Submitted by Representative Kathleen Cates (D-Rio Rancho) New Mexico’s arid climate means we naturally receive limited annual precipitation, but the effects of climate change have exacerbated these challenges. Rising temperatures have led to prolonged droughts, decreased snowpack, early melting, and reduced river flows, while higher evaporation rates have diminished our water storage in reservoirs. To […]
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Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Pueblos
New Mexico senators secure nearly $400 million for military bases, rural communities
New Mexico’s U.S. senators have secured nearly $400 million in federal funding for projects spanning from military base construction to rural fire departments, as the Senate passed its first fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills before the August recess. Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján announced a combined total of approximately $395 million for New […]
Posted inHousing & Homelessness, Pueblos
New Mexico reports first drop in syphilis rates since 2018, marking major public health win
New Mexico has achieved a significant public health milestone, reporting its first decrease in syphilis rates in six years, according to data released by the state Department of Health this week. The state saw a dramatic 31% drop in primary and secondary syphilis cases — the most contagious stages of the sexually transmitted infection — […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Pueblos
Heinrich bill targets New Mexico’s wildfire insurance crisis
New Mexico homeowners facing skyrocketing insurance premiums and policy cancellations could benefit from federal legislation aimed at understanding how wildfires drive the insurance crisis affecting one in eight properties in the state. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., introduced the Wildfire Insurance Coverage Study Act on July 25, legislation requiring the […]
Posted inTown of Bernalillo
Jury awards Bernalillo family $1.8 million in school bullying, assault case
A Bernalillo High School student’s family received a $1.8 million jury verdict this week after proving school officials failed to prevent a violent assault despite receiving evidence of persistent bullying and threats. The verdict, delivered Wednesday in Sandoval County’s 13th Judicial District Court, found Bernalillo Public Schools liable for failing to follow New Mexico’s mandatory […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Westside Albuquerque
RioTECH unveils $50M campus for trades education
Not your typical high school. RioTECH, Rio Rancho Public Schools’ newest campus, opens next week with a focus on career-oriented education. The school hosted a community night Wednesday to show parents, students and others what it has to offer. Principal Kristopher Johnson is actually in his third year on the job. His first two years […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Pueblos
Rep. Vasquez finds overcrowded ICE facility detaining mostly non-criminal immigrants
New Mexico’s largest immigration detention facility is over capacity and holding hundreds of people without criminal records, according to U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez. Vasquez found the Otero County Processing Center “bursting at the seams” with over 1,100 detainees in a facility designed for 1,089 people, with more than 80% having no criminal charges or convictions, […]
Posted inNew Mexico State Gov., Pueblos
Governor plans special session to shield New Mexicans from federal budget cuts
More than 760,000 New Mexicans who rely on Medicaid and food assistance could face benefit cuts or stricter requirements under federal legislation, prompting Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to consider calling lawmakers back to Santa Fe as early as late August. The governor is “likely to call a special session, possibly in late summer or early […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Town of Bernalillo
Suspect still at large in deadly Bernalillo shooting
A suspect remains on the loose in Bernalillo following Monday night’s deadly shooting at Rotary Park, with police releasing a detailed description and urging residents to stay vigilant as the investigation continues. Detectives interviewed the surviving victim and obtained a clearer description of the shooter, who is described as approximately 6 feet tall with a […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Pueblos
Sen. Luján leads Democratic push to reverse health care cuts affecting 89,000 New Mexicans
Up to 89,000 New Mexicans could lose their Medicaid coverage and six to eight rural hospitals could close within 18 months under Republican health care cuts that Sen. Ben Ray Luján and Senate Democrats are now trying to reverse through new legislation. Luján led Senate Democratic leadership Wednesday in introducing the “Protecting Health Care And […]