By Merilee Dannemann, Columnist – โThe next governor must be laser focused on lifting New Mexico out of multigenerational povertyโthe driver of all of our societal problems.โ I am borrowing that line from a social media comment about the governorโs race. Triple Spaced Again Merilee Dannemann is a longtime New Mexico journalist. She has written […]
Opinion & Analysis
Opinion: Protecting our right to read, a call to support librarians
Submitted by Rep. Kathleen Cates Imagine walking into a library filled with thousands of books and never finding one with a character who looks like you. Out of all the books in a public library, not one featured a character who shared your lived experience. Banning books is harmful because everyone should be able to […]
Opinion: New Mexico doctors and patients are being held hostage by insurance profits – not lawsuits
By Cherie LaCour, New Mexico trial lawyer — For years, a familiar ghost has been used to haunt the halls of the Roundhouse in Santa Fe: “litigation crisis.” We are told that greedy trial lawyers and “runaway” juries are driving doctors out of New Mexico and forcing medical malpractice premiums into the stratosphere. Opinion Cherie […]
Opinion: Continuing to deliver for the East Mountains
Dear Neighbors: During my tenure in office, weโve delivered big wins for the rural East Mountains; while making strong progress on issues like public safety, behavioral health and housing across the region.ย For the first time, weโve dedicated county funding forย East Mountain roadsย and increased the length of roads rehabilitated. We repaired from 11 miles a year […]
Opinion: Primary is opportunity to get rid of Ben Ray Lujรกn in U.S. Senate
Tuesday, June 2 is not just another election – it is the deadline for resistance, to get rid of one do-nothing โDemocratโ in particular. With early voting already underway, New Mexicans are now granted a rare tactical opening: the first semi-open election, giving Independents and Decline-to-State voters the legal right to vote in either major […]
Opinion: Why is the Sandoval County Tax Assessor race silent?
By State Representative Kathleen Cates โ This election season, Sandoval County residents have had real chances to hear from the people asking for their votes. We sat down with candidates for Sheriff. We heard from candidates for Governor and the State Legislature. Those conversations mattered, not just because of what was said, but because showing […]
Opinion: Applauding Heinrich for bi-partisan permitting reform work
My friend and colleague Rep. Meredith Dixon (D-Bernalillo) recently penned an opinion piece urging support for the federal SPEED Act. I applaud her and join her. The SPEED Act is permitting reform legislation with real potential to un-cuff a myriad of environmental projects across New Mexico, including in my district right here in Albuquerque. Equally […]
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 Americaโs 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 […]
Letter to the editor: Ezee Fiber commits to communication, accountability in Corrales
Submitted by Carlos Rosas, SVP & General Manager, Southwest Region, Ezee Fiber In response to:ย โCorrales Gets Fiber: Will Ezee Deliver on Promises of Communication and Cleanup?โ โ April 1, 2026 We appreciate the Corrales Commentโs thoughtful coverage of Ezee Fiberโs upcoming construction work, and we share Mayor Hashimotoโs desire to see our commitments met. Accountability is healthy, […]
Opinion: New Mexico’s disability laws get important updates, and more still needed
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย By State Representative Kathleen Cates — In 2023, New Mexico unanimously passed HB 131, becoming the first state in the country to mandate private insurers to cover prosthetics and orthotics. Since then, 11 other states have filed similar laws.ย State Rep. Kathleen Cates was first elected in 2022 to represent State House District 44 […]



You must be logged in to post a comment.