New Mexico State Land Office Confident Royalty Rate Hike Will Prevail With Senate Finance Leader’s Support
State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard in her office in downtown Santa Fe. Photo by Carol A. Clark
By Alaina Mencinger and Margaret O’Hara
The Santa Fe New Mexican
State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard is optimistic her yearslong effort to raise New Mexico’s oil and gas royalty rate on the top tracts of land is finally poised for success.
The current legislative session marks the fourth time in recent years her agency has advocated for royalty rate increases, which she says are falling behind private land leases and neighboring states like Texas — costing the state tens Read More
Op-Ed: Time To Recognize Vital Contributions Of K-12 Classified Educators And Pay Them Fairly
By WHITNEY HOLLAND
President
American Federation of Teachers New Mexico
Our K-12 public schools cannot function without classified staff. Bus drivers, custodians, food service workers, educational assistants, secretaries, and countless others keep our schools running. Every student, parent, and even lawmakers have a story about how a classified educator has impacted their life in a positive way. Yet too often, these essential employees are overlooked and underpaid, struggling to make ends meet while providing critical services to our students, families, and communities. Classified Read More
Heinrich Sounds The Alarm On ‘DOGE’ Risk To National Security & American Privacy
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Feb. 6, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, pressed the White House on the risks of allowing unvetted “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) staff and representatives to access classified and sensitive government materials. In a letter to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Heinrich sounded the alarm on the risk DOGE poses to our national security and Americans’ privacy.
In the letter, Heinrich, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), and several colleagues demanded Read More
House Dems Shore Up Support For Trade Port Measure After Committee Stall
By Esteban Candelaria
The Santa Fe New Mexican
House Democrats rallied support for a bill to create trade ports in New Mexico after the measure stalled in its second committee Wednesday.
House Bill 19, sponsored by several Democrats — including Rep. Patricia “Patty” Lundstrom, D-Gallup — would allow the state to enter into partnerships with private companies to create trade ports near travel infrastructure, such as interstate highways, railroads and airports.
At a news conference Wednesday at the state Capitol, Lundstrom described those trade ports as essentially industrial Read More
Gun Safety Legislation Headed To House Floor
NMDP News:
SANTA FE — Legislation to enhance New Mexico’s “Red Flag Law” is now headed to the House Floor, after passing the House Judiciary Committee (HJC) by a vote of 7 to 4 vote today.
House Bill 12 would make it easier for law enforcement to use the Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Orders to temporarily suspend access to firearms for those deemed a threat to themselves or others. The bill is sponsored by Reps. Joy Garratt (D-Albuquerque) and Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos), and Senators Katy Duhigg (D-Albuquerque) and Heather Berghmans (D-Albuquerque). It would make the process easier Read More
Amendments To ‘Red Flag’ Law Pass House Judiciary Committee
STATE News:
SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued the following statement after House Bill 12, Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order (ERPO) Changes, cleared the House Judiciary Committee in a 7-4 vote on Wednesday:
“By eliminating the 48-hour waiting period and requiring immediate firearm relinquishment, we’ll better protect our law enforcement officers and our communities. This revision to existing law closes a dangerous gap that puts lives at risk. I commend the House Judiciary Committee for their swift action on this legislation, and I strongly urge both chambers to act with Read More
Panel OKs Proposed Constitutional Amendment Paving Way For Lawmaker Salaries
By Margaret O’Hara
The Santa Fe New Mexican
As a student in Española Public Schools, Democratic state Sen. Leo Jaramillo predicted the future.
“In the fourth grade, Leo Jaramillo stood up and probably said, ‘I will win an election one day to help the people of Española Valley’ — because I wanted to help those who helped me,” he told fellow members of the Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday morning.
He was no stranger to donated Christmas gifts and food bank distributions as a child, said Jaramillo, the committee’s vice chair.
He later learned New Mexico Read More
Bosque Redondo Memorial Kick-Starts Season Of Weekly Ranger Tours Feb. 22
NMHS News:
Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner Historic Site is re-starting ranger-led tours 1-3 p.m., Saturdays, beginning Feb. 22, after taking the early winter season off.
Ranger Lily and Instructional Coordinator Rebekha offer a weekly guided tour of the permanent exhibition, Bosque Redondo…A Place of Suffering…A Place of Survival. Participants will also experience a tour outdoors, visiting the site’s flock of Navajo Churro sheep and exploring the exterior grounds at Fort Sumner Historic Site.
These tours teach people about the experiences of the Diné (Navajo) and Ndé (Mescalero Read More
Navy League Releases 2025-2026 Maritime Policy Statement
NLUS News:
The Navy League of the United States is proud to announce the release of its 2025-2026 Maritime Policy Statement, a comprehensive report outlining the strategic priorities and legislative recommendations necessary to strengthen America’s sea services.
This biennial publication serves as a guiding document for policymakers, industry leaders, and the public, advocating for investments that ensure the continued security, prosperity, and global leadership of the United States through maritime power.
The Maritime Policy Statement forms the foundation of the Navy League’s Read More
Supreme Court Reinstates Convictions Of Grants Man For Harming Intoxicated Woman
NMSC News:
SANTA FE — The state Supreme Court Thursday reinstated the convictions of a Grants man for raping an intoxicated woman and tampering with evidence about the crime.
The state’s highest court unanimously reversed the Court of Appeals, which had ordered a new trial in the case, and affirmed Joseph Apodaca’s convictions on two counts of criminal sexual penetration and one count of evidence tampering. He was sentenced to 36 years in prison.
The justices rejected arguments by Apodaca that the jury should have been instructed to consider a “mistake-of-fact defense” — that he mistakenly Read More
