New Mexico Legislature passes sweeping tax-relief plan
March 19, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's Legislature passed a $1.1 billion tax relief package Saturday at the close of its annual session as lawmakers tapped a financial windfall from oil production in efforts to break through entrenched cycles of poverty with tax refunds to working families with children, reduced tax rates and increased incentives for private industry.
Native American groups blast governor for agency appointment
March 18, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A coalition of advocates dedicated to stemming the tide of violence and missing persons cases in Indian Country is demanding more transparency from New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, saying there should be greater accountability in the system for vetting state-appointed positions that serve Indigenous communities.
New Mexico governor says tax cuts could hurt schools, police
March 17, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is urging legislators to reevaluate the magnitude of proposed tax changes that would forgo $1 billion in annual state government income each year.
New Mexico gov. signs bill overriding local abortion bans
March 16, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's governor signed an abortion-rights bill Thursday that overrides local ordinances aimed at limiting access to abortion procedures and medications.
Reproductive health clinics in New Mexico offer abortion procedures to patients from states, including Texas, with strict abortion bans.
Record $9.6B spending plan heads to New Mexico governor
March 16, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's Democratic-led Legislature sent an annual spending plan Wednesday to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for consideration that would increase annual general fund spending by 14% to underwrite tuition-free college, bolster rural rural health care networks and expand no-pay day care and prekindergarten.
Lawyers seek removal of judge in Texas school shooting case
March 15, 2023 GMTHOUSTON (AP) — Attorneys for a man accused of fatally shooting 10 people at a Texas high school in 2018 are seeking to have the judge handling the case removed, accusing him of bias for pushing to have experts deem the former student competent to stand trial.
Special prosecutor steps down in case against Alec Baldwin
March 15, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A special prosecutor who doubles as a state legislator is stepping down from her role in the manslaughter case against actor Alec Baldwin in the death of a cinematographer on a New Mexico film set.
New Mexico Legislature rejects ban in immigration detention
March 15, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico legislators rejected a proposal Tuesday to prohibit state and local government agencies from contracting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain immigrants as they seek asylum in the U.S.
New Mexico lawmakers hash out record $9.6B spending plan
March 13, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico lawmakers have tapped into a financial windfall linked to robust oil and natural gas production to craft a nearly $9.6 billion state budget that includes record-high spending, but some lawmakers are concerned that such spending isn't sustainable.
Voting rights bill in New Mexico wins Senate endorsement
March 9, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Democratic-sponsored voting rights bill aimed at expanding access to the ballot in New Mexico won state Senate approval Wednesday, clearing its last major hurdle in the Legislature.
New Mexico may curb paramilitaries near southern US border
March 8, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Legislators in New Mexico are advancing legislation to rein in paramilitary patrols that have popped up in recent years to halt migrants near the international border with Mexico and at a protest over a statue of a Spanish conquistador.
New Mexico Legislature votes to block local abortion bans
March 7, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — An initiative that would shore up abortion access in New Mexico amid a flurry of local anti-abortion ordinances cleared a last major hurdle on Tuesday with state Senate approval.
DA stands by prosecutor in Alec Baldwin set-shooting case
March 7, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A district attorney in Santa Fe fought back Monday against efforts to disqualify the special prosecutor pursuing manslaughter charges against actor Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a New Mexico film set.
Nomination of Native American leader in New Mexico in limbo
March 4, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s Democratic governor says she believes vetting of her Cabinet members is crucial. But with two weeks left in the legislative session, she has yet to submit her pick to lead the state Indian Affairs Department to the Senate for confirmation.
Abortion clinics crossing state borders not always welcome
March 3, 2023 GMTBRISTOL, Va. (AP) — The pastors smiled as they held the doors open, grabbing the hands of those who walked by and urging many to keep praying and to keep showing up. Some responded with a hug. A few grimaced as they squeezed past.
New Mexico Indian Affairs appointee accused of rape in 2007
February 25, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A former governor of a New Mexico pueblo appointed earlier this month to oversee the state's Indian Affairs Department, including its specialized task force addressing crimes against Indigenous women and girls, was accused of rape in 2007.
Some Democratic-led states seek to bolster voter protections
February 25, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers in several Democratic-controlled states are advocating sweeping voter protections this year, reacting to what they view as a broad undermining of voting rights by the Supreme Court and Republican-led states as well as a failed effort in Congress to bolster access to the polls.
