Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Local Government

Albuquerque City Council appoints new inspector general and Ethics Board members

By Abby McDonald The Albuquerque City Council met last Monday night to appoint a new inspector general and two new members of the Ethics Board.  The position of the inspector general, previously held by Melissa Santistevan, was put on leave for her final remaining months after finding out that nine reports were not made public. […]

Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Local Government

Hemp haze clouds the councilโ€™s crackdown

An Albuquerque ordinance meant to ban the sale of synthetic THC-lookalike products may have missed its mark, allowing semi-synthetic cannabinoids like Delta-8 and THC-A to remain legal after amendments changed the billโ€™s scope. The City Council passed the amended โ€œIntoxicating Hemp Productsโ€ ordinance June 2, aiming to close a legal loophole and protect kids from […]

Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Local Government

Albuquerque Council restores event funding, overrides two of Mayor Kellerโ€™s vetoes

Albuquerque city councilors overturned two of Mayor Tim Kellerโ€™s budget vetoes at the June 16 City Council meeting, restoring funding for events the mayor said raised legal and procurement concerns. Keller had vetoed four parts of the cityโ€™s $1.5 billion budget, saying the changes were needed to keep the budget legally sound and avoid picking […]

Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Local Government

City Council approves deal to keep Isotopes in current home until 2039

By Abby McDonald The Albuquerque Isotopes donโ€™t want to look for a new home and now, they won’t have to. Fresh off a sale to a new owner, the โ€˜Topes are staying in โ€œThe Labโ€ through 203 after Albuquerqueโ€™s City Council quietly and unanimously approved a deal Monday night. The council approved the Isotopes’ new […]

Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Pueblos

City Councilor Lewis qualifies for 2025 ballot and public financing

Albuquerque City Councilor Dan Lewis has qualified for the 2025 ballot and public financing through the cityโ€™s Clean Elections program, doing so in just 10 days. As the 2025 City Council election begins, Lewisโ€™s campaign said he is the first to qualify. Heโ€™s seeking his fourth term in District 5 and quickly met the 500 […]

Posted inCongress & Federal Gov.

What is closed for Juneteenth?

By Abby McDonald Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, commemorates June 19, 1865, when the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom. It became a federal holiday in 2021.  The Albuquerque City Council voted unanimously in 2015 to declare Juneteenth, an annual holiday celebrated on June 19th to commemorate the end […]

Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Local Government

City Council greenlights sawmill deal amid community pushback

The Albuquerque City Council unanimously approved a quarter-billion-dollar tax break at the June 16 City Council meeting for a three-part luxury development in the Sawmill District, despite public pushback over affordable housing, fair wages and developer accountability. The City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve industrial revenue bonds for three projects, a hotel, extended-stay suites […]

Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Local Government

Albuquerque holds Comcast accountable for months-long cable hazards

The City of Albuquerque said it is fining Comcast $500 a day for leaving exposed internet cables in Northeast Heights neighborhoods, calling the months-old hazards a safety risk. City officials say Comcast left cable and phone lines exposed at eight sites across Albuquerque โ€” dangling from trees, stretched across driveways and taped along sidewalks. Neighbors […]