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In a tiny NM courtroom, evictions begin again
A Clovis magistrate courtroom became a laboratory for a new eviction diversion program last week, ushering in a major change to state housing policy that aims to bring the rental market closer to normal while also staving off a wave of evictions amid a lingering pandemic. What happens in Clovis doesn’t stay there. Sometime in […]
Gallup clinic turns away patients for fear of protest. The protest’s cause? Delays in medical care
A group of about 15 protesters gathered on a snowy Wednesday afternoon near a Gallup medical clinic, frustrated with long-standing delays and headaches in getting medical care from the city’s biggest hospital system aside from the Indian Health Service. Livestream video of the protest shows the group bundled against the 30-degree temperatures and 25 mph […]
NM committee chair says she’ll post substitute bills before votes, following Source NM coverage
A New Mexico Senate committee chairwoman said Wednesday she would ensure all proposed legislation that members debate is posted online, a response to Source New Mexico coverage of a practice in the Roundhouse where lawmakers approve measures that haven’t been seen by the public. Red chile and red tape The Senate Conservation Committee on Tuesday […]
Eviction hearings resume in two NM counties after a two-year pause
The last statewide eviction ban in the nation ended quietly this week in a Portales, N.M. magistrate courtroom. After nearly two years, the state court system began allowing eviction cases for non-payment of rent to proceed, beginning in the Ninth Judicial District and eventually spreading to the rest of the state. The state Supreme Court […]
Red chile and red tape
Chile farmworkers have alleged that a contractor stole wages he got through the Chile Labor Incentive Program, a $5 million government fund that raised pay to ease the labor shortage and save the harvest of the state’s staple crop. An investigation by the state Department of Workforce Solutions concluded that the farmer did nothing wrong, […]
Protections for renters during an emergency move forward in Santa Fe
Tenants in New Mexico are a step closer to being protected from certain evictions during a national emergency, like the one we’re in now, after a state House committee hearing on Monday. The bill updating sections of state landlord-tenant law cleared the House Judiciary Committee in a 8-4 vote along party lines. Opponents said the […]
Pretrial detention bill clears House committee despite skepticism
A bill that would keep more defendants in jail before trial advanced out of its first committee hearing Friday, even though some lawmakers who voted “yes” predict it will face legislative and legal challenges. The measure would create so-called “rebuttable presumptions,” which means defendants charged in serious crimes would be presumed to pose a danger […]
Bill spurring New Mexico hydrogen production stalls in committee
A House committee on Thursday tabled a bill aimed at making New Mexico a hub of hydrogen production, adding a major hurdle for one of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s signature policy proposals this legislative session. The 6-4 vote to table the bill included two Democrats and came after six hours of debate in the House […]
Five people behind fake election certificates likely broke NM law, prof says
The New Mexico Republicans who signed false certificates attempting to hand the state’s five electoral votes to former President Donald Trump likely violated state law and potentially federal law, according to a University of New Mexico law professor who’s been following the case. The local Republicans on Dec. 14, 2020 signed certificates affirming that Donald […]
Anticipating barrage of lawsuits, state’s top water officials ask for more employees
Officials in charge of New Mexico’s water said they need more staff to fend off lawsuits clawing at the state’s water supply, which is limited and shrinking. They expect more court battles to come as human-caused climate change increases average temperatures and aridity in the Southwest. “Controversies arise about waters that are crossing state boundaries, […]
Vacation rentals and Texans’ second homes would be taxed more under proposed bill
A bipartisan bill introduced this legislative session aims to collect more in taxes from owners of properties used for AirBnB, and as second or third homes here. New Mexico caps the increase on assessed property value at 3% each year. It’s a policy meant to prevent owners from being driven out of their homes by […]
Governor adds rent reform to packed session schedule, but one big provision missing, advocates say
New Mexico is one of 19 states where it is still legal for landlords to reject a tenant based on how they’re paying rent, be it a Section 8 voucher, a Veterans Affairs benefit or some other subsidy, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council.