Democratic governors form alliance on abortion rights
February 21, 2023 GMTDemocratic governors in 20 states are launching a network intended to strengthen abortion access in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision nixing a woman’s constitutional right to end a pregnancy and instead shifting regulatory powers over the procedure to state governments.
New Mexico bill seeks school board transparency, training
February 19, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — School board members across New Mexico would be required to disclose campaign contributions under a measure that cleared its first legislative hurdle on Saturday.
Currently only school board members representing districts that have more than 12,000 students are required to report donations, a threshold met by only four of the state's 89 districts.
Court upholds ban against Cowboys for Trump co-founder
February 18, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Supreme Court rejected a final appeal for reconsideration by a New Mexico politician and Donald Trump supporter who was removed and barred from elected office for his role in the U.S.
New Mexico House endorses $1B state spending increase
February 17, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's House of Representatives endorsed a 12% increase in annual state general fund spending Thursday, in a bill that would expand public support for early childhood education, shore up rural health care providers, and boost salaries and benefits for state workers and public school teachers.
New Mexico governor seeks revamp of child-protection agency
February 17, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Thursday an overhaul of the state's lead agency for protecting children from neglect and abuse, condemning what she described as an “antiquated” and “siloed” agency that struggles to adequately care for roughly 1,800 youths who are in state custody.
Former New Mexico lawmaker tapped for USDA leadership role
February 16, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A former Democratic congresswoman from New Mexico has been nominated to serve as the next deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The granddaughter of migrant farm workers, Xochitl Torres Small has been working as an undersecretary in the agency with a focus on rural development.
Wildfire damage prompts calls for funding water system
February 14, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Dozens of traditional irrigation systems that supply community farms, gardens and orchards in northern New Mexico won’t flow with water this spring, forcing many families to decide whether to risk planting crops this year with no guarantee of water.
Ousted election clerk hit with ethics lawsuit in New Mexico
February 10, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A local elections regulator in rural New Mexico who was recently declared missing from work and replaced is now facing possible sanctions from a commission that oversees ethics and conduct by government officials.
Alec Baldwin says part of shooting charge unconstitutional
February 10, 2023 GMTAlec Baldwin on Friday asked a judge in New Mexico to dismiss a five-year firearm sentencing enhancement in the charges against him, saying it is unconstitutionally based on a law passed after the shooting on the set of the film “Rust.”
New Mexico wildlife commission left without enough members
February 9, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A key state commission that guides New Mexico's wildlife agency and oversees a multimillion-dollar budget that includes conservation, hunting and fishing programs won't be able to conduct any business until the governor fills at least one of four outstanding vacancies.
Alec Baldwin wants prosecutor in on-set death case dropped
February 8, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Defense attorneys for actor Alec Baldwin are seeking to disqualify the special prosecutor in the case against him stemming from the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a New Mexico film set.
New Mexico legislators may block local abortion ordinances
February 3, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A standoff over abortion in politically conservative regions of New Mexico escalated Friday as Democratic state legislators advanced a bill that would prohibit local governments from interfering with women's access to reproductive health care.
New Mexico considers roasted chile as official state aroma
February 1, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The sweet smell of green chile roasting on an open flame permeates New Mexico every fall, wafting from roadside stands and grocery store parking lots and inducing mouth-watering visions of culinary wonders.
How will life change once the COVID-19 emergency ends?
January 31, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The declaration of a COVID-19 public health emergency three years ago changed the lives of millions of Americans by offering increased health care coverage, beefed-up food assistance and universal access to coronavirus vaccines and tests.
Proposed utility merger in New Mexico prompts recusal
January 30, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — One of the governor’s picks for a powerful regulatory commission has recused himself from any decisions involving a proposed multibillion-dollar merger between a U.S. subsidiary of global energy giant Iberdrola and New Mexico’s largest electric utility.
US sweetens pot to study siting for spent nuke fuel storage
January 26, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. government has long struggled to find a permanent solution for storing or disposing of spent nuclear fuel from commercial nuclear power plants, and opposition to such a site is flaring up again as New Mexico lawmakers debate banning a facility without state consent.
New Mexico governor vows bipartisan effort to fight crime
January 26, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham vowed Wednesday to work with state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to address New Mexico’s crime problems, a situation she described as untenable.
New Mexico bill would ban contracts for migration detention
January 25, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico legislators have introduced a bill that would prohibit local governments and state agencies from entering into contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and private detention facilities to detain immigrants in civil cases.
