State

Luján, Scott Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Develop, Demonstrate, And Deploy Technologies To Accelerate Nuclear Waste Cleanup

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U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Wednesday, U.S. Sens. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) introduced the Combining Laboratory Expertise to Accelerate Novel Solutions for Minimizing Accumulated Radioactive Toxins (CLEAN SMART) Act.

This legislation would build on the success of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Network of National Laboratories for Environmental Management and Stewardship (NNLEMS) to accelerate nuclear waste cleanup.

The CLEAN SMART Act would codify and properly fund NNLEMS to leverage the best available science and technology of the nation’s national Read More

LAPS Seeks Nominations For 2026 NMSBA Excellence In Student Achievement Award

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LAPS News:

The Los Alamos Public Schools (LAPS) is accepting nominations from the community for the 2026 New Mexico School Board Association’s (NMSBA) Excellence in Student Achievement Award.

The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, Feb. 20, 2026.

The NMSBA Excellence in Student Achievement Awards are presented to individuals selected by local boards of education throughout New Mexico who have played an important role in improving student achievement in their local school district.

Nominees may include administrators, teachers, staff members, parents, community members or Read More

Think New Mexico: New Scandal From The Dark Money Group Opposing Medical Malpractice Reform

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From Think New Mexico:

Since the session began, New Mexicans like you have sent 10,879 emails to your legislators and the governor through Think New Mexico’s Action Center, with more than half of those urging lawmakers to reform the state’s malpractice laws.

Last night, New Mexico InDepth reported that the dark money group fighting malpractice reforms has been delivering emails to legislators that appear to be from their constituents expressing opposition to House Bill 99 – but when legislators reached out to respond, their constituents said they had never sent those Read More

New Mexico Republicans Push For Ban On Using SNAP For Soda, Candy

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By Margaret O’Hara
The Santa Fe New Mexican

Republican state senators have introduced legislation that would restrict shoppers from spending federal food aid on sodas and candy. 

Senate Bill 186 takes a page out of the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again playbook, with both U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. encouraging states to remove sugary foods from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program eligibility. 

Some of New Mexico’s neighboring states — including states with Read More

FBI: Convicted Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty Mid-Trial To Methamphetamine Trafficking

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — After one day of trial testimony, an Albuquerque woman pleaded guilty to methamphetamine trafficking.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, May 18, 2023, the FBI Violent Gang Task Force executed a search warrant at the northeast Albuquerque residence of Nora Baca, 67. During the search, agents located approximately three pounds of methamphetamine in the bedroom of Baca’s housemate and codefendant.

Sept. 10, 2024, following an investigation into a significant intergang drug trafficking conspiracy involving both incarcerated and non-incarcerated Read More

House Passes Bill To Crack Down On Violent Armed Felons

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STATE News:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to strengthen penalties for convicted violent felons who possess firearms illegally, sending House Bill 49 to the Senate in a bipartisan show of support for public safety. 

The legislation, approved on a 54-9 vote, increases the penalty for firearm possession by a serious violent felon from a third-degree felony to a second-degree felony, punishable by up to nine years in prison — three years more than current law allows.  

“Raising the penalty for serious violent felons who flout the law by possessing Read More

Legislative Roundup: 10 Days Left In Session

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Marilyn Converse, a volunteer with the Santa Fe Animal Shelter, and Perla hang out in the grass on the east side of the Roundhouse Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, Animal Protection Lobby Day at the Legislature. Photo by Matt Dahlseid/The New Mexican

The Santa Fe New Mexican

Nuclear bill bombs: A bipartisan proposal to add nuclear power facilities to the state’s definition of renewable energy resources was shot down Tuesday in the Senate Conservation Committee.

Democratic senators’ concerns expressed during the hearing on Senate Bill 78 centered largely on nuclear waste and where it Read More

Measure To Fully Fund Free Childcare In New Mexico Gains Momentum, Guardrails

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By Daniel J. Chacón
The Santa Fe New Mexican

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s much-hyped initiative to offer taxpayer-funded childcare to every family in New Mexico, regardless of income, is closer to becoming reality.

The chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup, is championing a bill that would allow the Legislature to spend an additional $1 billion from the Early Childhood Education and Care Fund over the next five fiscal years to shore up the initiative — without requiring any copays.

“We’re investing in people in New Mexico, and we’re Read More

Robinson: It’s Been A Long Road To Involuntary Mental Health Treatment

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By SHERRY ROBINSON
All She Wrote
©2025 New Mexico News Services

He was sprawled across the exit lane of a busy shopping center as I was trying to leave. I stopped my car and ran over to do something, but what? Two other good Samaritans joined me.

We dragged him out of traffic and called 911. He told me he was having a seizure, but it seemed more likely that he was wasting away from years of substance abuse. The fire department arrived in minutes, and the senior officer greeted the man by name.

“We see this guy ALL the time,” the firefighter said.

I knew the police have to contend repeatedly with the same folks Read More

New Mexico Outdoor Adventures 2026 Show Opens Feb. 13

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Courtesy photo

NMDW News:

Love to get out? Join the New Mexico Department of Wildlife for three days of activities for all ages, outdoor vendors and wildlife presentations at the 2026 Outdoor Adventures Show Friday, Feb. 13 through Sunday, Feb. 15 at Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque! 

Kids can jump into hands-on nature exhibits, a wildlife scavenger hunt, an interactive OHV activity, beginner-friendly archery and wildlife education led by Department conservation officers eager to share their knowledge.

Come check out this year’s vendors, with booths featuring outdoor gear, kayaks, Read More