New Mexicans anxious about missing SNAP benefits or federal paychecks may get soon get some relief after a handful of Senate Democrats joined Republicans over the weekend in a deal to reopen the government, though New Mexico’s two U.S. senators did not go along, saying the deal abandons hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans facing […]
Statewide News
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 inPueblos, Statewide News
Same-day voter registration boosts turnout for local elections
By Noah Gollin, NM Political Report — Almost 6,000 voters used New Mexico’s same day voting process to participate in local elections statewide on Tuesday. About half of those exercised that option in Bernalillo County where a competitive mayor’s race and contested council and school board races drew higher-than-normal turnout for local elections. Voters who […]
Posted inNew Mexico State Government
New Mexico’s permanent fund managers vote against Elon Musk’s $1 trillion Tesla pay package
Elon Musk is asking Tesla shareholders to approve a $1 trillion pay package for himself this Thursday, but he won’t get any help from New Mexico in doing it. The New Mexico State Investment Council (SIC), which manages state permanent funds from oil and gas royalties and tobacco litigation settlements, officially directed its proxy to […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress, Statewide News
Trump administration says it will comply with court order to fund SNAP, partially for now
The 559,500 New Mexicans who rely on SNAP for food assistance will get at least some of their monthly federal benefits this month, after the Trump administration agreed to follow two court orders and use a contingency fund to partially fund the benefits. A four-page document submitted to the United States District Court for the […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress, Statewide News
“I have zero confidence in the Trump administration”: Gov. presses ahead with $30 million in state SNAP funds
The $30 million that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham pledged to offset losses in federal SNAP funding will go out as promised, even though two court rulings issued Friday direct the Trump administration to tap a contingency fund to pay out some of those benefits. “Because I have zero confidence in the Trump administration to release […]
Posted inNew Mexico State Government
State GOP legislators disapprove of Gov’s SNAP fix and unusual use of emergency powers to fund it
A day after Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that the state would use $30 million of its own funds to cover SNAP benefits for 459,500 New Mexicans, State legislative Republicans are questioning the decision and the unusual way the governor made the funds available. New Mexico Legislative Republicans contacted today by New Mexico Political Report […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress, Statewide News
Heinrich, Lujan have beef with Trump over beef
New Mexico Democratic Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan are among the senators who have signed a letter urging the Trump administration to back away from its plan to increase beef imports from Argentina. Heinrich stated in a press release on Tuesday that he, Lujan and 14 other Democratic senators sent a letter to […]
Posted inCourts & Justice
NM open government group sues Department of Public Safety for public records delays, denials
By Patrick Lohmann, Source NM — The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government announced Tuesday it is suing the state Department of Public Safety for what it calls a “pattern and practice” of delaying or denying news organizations’ access to public records. This story is republished from Source NM, a part of States Newsroom, the […]
Posted inJobs, Workers & Economy, Pueblos, Statewide News
State moving to expedite food bank aid amid SNAP benefit suspension, governor says
New Mexico is preparing to quickly distribute millions of dollars to food banks, as federal monthly food assistance benefits are expected to cease in November if the government shutdown continues. Gov. Michelle Lujan Griusham said in a press release on Saturday that her administration is considering every legal and administrative option to address the situation […]