New Mexico chief justice urges caution with bail law reform
January 25, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's top judicial official urged state legislators Tuesday to be cautious and remember the principle of innocence until proven guilty as they consider toughening the state's bail laws in response to violent crime.
Bill advances in New Mexico to gird against climate crises
January 24, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A legislative panel advanced a bill Monday that would help local governments plan in advance for climate-related threats to public health such as wildfires, flooding, extreme heat and rapid erosion.
New Mexico AG seeks to codify abortion rights, nullify bans
January 24, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s top prosecutor on Monday asked the state Supreme Court to nullify abortion ordinances that local elected officials have passed in conservative reaches of the Democratic-led state.
State laws vary widely on whether felons can run for office
January 19, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The case of a defeated New Mexico candidate arrested in a politically motivated shooting spree has turned a spotlight on an issue that has been evolving in the states: whether people with criminal convictions are eligible to run for public office.
New Mexico shooting case revives pretrial detention debate
January 19, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A felon and failed political candidate suspected of orchestrating a series of drive-by shootings at the homes of four elected Democrat officials in New Mexico will be due in court next week for a detention hearing.
New Mexico shootings follow two years of election assaults
January 18, 2023 GMTTwo years since the attack on the U.S. Capitol, a series of drive-by shootings targeting Democrats in New Mexico is a violent reminder that the false claims about a stolen election persist in posing a danger to public officials and the country’s democratic institutions.
Violence looms over New Mexico Legislature as work begins
January 18, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called for new gun control laws and greater accountability for firearm manufacturers while denouncing recent drive-by shootings of the homes of Democratic lawmakers in Albuquerque in her State of the State address Tuesday at the start of the annual legislative session.
Police arrest failed candidate in shootings at Democrats
January 17, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A 39-year-old felon who overwhelmingly lost a bid for the New Mexico statehouse as a Republican paid for four men to shoot at Democratic lawmakers' homes in recent months, including one house where a 10-year-old girl was asleep, police said.
Ex-GOP candidate arrested in shootings at lawmakers’ homes
January 17, 2023 GMTA failed Republican candidate who authorities said was angry over his defeat and made baseless claims the election last November was “rigged” against him was arrested in connection with a series of drive-by shootings targeting the homes of Democratic lawmakers in New Mexico’s largest city.
New Mexico top prosecutor to focus on child civil rights
January 16, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s top prosecutor wants to start a conversation with lawmakers and the governor in hopes of charting a new course for a state beleaguered by violent crime, poor educational outcomes and persistently dismal child welfare rankings.
New Mexico lawmakers seek to prohibit local abortion bans
January 13, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Local governments across New Mexico would be prohibited from placing restrictions on abortion access under initiatives outlined by Democratic state legislators Friday.
A companion initiative aims to protect doctors who perform abortion and patients from harassment and investigations by out-of-state interests.
New Mexico lawmakers seek preschool expansion with oil money
January 13, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Leading New Mexico legislators recommended a billion-dollar increase Thursday in annual state spending to expand preschool access and increase mandatory classroom instruction time at K-12 public schools.
New Mexico lawmakers aim to attract hydrogen investments
January 12, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico state lawmakers will consider public incentives aimed at attracting investments in hydrogen production and distribution as a potential new source of industrial employment and an alternative for vehicles and factories that rely on climate-warming fossil fuels, as the legislature convenes next week.
New Mexico appointee resigns from powerful regulatory panel
January 11, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — One of New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s recent appointees to a powerful utility regulatory commission has resigned, citing a lack of education qualifications.
The Democratic governor announced Brian Moore’s resignation Tuesday, saying she is filling his spot with a principal analyst from Sandia National Laboratories who has worked on grid modernization and energy storage projects.
New Mexico governor pitches tax relief, more classroom time
January 10, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico would use a surge in oil-related income to underwrite health insurance costs for educators, expand minimum classroom instructional hours at public schools and shore up access to health care and high-speed internet in remote areas, under budget recommendations issued Tuesday by Gov.
Suspect emerges in shooting at New Mexico official’s home
January 10, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities in New Mexico’s largest city said a suspect believed to be linked to at least one of the shootings at or near the homes or offices of several elected officials was in custody Monday, but they declined to release his name.
Republicans challenge New Mexico redistricting after loss
January 10, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Attorneys for Democratic lawmakers in New Mexico urged the state Supreme Court on Monday to dismiss a Republican challenge to a congressional map that divvies up a politically conservative region of the state.
