State regulators are coordinating with multiple agencies to restore water service to a community that has been without reliable water since June. The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission has been working with Melody Ranch Water Company LLC, state and local agencies and residents to find a permanent solution after the utility’s infrastructure failed, leaving customers […]
New Mexico State Government
Posted inNew Mexico State Government
“An enormous hit:” Billions in fed. mineral payments owed to New Mexico could stop by year end
State budget analysts warn that federal mineral leasing payments to New Mexico could be at risk if Congress does take action in the coming months. The payments are from royalties companies pay to the federal government when they extract oil, coal and other minerals from federal land in New Mexico. The state then gets a […]
Posted inNew Mexico State Government
New Mexico boosts school security with $35 million investment
Millions of dollars in one-time spending authorized by state lawmakers earlier this year are set to be dispersed to school districts across New Mexico, including funding meant to strengthen school security. Earlier this year, New Mexico lawmakers passed House Bill 450, which included $50 million for school security improvements, career technical education facilities, and repairs […]
Posted inHousing & Homelessness, New Mexico Legislature #nmleg, Pueblos
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 […]
Posted inNew Mexico State Government
Special session set to get underway
The 112 members of the New Mexico House of Representatives and Senate will return to the Roundhouse on Wednesday for a special session that will concentrate on legislation to deal with the expected cuts in federal funding to the state. Last month, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-NM, announced she would use the authority granted to […]
Posted inNew Mexico State Government
State to offer $100,000 loans to rapidly expand child care centers to meet universal care deadline
New Mexico officials outlined plans Wednesday to expand child care access and improve program quality as the state prepares to implement universal child care beginning Nov. 1. The Early Childhood Education and Care Advisory Council discussed several initiatives aimed at strengthening the state’s child care system during its meeting in Silver City, including a newly […]
Posted inNew Mexico State Government
New Mexico Democratic lawmakers compare ICE to KKK, drawing sharp Republican criticism
New Mexico Democratic lawmakers’ comparisons of federal immigration enforcement to the Ku Klux Klan have drawn sharp criticism from Republican legislators, who say such rhetoric puts law enforcement officers at risk. During this week’s Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee meetings, two Democratic lawmakers made inflammatory comments about Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. On Wednesday, Rep. […]
Posted inCourts & Justice, New Mexico Legislature #nmleg
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 […]
Posted inNew Mexico State Government
New Mexico Senate Republicans to hold healthcare access task force Monday
New Mexico Senate Republicans will convene a legislative task force Monday to address what they say are deteriorating healthcare access challenges across the state, focusing specifically on medical malpractice reform. The public hearing, scheduled from 1-4 p.m. at the Sandoval County Commission Meeting Room, will feature testimony from New Mexico Health Secretary Gina M. DeBlassie, […]