OP/ED

Garcia & Shiv: Saving Children’s In New Mexico Lives By Passing Common-Sense Gun Laws

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Marsha Garcia

By MARSHA GARCIA & DIVYA SHIV
New Mexico Voices for Children

Over the past 70 years, we’ve done a great deal to make childhood less dangerous.

In the 1950s, children were protected from the last of the dreaded child-killing diseases with the development of the polio vaccine. In 1970, childhood poisonings were decreased when Congress required child resistant packaging on medications. By 1986, all 50 states had enacted laws requiring child car seats to protect children from what was then the number one killer of kids: automobile accidents. And in 1994, Congress passed the  Read More

Op-Ed: New Mexico Bill Poised To Make Meaningful Special Education Changes

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Contributors to this Op-Ed:

Joel Davis, NM Developmental Disability Council Chair & parent, Katie Stone, NMDD Council Vice-chair & parent, Jennifer D. Sanchez, CFPSW NMDD Council Secretary & parent, Valentín Anaya, NMDD Council Treasurer, & parent, John Arango NMDD Council Past Chair & parent

By NMDD Council Members:

HB 285, the Special Education Act, begins the process of transformation long overdue in special education and will ultimately improve the outcomes for disabled students statewide. It’s about time.

  • Only 64% of students receiving special education
Read More

Op-Ed: SB298 Recognizes Vulnerable Housing Situation

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By JOANNE DEMICHELE
Silver City

“There’s an investment strategy hiding under the radar that has proven time and time again to be one of the best opportunities for investors, especially in times of uncertainty.” –52TEN–Mobile Home Park Investment Company

The main reason Mobile Home Parks are hot investments is that Mobile Homes are not mobile. It can cost as much to relocate a manufactured home as it would to move a stick-built home. The terms “Mobile Homes” and “Mobile Home Parks” falsely portray these homes and homeowners as portable.

Another reason these investment strategies are Read More

Ham: Making Law Abiding New Mexicans Into Felons Is Extremism & Unlikely To Change Gun Deaths In New Mexico

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Image depicting outcome if proposed laws to criminalize legal guns and magazines pass. At top is a Winchester Wildcat in 22lr with 10 rounds of 22lr ammunition. At bottom is a Glock style pistol with 9 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Courtesy/Ham

By MICHAEL HAM
Los Alamos

Under two proposed laws that would criminalize the possession of many currently legal guns and magazines, a Glock style semi-automatic pistol with 9 round magazines would remain legal.

As we have seen recently in California [1], adding more gun control laws results in vastly diminishing returns to public safety. My hope is after reading Read More

New Mexico Lawmakers Advance One Bill To Crack Down On Shoplifting, Table Another

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The Roundhouse in Santa Fe. Post file photo

By ROBERT NOTT
The Santa Fe New Mexican

News video footage of shoplifters aiming handguns at store security guards during crime sprees told the story.

Lawmakers who watched the footage, part of a KRQE newscast from last year, then acted to pass a bill aimed at stemming such shoplifting efforts.

On Friday the members of the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee unanimously approved House Bill 234, which would create new crimes of robbery for shoplifters using guns and allow stricter penalties for different shoplifting crimes committed Read More

Shiv: Support Children’s Health Through Public Health Climate Resiliency Act

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By DIVYA SHIV
Research and Policy Analyst
New Mexico Voices for Children

In the Land of Enchantment, families should be able to enjoy our state’s natural beauty without worrying about whether worsening environmental conditions will harm their children’s health.

Unfortunately, children are especially vulnerable to the consequences of climate change, which include extreme heat, poor air quality, drought, flooding, and wildfires. However, this legislative session, lawmakers have the opportunity to protect New Mexicans from these threats to public health by passing the Public Health Read More

Op-Ed: Steps To Reduce Impact Of Climate Change On New Mexico’s Forests And Surrounding Communities

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By LAURA MCCARTHY
New Mexico State Forester

For years, climate experts have been warning that our planet is undergoing changes that would make extreme weather events more common—and this past year, New Mexico saw those predictions come true. Extremely dry and windy weather in the spring and early summer created the perfect conditions for what proved to be the worst wildfire season in our state’s modern history. Then, a mere few weeks later, heavier than normal monsoon rains dropped nearly 20 inches of rain on parts of the state, flooding areas that had been scorched by the fires.

As our neighbors—many Read More

Reilly: Oppie’s Clearance

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By DOUG REILLY
Los Alamos

On December 18, 2022, the Los Alamos Daily Post published, “Energy Secretary Announces Decision To Revoke Security Clearance Of J. Robert Oppenheimer Finally Nullified” (link). This has been covered by many other media. I wish to add some information relative to this issue.

The 1954 AEC hearing reached the decision to revoke Oppie’s Q-Clearance one day before it was to expire. The hearing lasted three weeks; the AEC attorney was Roger Robb, a D.C. prosecutor, and Oppie’s was William K. Garrison, a well-known New York lawyer. Several years ago, when I was the docent in Read More

Op/Ed: This Isn’t Politics … This Is About Our Health

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Sen. Elizabeth Stefanics

By Sen. Elizabeth Stefanics & Rep. Elizabeth Thomson
New Mexico

The start of a new year is always special. This is when we remember laughter and celebrations and reflect on our struggles and times of sadness. What we love most about this time of year is thinking about what is possible next year. 

As legislators with years of experience working to keep New Mexicans as healthy as possible, when we look ahead, we think of the opportunities this coming session to make New Mexico more resilient to climate changes and extreme weather and protect the health of the people of Read More

Op-Ed: It Has Been An Electrifying Year – Advancing Policies In Congress To Accelerate Electrification

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By U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich & Tina Smith
U.S. Representatives Paul Tonko & Kathy Castor

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an op-ed published by The Hill, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representatives Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) and Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), the founders and co-chairs of the bicameral Electrification Caucus, describe how they have advanced policies in Congress to accelerate widespread electrification, which will cut costs for Americans, improve public health, create jobs and tackle the climate crisis.

It has been an electrifying Read More