Santa Fe New Mexican
The battle over a contentious paid family and medical leave proposal is heating up and getting personal, with two Democratic lawmakers accusing opponents of the measure of bullying and intimidation tactics to get them to vote against the bill.
The two lawmakers are both members of the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee, where House Bill 11 is scheduled to be considered next.
The committee chair, Rep. Doreen Gallegos, D-Las Cruces, and Rep. Art De La Cruz, D-Albuquerque, said they were targeted Read More
Tax Exemption For Military Veterans Headed To House Floor
Lead sponsor Rep. Art De la Cruz
SANTA FE — Legislation to improve property tax exemptions for military veterans is now headed to the House Floor after unanimously passing the House Taxation and Revenue Committee today.
House Bill 47 would increase the existing property tax exemption of $4,000 up to $10,000 and allow additional exemptions for veterans with service-related disabilities. If passed by the legislature and signed into law by the Governor, the increase would go into effect for the 2025 tax year, with the disabled veteran exemptions going into effect the following year.
“The men Read More
Tough-On-Fentanyl Bills Move Forward At Roundhouse In Santa Fe And U.S. Capitol In Washington
Rep. Charlotte Little
By ESTEBAN CANDELARIA
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Bills toughening penalties for fentanyl trafficking moved forward today in both the Roundhouse and the U.S. Capitol, dividing Democrats between tough-on-crime advocates and those who don’t think stiffer sentences address the root causes of the crisis.
In Santa Fe, House Bill 16, sponsored by state Rep. Charlotte Little, D-Albuquerque, passed the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee on a 6-3 vote. House Democrats who voted against the bill posed questions about the implications and efficacy of slapping Read More
Health Care Authority Urging Lawmakers To Support House Bill 131 To Protect Vulnerable New Mexicans
HCA News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Health Care Authority is urging lawmakers to support House Bill 131 to strengthen background checks for caregivers and help ensure the safety of those under their supervision.
HB131, sponsored by Rep. Elizabeth “Liz” Thomson, Rep. Dayan Hochman-Vigil, Rep. Kathleen Cates and Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez scheduled for a hearing today in the House, Health and Human Services Committee at the Roundhouse.
The bill proposes additional criminal offenses that would disqualify an applicant from being hired as a caregiver.
These new crimes include:
- Animal cruelty
Los Alamos Federated Republican Women Seek Submissions For 2025 U.S. Constitution Essay Contest
LAFRW News:
Submissions are being sought for the annual U.S. Constitution Essay Contest, sponsored by the Los Alamos Federated Republican Women (LAFRW). The contest is designed to challenge students to learn more about the Constitution and to express original, thoughtful ideas in essay writing.
Essays are judged on how completely and clearly the ideas are stated and supported. Grammar, spelling and punctuation are also considered. This year fourth and fifth graders are asked to submit a poem or art. Judging is blind.
Winners receive cash awards:
- High School: $300;
- Grades 6-8: $200; and
