State

Hurford: What Other States Can Learn From New Mexico’s Bet On Literacy

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By DAVID P. HURFORD Ph.D.
Executive Director
Center for READing, Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg, Kansas

For too long, New Mexico’s students – especially Native American, Hispanic and low-income kids – were denied foundational literacy skills that open doors to lifelong opportunity.

A sustained, science-based investment is starting to change that.

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and New Mexico education leaders have made literacy a statewide priority since her term began in 2019. Over the past six years, New Mexico has invested more than $250 million in literacy initiatives, Read More

Senate Majority Floor Leader Peter Wirth Announces He Will Not Run Again For Majority Leader And Will Not Seek Re-Election In 2028

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STATE SENATE News:

SANTA FE — Senate Majority Floor Leader Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) announced today that he will not run for the position of Senate Majority Floor Leader prior to the start of the 2027 Legislative Session, and will not seek a sixth term in the state Senate in 2028. Wirth will complete his current Senate term in full, continuing to represent his Santa Fe constituents and serve alongside his colleagues through 2028.

These decisions reflect a conviction Sen. Wirth has held throughout his tenure in public life: that the measure of good leadership is not how long one holds a position, Read More

State And Federal Partnership Invests In New Mexico’s Conservation Workforce

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Group photo of pre-apprentices during onboarding with USDA Forest Service. Pictured far left: James D. Duran, Forest Supervisor, Carson National Forest, and New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions Cabinet Secretary Sarita Nair. Courtesy photo

Pre-apprentices attending the onboarding week field visit to see active forest management and discuss all hands approach to improving the health of the forest. Courtesy photo

NMDWS News:

ALBUQUERQUE — Eighteen New Mexico college students began an innovative paid Pre-apprenticeship Opportunity Program in Rangeland Science and Natural Read More

Audit Exposes New Mexico’s SNAP Program Plagued By Errors, Weak Oversight

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NMHR News:

RUIDOSO — A new Legislative Finance Committee evaluation found New Mexico’s SNAP program is operating with weak oversight, limited verification, and one of the highest payment error rates in the nation.

The state’s SNAP payment error rate has climbed to 16.6 percent, the fifth highest in the country. As a result, New Mexico could face up to $173 million annually in federal cost-sharing penalties.

The audit found that some of the largest sources of payment errors stem from information that is largely self-reported and often not independently verified. Despite having Read More

BLM Geothermal Lease Sale Nets Over $16.5 Million

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BLM News:

SANTA FE — The Bureau of Land Management accepted winning bids on 47 parcels in New Mexico totaling 152,381.49 acres for $16,581,926 in total receipts for a geothermal lease sale. The BLM may issue leases once review and payment are complete. The combined bonus bids, rentals, and subsequent royalties from the leases will be distributed between the U.S. Treasury, the State of New Mexico and the counties where the leases are located. 

Geothermal lease sales support domestic energy production and American energy independence, while contributing to the nation’s economic and military Read More

Heinrich, Kim, Senate Democrats Host Roundtable On Raising Gas Prices

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U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.), host a roundtable on how Trump’s policies have driven up energy costs, June 16, 2026. Courtesy photo

U.S. SENATE News: 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) hosted a roundtable to discuss how the Trump administration’s policies, including the war with Iran, have driven up energy costs for families, consumers, communities, and small Read More

FBI: New Mexico Man Facing Federal Hate Crime Charge Following Attacks At Synagogue, Jewish Community Center

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FBI News:

An Albuquerque, New Mexico man is in custody on federal charges for allegedly damaging religious property during back-to-back attacks at two local Jewish facilities.

According to court documents, on June 2, Rex Crofton, 25, targeted two Jewish community facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during a series of motivated attacks. At approximately 4:31 PM, Crofton arrived at Congregation Albert in a silver sedan. He exited the vehicle and used a tool to shatter the synagogue’s glass entry doors. After “flipping off” the building and shouting an indecipherable statement, he fled Read More

State Opens Trails+ Grant For Outdoor Recreation Projects

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Cibola Trail Alliance is using Trails+ Grant funding to build new trails in Lobo Canyon near Grants, NM. Courtesy/EDNM

EDNM News:

SANTA FE — New Mexico will open applications on July 1 for the Trails+ Grant program, making $12 million available for community outdoor recreation projects that expand outdoor trail access, support local economies and preserve the state’s natural and cultural resources.

Demand for the Outdoor Recreation Trails+ Grant has surged, with a record-breaking $27 million in funding requests in FY26—a $2 million increase from FY25—underscoring the growing Read More

FBI: Dulce Man Charged After Allegedly Threatening Children With Firearm

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — A Dulce man is facing federal child abuse charges after allegedly confronting an adult and two minors outside a residence with a pistol and attempting to force his way into the home while the victims barricaded the door with their bodies.

According to court documents from May 8, 2026, Andrew Fredrick Gunhammer, 26, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, approached an adult and two minors outside a residence in Dulce, New Mexico, pulled a pistol from his backpack, and began to load it with a magazine. The adult and minors ran into the residence and used their bodies Read More

Advocates Condemn Mexican Gray Wolf Killings, Commend Law Enforcement Efforts

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 WildEarth News:

SANTA FE — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the deaths of two Mexican wolves and served a federal search warrant in April of this year, according to a report in yesterday’s Albuquerque Journal. The wolves—a five-year-old father and a yearling son from the Sawtooth Packwere caught in private traps on private land in two separate incidents in the spring of 2025. 

The article provides details about the extensive search conducted by federal agents at properties near Datil, New Mexico. While New Mexico law prohibits trapping on public lands, livestock producers Read More