U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) announced Wednesday that his Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act has been signed into law. The bill permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances (FRS) as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. Heinrich, the bill’s lead Democratic sponsor, introduced the HALT Fentanyl Act in January with U.S. Senators Bill […]
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Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Pueblos
Good Trouble Lives On: New Mexico communities to join national civil rights protests
Communities across New Mexico will participate in nationwide “Good Trouble Lives On” protests Thursday, joining what organizers call a moral reckoning on the fifth anniversary of civil rights leader John Lewis’s death. The statewide participation continues New Mexico’s active engagement in 2025 protest movements, with events planned in at least 11 communities including Santa Fe, […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety
Silver and Turquoise Alerts coming to New Mexico cell phones
New Mexico residents will soon receive emergency alerts directly on their cell phones when Silver Alerts and Turquoise Alerts are issued for missing vulnerable adults, according to a New Mexico State Police press release. The alerts will be sent through the Wireless Emergency Alerts system to ensure rapid, widespread notification to the public when a […]
Posted inOpinion & Analysis
What’s on tap next fiscal year?
We’ve gotten through the One Big Beautiful Bill, which is essentially a spending bill on top of tax and budget policy. This law raises the debt ceiling by $5 trillion, makes the 2017 tax cuts permanent and issues $150 billion in new spending for defense and $170 million in new spending for Homeland Security. It […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Jobs, Workers & Economy
Tijeras company faces fines after shrapnel exposure incident
An engineering and manufacturing company based in Tijeras is facing more than $12,000 in state fines after a workplace safety inspection uncovered multiple safety violations that exposed workers to flying shrapnel and put them in danger of being caught in moving machine parts. According to records from the New Mexico Environment Department’s (NMED) Occupational Health […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Pueblos
Heinrich secures $12.5 million for New Mexico in Senate Appropriations bill
The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved legislation that would deliver more than $12.5 million in federal funding to New Mexico, including $7.73 million in direct project funding secured by Sen. Martin Heinrich. The Democratic senator announced the passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration appropriations bill following bipartisan committee […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Westside Albuquerque
Hundreds of Rio Rancho students hit by federal funding delay
Rio Rancho Public Schools leaders are seeking ways to absorb the loss of about $780,000 in federal aid due to a pause in payments. RRPS Spokesperson Wyndham Kemsley said the amount is less than what’s being withheld from other districts around the state, but the loss of any federal funding is cause for concern. Kemsley […]
Posted inNew Mexico State Gov., Pueblos
N.M. State Land Office sets new records with first oil and gas lease auction at 25% royalty rate
The New Mexico State Land Office has announced a historic achievement, auctioning oil and gas leases at a new 25% royalty rate for the first time, a change championed by Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard. The new state law, which took effect on June 20, allows the State Land Office to offer its […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Pueblos
Luján secures $6.9 Million in federal funding for New Mexico communities
U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee has passed legislation that would deliver over $6.9 million in federal investments to New Mexico communities, marking a significant win for the state’s rural development and public safety initiatives. The funding, secured through the Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Pueblos
Sen. Luján calls for quick RECA implementation as healthcare cuts threaten New Mexico victims
As the 80th anniversary of the Trinity Test approaches this week, New Mexico radiation exposure victims are closer than ever to receiving federal compensation, but face new threats to their healthcare access from proposed Medicaid cuts. Senator Ben Ray Luján called for federal agencies to quickly establish guidelines for the expanded Radiation Exposure Compensation Act […]