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Navajo same-sex marriage bill voted down at first of several hearings
A Navajo Nation committee voted Wednesday against legislation that would permit same-sex marriages, though the bill is far from dead. The Navajo Nation, the largest reservation within the United States, banned same-sex marriage as part of the Diné Marriage Act in 2005. As a result, same-sex couples cannot get married on the Nation, and Navajo […]
Albuquerque could ban tenant income discrimination
Lawmakers for New Mexico’s biggest city are anticipating a heated debate and controversial vote on a new housing policy, one that would prohibit landlords from refusing to rent to tenants who carry Section 8 vouchers or other subsidies. At an Albuquerque City Council committee meeting Monday night, councilors voted to postpone a vote on the […]
Navajo Nation lawmaker seeks to legalize gay marriage, igniting new debate
A Navajo Nation lawmaker recently introduced legislation to recognize gay and lesbian marriages on the Navajo Nation, potentially legalizing same-sex marriage in one of the nation’s last, biggest holdouts. Navajo Council Delegate Eugene Tso sponsored a bill in late March that would repeal or make gender-neutral sections of the Diné Marriage Act, which passed in […]
Special relief: Lawmakers approve $500 payments to New Mexicans
A bill passed Tuesday by the New Mexico Legislature will give New Mexico residents $500 apiece in two payments in the coming months, an effort to soothe the pain of record-high gas prices. The increase in gas prices globally has been bittersweet for New Mexico. Average gas prices here are $4.14 a gallon, an increase […]
Refugees and advocates say Temporary Protected Status doesn’t go far enough for Afghans
The news made its way from Washington, D.C. to Las Cruces a few weeks ago, carried via phone call or WhatsApp message, prompting a sigh of relief. Afghans being resettled in the United States needn’t fear imminent deportation to the country they fled last year, thanks to a federal order granting them Temporary Protected Status, […]
No refuge: Afghans in Las Cruces say they need more help in their fight for survival
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Despite all he’s been through, Noorullah Maswhani says he is grateful. Grateful for the help he’s received from Lutheran Family Services and, by extension, the federal government. Grateful for the rescue of himself and his family from Afghanistan at a moment of collapse. And, on a recent Thursday, grateful for the […]
Non-payment evictions begin Friday in Bernalillo County
Evictions of people who can’t make rent will be allowed again in New Mexico’s most populous county on Friday for the first time in more than two years. It’s the end of the ban on evictions for tenants behind in rent, one that the New Mexico Supreme Court imposed in March 2020 as a way […]
As Las Cruces Afghans struggle to pay rent, one big fund goes untapped
Leaders of two agencies in Las Cruces that are resettling Afghan refugees say they have finally found apartments or houses for most, if not all, of the individuals and families under their care. But it was a slog getting there, the leaders said, amid a tight housing market and increasing rent prices, and the challenge […]
‘Concerns’ about services provided to Afghan refugees at Las Cruces church prompt investigation
A review by Source New Mexico suggests that El Calvario is lagging behind the other resettlement agency in Las Cruces regarding housing, jobs and keeping Afghans in the program.
No refuge: Afghans describe challenges in building new life in New Mexico
LAS CRUCES – Abdul Amiry thinks of his home country when he sees the Organ Mountains in southern New Mexico “These are like Afghanistan,” he said on a recent drive through Las Cruces, gesturing toward the range’s jagged peaks. Any similarities pretty much stop there. This new city, state and country — Amiry’s home for […]
NM State Investment Council withdraws $8M in Russian stocks and bonds
The New Mexico State Investment Council on Tuesday voted to get rid of nearly $8 million in investments in Russian stocks and bonds. The unanimous vote comes amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, an act that has drawn sanctions and boycotts from countries and companies across the globe. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called for the […]
Gallup hospital org names new CEO, a first step to avoid being kicked out
The nonprofit running a major Gallup medical center has named a new chief executive officer to lead the troubled hospital. Robert Whitaker, currently the president and CEO of Southwest Medical Center in Liberal, Kansas, will take over at Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital. The Gallup hospital is the biggest in the region, apart from one run […]