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State Republicans throw down ‘obstructionist’ tactic to stall vote on Senate map
A new state Senate map that would shape the next decade of New Mexico politics remains elusive after a late-night stunt by Republican senators delaying the bill’s passage. Senators didn’t start their scheduled 6 p.m. session until around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, following days of disagreement on the state Senate redistricting plan. The negotiations remain stalled […]
$478 million for state needs passed by the NM Senate, despite fears of a rushed process
New Mexico is inching closer to spending nearly half of the roughly $1.1 billion in remaining federal relief money given to the state under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The state Senate on Tuesday afternoon approved $478 million to be distributed to state agencies, covering housing services, upgrades to state parks, pre-trial services […]
Tribal leaders say they won’t accept changes to their state Senate map after hours of talks
A coalition of tribal leaders announced Tuesday that despite “productive, meaningful, and respectful” conversations with leadership of the New Mexico State Senate, they still do not accept any of the alterations to the Senate district map they drew up earlier this year. The All Pueblo Council of Governors celebrated in September a “historic” consensus about […]
Tribal leaders object to 11th-hour NM Senate redistricting map
Lawmakers on Sunday replaced a map that a tribal coalition spent months working on to find consensus. A Senate committee voted instead to approve an amended plan re-drawing the New Mexico Senate’s voting districts that was introduced just before the meeting. Sen. Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque), the Senate’s president pro tem, introduced an amended map that […]
NM Senate passes new congressional districts
The New Mexico Senate passed a new congressional map Friday night, one that gets rid of the state’s urban and rural divisions. It also gives Democrats a better shot at sweeping all three U.S. House seats. The redistricting map was introduced by Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D-Las Cruces) and then modified by the Senate Judiciary Committee […]
In scramble to spend federal money, lawmakers make million-dollar errors
New Mexico Game and Fish Director Michael Sloane left some members of the Senate Finance Committee speechless Thursday when he balked at $5 million coming his way to help his agency buy 50,000 acres of ranch land in Northern New Mexico. “I guess I’d first like to begin by expressing my surprise at the inclusion […]
Overfull hospitals a ‘grave situation,’ state health officials warn
More than 150 people were waiting for a bed at two major Albuquerque hospitals Tuesday, Dec. 7, a number that the state’s top health official says demonstrates the “really grave situation” facing patients in the state. Dr. David Scrase, acting secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health, said in a news conference Wednesday afternoon […]
Lawmakers to take swing at spending $470 million
A line of public speakers formed at a legislative hearing where lawmakers are trying to spend nearly half a billion dollars of federal money. About a dozen more waited patiently on Zoom. The speakers, all lobbyists or members of different public service groups, made pitches Tuesday afternoon to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee about […]
Red chile labor program comes to abrupt halt due to fight between governor and Legislature
New Mexico’s red chile harvest might become a casualty of a recent Supreme Court ruling that halted Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s ability to spend federal money without the Legislature. Lujan Grisham announced a $5 million program in August that chipped in taxpayer money to help recruit and retain seasonal laborers. At the time, the state […]
See how lawmakers so far propose spending about $500 million in federal money
Lawmakers on Monday gave a first glimpse at how they’ll spend more than $1 billion in federal money, proposing to focus so far on improving the state’s broadband connectivity and on big construction projects. State Rep. Patti Lundstrom (D-Gallup), chair of the House Finance Committee, introduced a bill spending $470 million from the American Rescue […]
New redistricting group created slate of fair maps, but will lawmakers listen?
State legislators today are considering a slate of proposed political maps produced by a nonpartisan committee after many public meetings this year. But whether lawmakers will do more than just consider the maps remains to be seen. Legislation creating the Citizen Redistricting Committee does not require lawmakers to adopt any of the recommendations from the […]
Governor packs $1 billion in spending into special redistricting session
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is tasking legislators with agreeing on how to spend more than $1 billion of badly needed stimulus money, while also re-drawing the state’s political districts, in time for the winter holidays. The governor made the announcement Thursday morning as part of her proclamation calling to order a special session of the […]