Posted inNew Mexico Legislature #nmleg

Legislators OK $162,500,000 for state SNAP aid in quick 4-hour session

Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, in his capacity as acting governor, has signed legislation that will provide full benefits for 459,500 New Mexicans who depend on SNAP for food assistance, even if the federal government does not supply the funding.  Morales signed House Bill 1 on Monday evening after the Legislature adjourned following a four-hour-long special […]

Posted inNew Mexico Legislature #nmleg

Counties nominate state rep., current and former county commisioners to fill vacant senate seat in Southeast NM

Mark Fischer, chair of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, has been recommended by his colleagues to fill an open New Mexico Senate seat.  During a special meeting on Monday, Lincoln County Commissioners Samantha Serna, Timothy Prather, and MP Chavez voted to send Fisher’s name to the governor for consideration as their choice to fill […]

Posted inNew Mexico Legislature #nmleg

State DOT will seek 25-35% hikes on vehicle registration, new EV car fee to fund road repairs

New Mexico motorists could pay more to keep their vehicles registered and on the road under a proposal from the state Transportation Department, part of a plan to boost its revenue amid rising construction costs and projected declines in annual revenue.  Ricky Serna, the New Mexico Transportation Secretary, told lawmakers on the Transportation Revenue and […]

Posted inNew Mexico Legislature #nmleg

Chaves County commissioners unanimously endorse Wilson for open State Senate seat 

Reporting from Roswell, NM — Former Lincoln County Commissioner Rex Wilson could soon be representing three southeastern New Mexico counties in the Legislature after officials in Chaves County recommended him as their choice to fill an open state Senate seat.  On Wednesday, the Chaves County Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 to send the name of […]

Posted inHealthcare

As more New Mexico hospitals become owned out-of-state, legislators debate how to improve local care

New Mexico Lawmakers on Tuesday heard a presentation about the potential harms of private equity’s role in healthcare, something many New Mexico Democrats have argued has siphoned dollars away from addressing New Mexico’s healthcare needs while profiting out-of-state interests.  The Legislative Health and Human Services Committee heard the presentation from Olivia Kosloff, a senior fellow […]

Posted inNew Mexico Legislature #nmleg, New Mexico Statewide News

Governor still deliberating on vaccine bill passed by legislature

By Alex Ross, NM Political Report — Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is still contemplating what action to take on a bill passed during last week’s special legislative session that would temporarily allow the state to promulgate its own rules on vaccines, according to a spokesperson for the governor.  “The governor is still considering her course […]

State Rep. Eleanor Chávez: “I’m gonna call it what it is… ICE is acting like the KKK”

A New Mexico state representative didn’t mince words when a state legislative committee overseeing courts and justice policy opened the floor for remarks on Wednesday. During the two-day meeting of the legislature’s Court, Corrections and Justice Committee State Representative Eleanor Chávez, a Democrat from Bernalillo County’s South Valley, recalled stories the committee had been told […]

Appeals court blocks New Mexico’s new 7-day waiting period for gun purchases

A 2024 state law requiring a 7-day waiting period for the purchase of firearms will not go into effect, at least for now. A federal appeals court on Tuesday agreed with challengers to the law, backed by the National Rifle Association, who sued to block one of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s cornerstone gun laws. “Cooling-off […]

Posted inNew Mexico Legislature #nmleg, Rio Rancho, Sandoval Signpost

Veterans workshop to offer benefit assistance, legislative Q&A in Rio Rancho

New Mexico veterans are invited to a special workshop on July 16, hosted by the Legislative District Offices of Sen.Craig Brandt, Rep. Catherine Cullen and Rep. Alan Martinez. The event, taking place from 3-5 p.m., is designed to provide valuable resources and information regarding veteran benefits. Representatives from the Department of Veterans Services will be […]