I’m writing this column on 9/11, a terrible day for America. I’ve written about it before, and what happened to me and my household that day. 9/11 also set in motion a concentration of power in the executive branch, a tolerance for Federal surveillance, and an expansion of emergency powers at the Federal and state […]
Opinion & Analysis
Posted inOpinion & Analysis
Seven special sessions in six years sends a message
This week, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham called a special session of the Legislature to convene on Oct. 1 to address federal funding cuts and potentially behavioral health challenges and their impact on community safety and criminal justice. This will be the seventh special session of the Legislature in six years. Regardless of partisan sniping over […]
Posted inOpinion & Analysis, Westside Albuquerque
Letter to the Editor: Torrance County allows any event, any size, any time in conservation district
Have an opinion? Of course you do! Send your Letter to the Editor to editor@newmexico.news Submitted by Charlene Brown, Torrance County Torrance County’s Conservation District is not just a unique zoning area; it’s a promise—a promise to protect and preserve areas within Torrance County through limited access, minimal development, and limitations on water resources. The […]
Posted inOpinion & Analysis
Gerrymandering: ‘But the Republicans!’
A couple of weeks ago, my column talked about the kickoff meeting of the 2025 New Mexico Redistricting Task Force. I got some criticism – at home and online. I stood my stubborn ground that letting lawmakers draw maps to choose their voters is simply wrong. Since that column was posted, the Redistricting Task Force […]
Posted inOpinion & Analysis
World news is focused on us
Stubbornly, the U.S.-Russia summit will not provide any meaningful details before my late deadline this week so I began looking for other topics of interest. In my search, I stumbled across the British media analysis site, the Press Gazette and its monthly ranking of the world’s most visited English-language news websites. BBC is number one […]
Posted inNew Mexico State Gov., Opinion & Analysis
Op-Ed: Why Responsible Economic Development Deserves State Investment
Submitted by Raymundo Lara, State Representative – House District 34 In New Mexico, we talk often about how economic development is key to creating good jobs, thriving communities, and long-term opportunities for our families. But how we get there matters just as much as the outcome. Responsible economic development is done with purpose, transparency, and […]
Posted inOpinion & Analysis
Who owns… heat?
What if you could pull power from the ground below us? That’s all New Mexico does, Merritt. First coal, now oil and gas. Been at it for over a century now. Tell us something new. All right, smarty pants. What if we had tremendous amounts of power in the ground here in New Mexico that […]
Posted inOpinion & Analysis
The SNAP changes won’t be pretty. Because we’re not good at SNAP.
The headlines coming out of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act – or the One Big Beautiful Bill Act – or whatever you want to call it – have been centered squarely on cuts to SNAP and Medicaid. For New Mexico, this causes worries at many levels. On the Medicaid front, in a state where more […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Opinion & Analysis
Hope for the new school year
Submitted by Trey Smith, Executive Director of East Mountain As I prepare to send my own son off to his first day of Kindergarten in just a few days, I find myself riding a rollercoaster of emotions, probably not unlike what every parent feels this time of year. I’m feeling a little anxious: Will he […]
Posted inOpinion & Analysis, Pueblos
Investing with purpose: Building New Mexico’s future
Submitted by Senator Pete Campos, D-Las Vegas New Mexico’s capital outlay efforts have fueled remarkable progress on projects throughout the state. We have replaced aging infrastructure and built new roads, dams, and public buildings. In turn, the construction activity has spurred economic activity through high-paying construction jobs and the purchase of equipment and supplies. But […]