NM Political Report

House subcommittee examines how to ensure a reliable, affordable grid - New Mexico Political Report By Hannah Grover The electric sector is facing new challenges nationwide as demands for electricity increase and extreme weather events become more common.  These challenges are contributing to the…

Everyone agrees grid modernization is needed. They're not all on the same page on how or why.

‘Pushing us into a recession.’ Senators react to Trump’s first 100 days in office - New Mexico Political Report U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján each reflected on the first 100 days of the Donald Trump administration, and both were highly critical of the job the president was doing in his second…

The Senators cited increased costs for consumers, threats to social security and more

Senators sign onto housing legislation - New Mexico Political Report New Mexico’s two U.S. Senators signed onto new legislation to help address housing shortages. The bill, dubbed the Housing for All Act, would help address the shortage of housing that has contributed…

“The solution is simple: we need to build and renovate more homes. And we need to provide our community leaders with the financial support necessary to carry out this important work," U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich said.

Here’s what happened to national monuments under Trump’s last administration - New Mexico Political Report By Hannah Grover About eight years ago, I joined reporters at a small municipal airport in southeast Utah waiting for Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to arrive.  The tension was obvious. At one…

The Trump administration is reportedly set to target national monuments, including one in New Mexico. He did it in the first term, and our reporter reflected on what that was like.

Trump says military can detain trespassing migrants along NM border - New Mexico Political Report As part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to deport millions of those in the country without legal status, U.S. Northern Command said earlier this week that service members are authorized to…

The governor's office says New Mexico was not consulted on and won't aid in the efforts.

NM AG joins suit challenging Trump tariffs - New Mexico Political Report New Mexico joined a lawsuit with nearly a dozen other states challenging the tariffs that have rocked the stock market and, experts warn, will impact the overall global economy. The lawsuit, led by…

The lawsuit says that Trump doesn't have the legal authority to impose the tariffs he's imposed.

Court says federal government must reinstate doctoral student's status as case proceeds - New Mexico Political Report By Kevin Hendricks The U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico granted a temporary restraining order to “K.O.D.,” a Ghanaian doctoral student at New Mexico Tech, allowing him to maintain…

The New Mexico Tech student filed the lawsuit earlier this week, and his lawyers said he doesn't have even a traffic ticket since being in the country.

How does NM’s housing burden compare to nearby states? - New Mexico Political Report By Hannah Grover While many New Mexicans in the extreme low-income category face severe housing cost burdens, the percentage of those who do in the state is less than neighboring states.  A new fact…

A new fact sheet released by the University of Nevada Las Vegas examined the housing cost burdens for the lowest income residents in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Utah.

Judge blocks Trump defunding of cities that won’t comply with immigration efforts - New Mexico Political Report President Donald Trump tried once again to use the threat of losing federal funding to force local governments, including Santa Fe, to aid in immigration efforts. Once again, a judge blocked the…

Santa Fe was one of the cities targeted by Trump. Other New Mexico local governments have similar statuses.

Teachers union president warns of dangers of federal education cuts at technical school opening  - New Mexico Political Report By Kevin Hendricks Over 200 students, friends, families, educators, legislators and community leaders gathered Wednesday outside of RioTECH, a new high school focused on skilled trades, to celebrate…

"People should be really alarmed, and we should really be focused on making sure that the funding that goes for families, the funding that goes for kids, it can’t be swapped out, can’t be pretended that it’s going to go somewhere else."

Two NM metropolitan areas rank in the top 25 most polluted  - New Mexico Political Report By Hannah Grover Major cities in New Mexico continue to struggle with ozone levels. Both the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Los Alamos metropolitan statistical area and the El Paso-Las Cruces metropolitan…

The Albuquerque and Santa Fe region ranked 22nd on the list of worst ozone pollution and the Las Cruces area ranked 18th.

Ghanaian student at New Mexico Tech sues DHS and ICE over termination of student status - New Mexico Political Report By Kevin Hendricks Less than a month after students at least three universities in New Mexico had their student visas revoked by the U.S. Department of State, the American Civil Liberties Union of…

He has no criminal history—not even traffic violations—and was still targeted by the Trump administration.

Reviewing the environmental bills that passed during this year's legislative session - New Mexico Political Report As Earth Day arrives and the legislative session just behind New Mexico, we took a look at new laws areto protect the state’s environment. Each year, legislators bring hundreds of proposals to…

What environmental bills made it through the legislative process this year?

State funding in budget aims to help food banks better serve communities - New Mexico Political Report By Hannah Grover The Food Depot staff sometimes travels for hours to move food to communities in rural areas, including parts of Rio Arriba and Union counties. “If we could build regional food hubs…

Money in the state budget this year will help food banks, even as federal funding shrinks.

NM’s congressional delegation calls on Burgum to leave monuments intact - New Mexico Political Report By Hannah Grover New Mexico’s congressional delegation sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum this week urging him not to rescind national monument designations or reduce the size of…

“The areas protected under national monument status across the state are culturally valuable, archaeologically and geologically unique, and represent a conservation legacy that should not be erased," they wrote, as rumors swirl Donald Trump will target national monuments.

