Politics

New Mexico Senators, Public Square Off On Safety Versus Freedom In Gun Debate

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State Rep. John Block, R-Alamogordo, right, joins a pro-Second Amendment rally Saturday outside the Capitol. Sponsored by the New Mexico Shooting Sports Association and the New Mexico Firearms Industry Association, demonstrators, a number of them armed, voiced their opposition to Senate Bill 17, a gun control bill moving through the Legislature. Nathan Burton/The New Mexican

Bethany Padilla, center, a member of UNM’s Students Demand Action chapter, wipes tears from her eyes as she listens to speakers share their experiences of gun violence during a rally in support of Senate Bill 17 on Read More

Bill To Ban Some Guns In New Mexico, Crack Down On Dealers Heads To Senate Floor

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Sen. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, asks a question of First Judicial District Judge Bryan Biedscheid on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, during a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting. Matt Dahlseid/The New Mexican

By CLARA BATES
The Santa Fe New Mexican

A controversial bill that would ban certain “extremely dangerous weapons” and add various regulations on firearms dealers is headed to the state Senate floor.

The sale of certain semi-automatic rifles — including AK-47s and AR-15s — would be banned under Senate Bill 17, which passed out of the Senate Judiciary Read More

Early Childhood Workers In New Mexico Laud Proposed $60 Million Wage And Career Ladder

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Cabinet Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky
Early Childhood Education and Care Department

By ESTEBAN CANDELARIA
The Santa Fe New Mexican

MJ Lord, a teaching assistant at an Albuquerque preschool, works three jobs just to make ends meet.

The 25-year-old wants to be an early childhood educator — she’s completing a bachelor’s degree in human development and family sciences and has plans to pursue a master’s degree in early childhood as well — but said her pay at the preschool alone is not enough to sustain her goals.

“I would love to stay in this career field, because it is my passion,” she said. “I think Read More

Bill Would Overhaul Virtual Education In New Mexico … And Its Funding

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Bill Sponsor Rep. Joy Garratt, D-Bernalillo

By ANDRÉ SALKIN
The Santa Fe New Mexican

Supporters of virtual education, many wearing shirts reading “Save Our Virtual Schools,” packed into a room at the state Capitol on Friday to push back against a bill that would overhaul New Mexico’s online learning regulations for the first time in nearly two decades. 

The changes include a slash in funding for schools that serve distance learning students to fix a crisis: a $35 million hole in the roughly $4.5 billion pool of per-student funding.

The provision also would prevent nearly $40 million in state Read More

Bill Co-Sponsor Rep. Christine Chandler Hopes To Turn Down Temperature On Medical Malpractice Debate

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Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos

By DANIEL J. CHACÓN
The Santa Fe New Mexican

The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to take up a high-profile bill Monday to change New Mexico’s medical malpractice law, after a presentation Friday, the chairwoman said was designed to inoculate the discussion from the divisive rhetoric that has marked the debate.

With less than two weeks left in the 30-day session, Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, who is a co-sponsor of House Bill 99, emphasized the urgency of getting the legislation — which she noted has bipartisan support — passed.

“There has Read More

County To Host First Community Engagement Session For Bayo Canyon Trailhead Improvements

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COUNTY News:

Los Alamos County invites community members to participate in the first community engagement session for the Bayo Canyon Trailhead Improvement Project, an initiative focused on creating a safer, more accessible, and welcoming trailhead for users of all abilities.

The first in-person community engagement session is 5:30 p.m., Feb. 11 at Fuller Lodge. Community members are encouraged to attend to learn more about the project, review early concepts, and share input that will help guide the design process.

Besides in-person meetings, the County is offering other ways for the Read More

Luján, Morelle, Gluesenkamp Perez Continue Fight For Consumers’ Right To Repair

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Congressional News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Congressman Joe Morelle (D-NY-25), and Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-03), introduced the Fair Repair Act, legislation to guarantee consumers and small businesses a right to repair their own products by requiring manufacturers to make diagnostic repair information, parts, and tools readily available.

“For far too long, the wealthiest individuals and largest corporations have made it more difficult for Americans to repair the products they own,” Luján said. “The costs of these barriers can Read More

Legislative Roundup: 13 Days Left In Session

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Demonstrators cheer and hold up signs during a public lands rally on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, outside of the state Capitol. Matt Dahlseid/The New Mexican

The Santa Fe New Mexican

Dawn the duck: The New Mexico Senate unanimously confirmed the appointment Friday of Dawn Walters to lead the state’s newly established Office of the Child Advocate.

The office will be responsible for providing third-party oversight of New Mexico’s troubled child welfare system.

“This role has been long awaited and is critical to the safety and success of New Mexico’s children and families,” Sen. Katy Duhigg, D-Albuquerque, Read More

NMDOT Awards Nearly $47 Million For 27 Local Transportation Projects

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NMDOT News:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) awarded nearly $47 million to 27 projects through four federal funding programs, benefiting 15 agencies statewide, during the federal fiscal year 2026 call for projects.

Awarded projects range from supporting transit operation and infrastructure upgrades, to design and construction of urban and rural multiuse paths and trails, to supporting Safe Routes to School programs. A full list of projects is listed below. 

“These programs are critical for Tribal and local public agencies, funding projects from planning Read More