New Mexico high court to hear congressional maps challenge
January 8, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Supreme Court is expected to hear a case this week challenging the state’s new congressional maps.
The hearing scheduled Monday would come about three months after the high court ordered a stay in proceedings in a lawsuit brought by the state's Republican Party, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
Shootings in Albuquerque share target: elected Democrats
January 7, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Bullets flew through one home's front door and garage. At another home, three bullets went into the bedroom of a 10-year-old girl in a series of shootings that had at least one thing in common: They targeted the homes or offices of elected Democratic officials in New Mexico.
Montana lawmaker wants to revisit idea of reservations
January 7, 2023 GMTHELENA, Mont. (AP) — A white state lawmaker in Montana is questioning whether land set aside long ago for Native Americans should exist anymore.
Republican Sen. Keith Regier is proposing asking Congress to study alternatives to reservations.
Regulators focus on future of New Mexico horse racing
January 6, 2023 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico horse racing regulators, track executives, breeders and others say there’s no silver bullet to ensure the future of the industry as it faces increased competition from online wagering, higher costs, infighting and other problems.
Return to office for New Mexico workers delayed until Feb. 2
January 4, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The scheduled return to the office for all state workers who have been working remotely has been delayed until next month, according to New Mexico officials.
All exempt employees, managers, supervisors and directors were instructed Friday to report back to the office Tuesday while other employees who have been working remotely will be able to continue to do so until Feb.
Tribes get advisory role in New Mexico utility regulation
December 31, 2022 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed a former state lawmaker and two energy policy experts on Friday to a powerful regulatory commission whose decisions have direct economic and environmental consequences for the state's utility customers.
EPA finalizes water rule that repeals Trump-era changes
December 30, 2022 GMTST. LOUIS (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday finalized regulations that protect hundreds of thousands of small streams, wetlands and other waterways, repealing a Trump-era rule that federal courts had thrown out and that environmentalists said left waterways vulnerable to pollution.
New Mexico seeks changes to US rules for wildfire claims
December 29, 2022 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas is asking that changes be made to rules proposed by the U.S. government as it processes damage claims from a historic wildfire sparked by forest managers.
New Mexico settles mine spill claims with contractors
December 29, 2022 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico has reached a $5 million settlement with two contractors involved in a 2015 mine spill that polluted rivers in three Western states.
Thursday's announcement marks the end of all litigation involving the state of New Mexico related to the spill at the inactive Gold King Mine in Colorado.
New Mexico state government reaps budget windfall from oil
December 13, 2022 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The state of New Mexico is likely to inherit a new, multibillion-dollar financial windfall largely from surging oil production and robust energy prices in the era of war between Ukraine and Russia, economists told a panel of leading legislators on Monday.
Lawsuit: Governor threatened retaliation for records request
December 10, 2022 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A former state senator says he was threatened by New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham through an emissary with "escalating consequences" if he did not withdraw a request by his law firm for public records concerning the administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a lawsuit filed this week.
Slate of New Mexico regulatory candidates sparks concern
December 7, 2022 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Many decisions by New Mexico’s most powerful regulatory panel have had direct economic and environmental consequences for one corner of the state, and yet not one candidate nominated to fill the Public Regulation Commission is from northwestern New Mexico.
New Mexico lawmakers OK crime bill, $500M in tax rebates
February 18, 2022 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico legislators approved about $500 million in tax rebates and a broad suite of crime-fighting initiatives Thursday at the end of the 30-day legislative session — as the state grapples with economic whiplash from the coronavirus pandemic and concerns about a violent crime surge in Albuquerque and beyond.
New Mexico lawmakers seek greater spending, voter access
January 14, 2022 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Critical decisions on government spending, voting access, public education and criminal justice await New Mexico legislators for their upcoming 30-day legislative session that starts on Tuesday.
New Mexico considers hourly $15 minimum for state workers
November 9, 2021 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Momentum appears to be building behind proposals to lift minimum pay in New Mexico state government to $15 an hour for at least 1,200 public workers who make less than that, amid a state budget surplus and national trends toward higher wages.
Legislature bristles at governor’s vetoes of pandemic aid
April 30, 2021 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — State legislators bristled on Friday at vetoes by New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that block legislative authority over new federal pandemic aid, and said they may seek a court ruling to defend Legislature's authority over that spending...