Author
ABQ councilors dealt competing proposals for bus program
The Albuquerque City Council continues to take its time to determine the fate of the Zero Fares Program, a transportation project that allows any city bus rider to hop on and go without having to show anything to the driver. The Council decided again last week to postpone a final vote on an ordinance that […]
Albuquerque bus fare bill deferred until early 2023
City Councilors again revised the proposal to scale back Albuquerque’s Zero Fares Pilot Program on Monday, kicking the final vote down the road until the council meets in January. The latest proposal would allow anyone to use their government-issued ID to ride city buses for free. People who don’t have an ID will be required […]
City Council takes another swipe at ending the Zero Fares Bus Program citing unreliable data
The Albuquerque City Council continued its efforts to end the hop-on-and-go Zero Fares program, citing safety concerns despite city data showing that the buses have become more accessible and safer since the program was implemented last January. Councilors Dan Lewis and Klarissa Peña’s substitute bill replaces an earlier version, and if approved, would end the […]
Councilors: Albuquerque’s hop-on-and-go bus program made it too easy for the wrong kind of riders
Albuquerque city councilors are weighing whether to end a popular Zero Fares Pilot Program for the bus system where riders don’t have to pay or show any kind of pass to get on a bus, arguing that the policy makes public transit less safe. “Right now the buses are dirty and smell like urine,” said […]
Governor may appoint a commission candidate to fill Couy Griffin’s seat
Democrat Stephanie Dubois has been tapped by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to replace Couy Griffin on the Otero County Commission, according to the Alamogordo Daily News. The Governor’s Office, however, has not officially announced the appointment and says it is not yet finalized, as paperwork is still being completed. “The review process is ongoing and […]
People of Middle Eastern, Northern African descent say census categories erase their experience
When Leena Aggad was applying to graduate schools, she was pleasantly surprised when she saw that one of the universities she was considering included Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) among the race and ethnicity categories on the application. “Seeing that made me feel more included,“ Aggad said. “And I actually took a picture of […]
NM Transportation Department is sitting on millions of unspent breathalyzer funds
As much as $2.1 million meant to help people pay for interlock devices is sitting in Santa Fe unspent. Word of the fund isn’t always getting out, officials say, and the application process may be hindering those who most need the financial help. The fund comes from an annual $100 fee tacked onto the cost […]
Sexual assault and harassment linked to higher long-term heart attack risk in women
Women who have experienced sexual assault and workplace sexual harassment are at higher long-term risk of developing high blood pressure and heart disease, a new study shows. The study, published last month in the Journal of the American Heart Association, analyzed data from one of the largest investigations into risk factors for major chronic disease […]
New Mexico gets rid of the ‘tampon tax’
People in New Mexico will no longer have to pay taxes on menstrual pads, tampons and cups as of July 1 — a victory for advocates who’ve been working on the issue for years. A provision to allow for a deduction on retailers’ gross receipts taxes was included in the omnibus tax reform bill that […]
N.M. residents may soon be able to sign up for health coverage while they file their taxes
Figuring out your health insurance could become as easy as checking a box on your tax return if a bill the Legislature passed is signed by the governor. Set to take effect next year, New Mexico would be the fifth state in the nation to streamline the process this way. House Bill 95 — dubbed […]
Rise in newborn syphilis cases prompts DOH intervention
More babies in the U.S. are being born with syphilis than at any time in the last 20 years, and CDC research indicates that the trend is growing exponentially worse. The latest data show New Mexico has the second-highest rate in the country. The infection is curable. And it’s alarming rise led the New Mexico […]
New DWI-detection tech might alter the law’s disproportionate impacts
A mandate for technology in new vehicles that can pull over if the driver is impaired by alcohol was rolled into the infrastructure bill on its way to President Joe Biden. That means once the U.S. National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration figures out the regulations in the next couple of years, all new cars […]