Albuquerque — The U.S. Department of Justice late Friday sued the state and City of Albuquerque to pause enforcement of local legislation the federal government says would impede federal immigration enforcement in the state. Federal officials asked a federal judge for an injunction prohibiting the state from enforcing House Bill 9, the “Immigrant Safety Ordinance” […]
Congress & Federal Gov.
Posted inAlbuquerque
From green chile to film sets: New Mexicans describe the crushing weight of tariffs and war-driven costs
New Mexico families are spending hundreds — or thousands — of dollars more each year on gas, groceries and basic necessities, and U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich heard directly from those feeling it hardest Thursday at an Albuquerque roundtable. Heinrich gathered small business owners, food bank leaders, and workers at the Women’s Economic Self-Sufficiency Team (WESST) […]
Posted inOpinion & Analysis
Opinion: SPEED Act Would be a Left/Right Win
By Paul J. Gessing — Federal legislation known as the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED Act) would make needed improvements to America’s antiquated federal permitting system for energy projects. While Sen. Heinrich and the Rio Grande Foundation may not agree on exactly what types of projects need to be improved, we all agree […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov.
U.S. House passes Farm Bill with 9 bills for ranchers, farmers from N.M.’s Rep. Vasquez
New Mexico ranchers, farmers and tribal communities stand to gain nine new federal protections after U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez joined just 13 other House Democrats in voting to advance the first Farm Bill since 2018 — breaking years of partisan gridlock that has stalled the legislation. Vasquez secured bipartisan support for all nine of his […]
Posted inElections & Politics
New Mexico sues to block Trump order restricting mail-in voting
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez and 23 other attorneys general sued this week to permanently block President Trump’s executive order restricting mail-in voting. The motion for summary judgment argues the order unlawfully interferes with states’ constitutional authority to administer their own elections. Torrez and others, which includes Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as a lead […]
Posted inNM.news
Get ’em while they’re hot! Rep. Vasquez pushes to expand SNAP to cover hot rotisserie chicken
Technically, the hot, pre-cooked rotisserie chicken you pick up from the grocery store isn’t food; at least not for the purposes of federal food aid programs like SNAP. But, New Mexico Congressman Gabe Vasquez an 18 other House members have a plan to change that. Vasquez, a Democrat, joined a bipartisan group in Congress to […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov.
Heinrich’s permitting reform negotiations are the key to unlocking stuck projects across New Mexico
In 2023 Senator Martin Heinrich addressed a systematic failure in government efficiency. Heinrich’s FASTER ACT represented a modernized iteration of the FAST ACT which was crafted to expedite surface transmission projects nationwide and certainly sought to alleviate the multi- year bureaucratic redundancy that stalled the Sun Zia Transmission line which represented a $20 billion dollar […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., NM Political Report
Senate Republicans agree to Dem demands funding DHS without ICE ops; House approval uncertain
The United States Senate voted by unanimous consent overnight to break the impasse and fund the Department of Homeland Security without ICE deportation operations, sending the package to the House of Representatives where passage is still uncertain. Democrats had offered support for this funding strategy for weeks but President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans had […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov.
New Mexico sees largest gas price jump in Southwest prompting lawmaker demand for federal response
U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, a Democrat representing southern New Mexico and Albuquerque’s Westside sent a letter to President Donald Trump Wednesday, demanding the administration outline a strategy to combat rising energy prices driven by the ongoing conflict with Iran. A recent report from The New York Times highlights the severity of the crisis in Vasquez’s […]
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate
Forest Service closes large sections of Sandias for two-year wildfire prevention projects
Outdoor enthusiasts planning summer hikes across the Sandias will have to break out the maps to find some new favorite trails. The Cibola National Forest will begin work on two major projects restricting visitor use and public access to the over 140 acres along the Sandia Crest area through fall of 2027. Sandia Crest “Switchback” […]
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