Politics

New Mexico Senate Committee Discusses Harsher Penalties For Felons With Guns

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By ESTEBAN CANDELARIA
The Santa Fe New Mexican

The illegal possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a crime carries serious penalties in New Mexico — at least three years in prison.

Still, hundreds of people have been charged with the offense in recent years.

So, how can New Mexico better deter the problem?

That was the question lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee pondered Monday afternoon, as the Legislature gears up to consider several proposals designed to curb violent crime in New Mexico during this year’s 30-day session.

For Ben Baker, senior public safety adviser Read More

House Advances 10 Bills To Expand Access To Quality Affordable Healthcare In New Mexico

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STATE News:

SANTA FE — Jan. 26, the New Mexico House of Representatives advanced 10 pieces of legislation to improve healthcare access across the state by lowering out-of-pocket costs, expanding access to care, and recruiting and retaining more providers.

The House Judiciary Committee unanimously passed seven bills today that would expand access to healthcare through participation in interstate healthcare compacts, which allow states to expedite licensing for qualified healthcare providers who wish to practice in multiple states.

“By joining interstate compacts, New Mexico can Read More

Legislative Roundup: 24 Days Left In Session

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Flamenco dancer Kayla Lyall performs for an audience in the rotunda of the Roundhouse Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. Photo by Matt Dahlseid/The New Mexican

The Santa Fe New Mexican

Medical school funding: The University of New Mexico School of Medicine is one step closer to a new home. 

Lawmakers in the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee offered initial approval Monday to Senate Bill 6, which would provide nearly $547 million in state funding for the construction of a new medical school building at UNM’s Albuquerque campus. 

The new building — which will be located on the corner of Lomas Read More

Hundreds Rally For Immigrant Rights At State Capitol

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House Speaker Javier Martínez, right, marches with members of Somos Acción and other demonstrators along Paseo de Peralta while heading to the state Capitol Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, during an Immigrant and Worker Day of Action rally. Photo by Matt Dahlseid/The New Mexican

By CLARA BATES
The Santa Fe New Mexican

Undeterred by subfreezing temperatures, hundreds of immigrant rights advocates from across New Mexico gathered at the state Capitol in Santa Fe on Monday to call for a ban on local government-contracted immigration detention centers, stricter privacy protections and workforce development Read More

After Paying $1.23 Million For Office Units, NMDOT Sells Them Back To Vendor For $375,000

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By DANIEL J. CHACÓN
The Santa Fe New Mexican

As the New Mexico Department of Transportation takes center stage amid a push to pass a $1.5 billion bonding package, a costly and embarrassing mistake is percolating behind the scenes.

In July 2024, the department bought five mobile office units for $1.23 million. Problem is, they didn’t meet permitting requirements in a commercial setting, prompting staff to make the decision to sell them back to the vendor for $375,000 — resulting in a net loss of $857,000.

The foul-up is one of a handful of instances in which the department was out of compliance Read More

New Mexico Law Has Triggered Review Of Two Health Care Mergers Since 2024

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Sen. Katy Duhigg, D-Albuquerque, attends a hearing in 2022. Duhigg was one of the sponsors of the Health Care Consolidation Oversight Act in 2024 and its expansion in 2025. Courtesy/Santa Fe New Mexican

By CLARA BATES
The Santa Fe New Mexican

New Mexico has so far reviewed only two hospital acquisitions under oversight laws passed in 2024 and 2025, largely in response to the state’s nation-leading rate of private equity-owned hospitals.

One transaction was approved in December 2024 and the other is currently under review, according to the New Mexico Office of the Superintendent of Insurance Read More

Senate Passes ‘Rocket Docket’ Legislation, Interstate Medical Compacts (SB 1) & Harm To Self & Others (SB 3) Head To House Of Representatives

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NMSR News:

SANTA FE — Jan. 23, the New Mexico State Senate successfully streamlined the passage of several pieces of legislation, including Interstate Medical Compacts (SB 1) and Harm to Self and Others (SB 3) which were introduced on opening day in a ‘rocket docket’ and now make their way to the New Mexico House of Representatives.

This collaborative show of bipartisanship is due in large part to fierce Republican advocacy to improve healthcare access and public safety in New Mexico. In fact, these Democrat-sponsored  pieces of legislation are built on Republican proposals that have been Read More

GOP State Senator Asks Feds To Help Block Bill To Ban ICE Contracts In New Mexico

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Then-Rep. Jim Townsend, R-Artesia, reads a bill in his office in 2024. Courtesy/Santa Fe New Mexican 

By CLARA BATES
The Santa Fe New Mexican

A Republican state senator is requesting the U.S. Department of Justice’s “attention and intervention” on legislation that would restrict local governments from entering into immigrant detention contracts.

Sen. Jim Townsend, R-Artesia, wrote in a Thursday letter addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi that House Bill 9, which would ban public entities in New Mexico from contracting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, “raises serious constitutional Read More

Campaign Finance Records Show Big Spending In New Mexico Malpractice Fight

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By NATHAN BROWN
The Santa Fe New Mexican

There’s a lot of money at stake when it comes to New Mexico’s medical malpractice laws.

Perhaps it’s not surprising advocates on both sides of the issue contribute a lot to lawmakers’ campaigns.

From the 2020 primary election cycle through 2026, the Committee on Individual Responsibility — the political action committee associated with the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association — has made $937,000 in donations to individual politicians or their PACs and $442,200 to broader PACs such as those associated with House and Senate Democrats and the state House Read More

U.S. House Of Representatives Passes Heinrich, Kelly Legislation To Repeal Cash Grabs For Senators

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U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, and U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) released the following statements applauding House passage of legislation that mirrors Senate legislation they authored to repeal the ‘Arctic Frost’ provision, which allows Republican senators to collect $500,000 for every phone record that was previously, lawfully obtained.

“I’m pleased the House unanimously passed this legislation to repeal a last-minute provision that lets a few Republican Read More