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New Mexico education funding tied to the fate of the omnibus bill in Congress
New Mexico is one step closer to expanding funding for public schools and meeting the demand of voters in the state. Congress is doing its year-end negotiations to draft a spending bill to keep the federal government operable and pay for projects nationwide. Early this morning, lawmakers unveiled a $1.7 trillion spending package that includes […]
PED says it issued 4,000+ new teacher licenses. But there are still hundreds of vacancies.
New Mexico waived fees for teacher licenses for a 60-day stretch during the spring. Education officials are beaming at the fact that the free window brought in thousands of new applicants to help fill the vacancies in classrooms across the state. Since the beginning of the year, the N.M. Public Education Department has issued 4,198 […]
New Mexico public education secretary calls for more money to boost test scores, graduation rates
Budget requests by state agencies for the 60-day legislative session are in, and the biggest was saved for last on Thursday. Public Education Secretary Kurt Steinhaus was the final boss to make his department’s pitch to the Legislative Finance Committee ahead of the 60-day session starting Jan. 17. The Public Education Department accounts for 45% […]
Early childhood education advocates look for stopgap funding as they await a decision from Congress
Early childhood education in New Mexico needs a bridge that officials say will cost almost $154 million. This money could cover day care and preschool costs, help with recruiting staff and boost aid for working parents in the state until Congress passes a bill allowing New Mexico to move money from the Land Grant Permanent […]
State legislators approve changes to anti-harassment policy
New Mexico lawmakers from both political parties had a heated debate Monday before approving changes to the Roundhouse anti-harassment policy in the wake of an investigation into allegations against a prominent state senator this year. Outgoing Rep. Daymon Ely (D-Albuquerque) took a third swing at changing the policy to open up a secretive process, add […]
Want to spread holiday cheer? Send a letter to an elder
Personal letters can come few and far between for the residents living at the Dr. Guy Gorman Senior Care Home in Chinle, Arizona. Diné elders living at the home on the Navajo Nation could see their holiday loneliness eased by a card sent from your home. Liz McKenzie (Diné) is directing their Christmas spirit to […]
State’s 911 emergency system failing to locate every New Mexican. Rural homes missing from maps.
When most New Mexicans call 911, operators are able to locate the emergency through the standard geographic information services that map out addresses. Now imagine you’re one of the thousands of people who are harder to locate because rural life sometimes means your home, mail and utility addresses point to three different locations. Emergency responders […]
Nine names heading to the governor, who will select a brand new Public Regulation Commission
The committee responsible for sorting through the applicants who are seeking an appointment to the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission unanimously voted on Friday to refer nine names to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. One notable name was not on the list: Commissioner Cynthia Hall, who served on the PRC since 2017 representing the Albuquerque area. […]
Fixing TANF in New Mexico is ‘one of the most important’ tasks for 2023 session, senator says
Lawmakers indicated support for legislation that would reform a cash assistance program by increasing the amount distributed and eliminating barriers to make sure it gets to the most New Mexicans in need. The primary problem: 60% of New Mexicans who qualify for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program are not enrolled and do not […]
What’s the deal with New Mexico’s PRC?
If you’ve never heard of the state’s Public Regulation Commission, you’ve likely still observed the consequences of its decisions in your daily life. On your electricity bill, for example. Or your gas bill. Your water bill. Commissioners also have a hand in broadband and telecommunications around the state, and field consumer complaints. Transportation, too. Staff […]
Buttigieg gets an earful about tribal roads during his stop in N.M.
Tribal leaders in New Mexico had a simple message to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg: Give us money to fix roads, and patch up the broken agreement the federal government has failed to maintain. “The so-called federal responsibility is not met for these tribes,” Ron Shutiva told Buttigieg during his stop in Albuquerque on Wednesday. […]
Chaco drilling ban will likely only put a small dent in oil and gas production in the region
A plan to bar new oil and gas leases within Chaco Canyon National Historic Park for 20 years will only slightly reduce the activity of extractive mineral industries, according to an environmental assessment released last week by the U.S. Interior Department. The federal government announced a halt to new leases on about 338,690 acres within […]