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State spends $100 million on rent assistance, with $200 million more to go
A state agency announced last week that it had spent $100 million on rental and utility assistance for state residents, helping to stave off mass evictions during a pandemic. New Mexico officials called the big, round number a “historic milestone” and said hundreds of millions more are on the way to help renters and landlords. […]
New Mexico to join western coalition in bid for federal hydrogen hub
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Thursday morning that New Mexico would join three other states in a bid to lure billions of dollars toward the creation of a federal hydrogen hub in the region. The federal infrastructure package includes $8 billion toward the creation of at least four hydrogen production centers around the country. The […]
Bill banning nuclear waste storage dies in Legislature. Activist says fight goes on
A bill that would have made it illegal to store spent nuclear fuel in New Mexico died in the Legislature this year, but a prominent activist says he’s still confident a proposed facility will never operate here The company Holtec International submitted an application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in March 2017 to open a […]
Chile labor program finally gets funded – but at less than half of what was asked for
A program boosting wages for chile laborers in New Mexico can start again, thanks to its inclusion in the state budget adopted last week. But the $1 million appropriation is less than half of what farmers and contractors were anticipating. They were hoping that $2.2 million remaining from $5 million initially set aside by Gov. […]
A problem of ‘infinite scope and cost’
A bill invigorating New Mexico government to coordinate the cleanup of abandoned uranium mines passed both chambers of the Legislature this session, but the state will confront a decades-old problem that experts say has a potentially “infinite” scope and cost. Sen. Jeff Steinborn (D-Las Cruces) sponsored the “Uranium Mine Cleanup” bill, one that will mobilize […]
Legislature passes Opportunity Scholarship in session’s final hours, making paying for college even easier
The New Mexico Legislature passed a law a little after midnight in the session’s final hours that creates a new scholarship aimed at making college affordable for any resident who wishes to enroll. The Opportunity Scholarship Act is expected to cost $190 million over the next three years, according to an analysis by the Legislative […]
Housing bill stalls again at end of 30-day session
It will take a “miracle” for the Legislature to pass a bill updating parts of the state’s landlord-tenant law to give tenants more time and prohibit some evictions, one of the bill’s co-sponsors said Wednesday night. House Bill 65 would update the landlord-tenant laws for the first time since the 1970s, sponsors said. Some changes […]
Attempt to boost taxes on AirBnBs and second homes hits snag near session’s end
A bill that would require second homes and short-term rentals to pay more of the property tax burden was tabled by a Senate committee on Tuesday. The Senate’s Tax, Business and Transportation Committee stalled the measure following skepticism about several aspects of the bill, which some lawmakers said did not go far enough in addressing […]
Uranium mine cleanup approved unanimously by NM House, now faces Senate in session’s last days
The New Mexico House of Representatives passed a bill on a 64-0 vote that would mobilize the state government to coordinate the cleanup of abandoned uranium mines. The bill was one of several passed unanimously without debate on the House floor in a flurry Saturday night. An identical version is awaiting action in the Senate. […]
Bill giving tenants more time to catch up faces stiff test in Senate Judiciary
Proposed changes to the state’s landlord-tenant statutes have so far been met with skepticism across the political spectrum over at least six hours of debate during the legislative session. House Bill 65 will make its way next to the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee after being considered in the Health and Public Affairs on Wednesday night. […]
Housing in rural Clovis
Is Clovis, the testing ground for a new eviction policy to take effect statewide next month, ready for the first wave of evictions?
Hundreds of abandoned uranium mines in NM could be cleaned up if lawmakers approve legislation
A bill in the Legislature would mobilize state government to finally clean up a reported 1,100 uranium mining, milling and drilling sites that are contaminating state and tribal lands and waters. The legislation would direct the New Mexico Environment Department to coordinate efforts to clean and reclaim the sites. It’s a matter complicated by overlapping […]