What people are saying about NMED’s proposed rule to protect workers from heat  - New Mexico Political Report By Hannah Grover Public comments about the New Mexico Environment Department’s proposed Heat Illness and Injury Prevention rule have ranged from people expressing strong support for the regulations…

The proposed rule requires employers to establish plans for preventing heat-related illness and to implement control measures in all outdoor and indoor work environments where the temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Navajo advocates condemn energy actions, call for government accountability - New Mexico Political Report By Hannah Grover Navajo Nation advocates urged their leaders to stand against federal attempts to increase uranium extraction on Diné lands and the transport of uranium ore across the reservation. …

“Our lands have been affected by oil and gas, coal, uranium mining, and there’s a lot of waste issues associated with all of that extraction that has happened on our land,” Robyn Jackson with the advocacy group Diné CARE said.

Hundreds weather rain, snow to protest Trump in Albuquerque - New Mexico Political Report Staff Report Rain and even what might be Albuquerque’s final snow of the season couldn’t dissuade hundreds of protesters from voicing their displeasure with President Donald Trump Saturday. The…

Rain and even what might be Albuquerque’s final snow of the season couldn’t dissuade hundreds of protesters from voicing their displeasure with President Donald Trump Saturday.

Years in the making, work begins on Navajo-Gallup water treatment plant - New Mexico Political Report By Hannah Grover The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation broke ground this week on a water treatment plant that is a key component of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. The groundbreaking included a…

Bart Deming, a construction engineer with the Bureau’s Four Corners Construction Office, described the water treatment plant as the “heart of the San Juan Lateral.”

Proposed Endangered Species Act regulations changes would impact NM wildlife - New Mexico Political Report The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published a notice this week in the Federal Register announcing rulemaking that would rescind the definition…

Wildlife advocates say proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act regulations could harm New Mexico’s wildlife by allowing industries to destroy habitats.

Heinrich: Federal job cuts harming veterans  - New Mexico Political Report By Rodd Cayton Ill-considered Trump administration budget cuts and staff reductions in the name of efficiency are having profound negative impacts on  veterans in New Mexico and elsewhere, U.S. Sen.…

At a roundtable discussion with veterans this week, the senator said Trump’s VA Secretary is ignoring questions about the layoffs.

Photos: Hundreds protest ICE at UNM - New Mexico Political Report Staff Report University of New Mexico students and others voiced their outrage over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions during a campuswide walkout Thursday. Several hundred students,…

The protesters gathered in front of Scholes Hall at the main campus in Albuquerque, the university’s administrative building which houses the office of the school’s president.

Trump cuts to aid for local manufacturers reversed, temporarily - New Mexico Political Report By Hannah Grover When Old Barrel Tea Company decided to start manufacturing their tea blends in New Mexico, Paola Huffmon, one of the co-owners, thought “how hard can it be to manufacture our own…

“While I am glad that the administration reversed this shortsighted decision, it should not get credit for fixing a problem it created, ” U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez said in a statement.

Are NM’s investor-owned utilities prepared for the summer demand? - New Mexico Political Report By Hannah Grover New Mexico’s three investor-owned utilities say they are prepared for the increased summer electricity demands this year. That means the utilities will have enough electricity to…

As things heat up, are utilities ready to keep up with demand and make sure there are no rolling blackouts?

Doña Ana County Clerk jumps in Secretary of State race - New Mexico Political Report New Mexico will elect a new Secretary of State for the first time in a decade next year. And one Democrat already announced she will run to fill the state’s top elections post. Doña Ana County Clerk…

Doña Ana County Clerk Amanda López Askin is the first candidate to announce her candidacy.

Heinrich holds roundtable with educators to discuss public education concerns - New Mexico Political Report By Kevin Hendricks U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich hosted a roundtable discussion with educators in Rio Rancho on Wednesday to address concerns about federal funding cuts and their impact on public…

“It’s a disservice to the kids in public education that it is as chaotic and frustrating as what we’re experiencing right now," the Senator said.

NM business leaders describe 'uncertainty' following Trump tariff moves - New Mexico Political Report By Hannah Grover Jerry Pacheco, the president of the Border Industrial Association, was working with an automotive company for more than a year to help the business expand its operations in Santa…

“It's the uncertainty that poses the greatest challenge right now,” Leslie Heilema, president and CEO of the New Mexico Chamber of Commerce, said.

Stansbury says ABQ Social Security office crisis amid job cuts and access issues - New Mexico Political Report By Kevin Hendricks U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury took to social media Monday to bring attention to a looming crisis as President Donald Trump and his Department of Government Efficiency…

“We were just denied entry into this office. We had an appointment and we notified them in advance,” Stansbury said in a video.

Rio Rancho mayor will join race for GOP nomination for governor - New Mexico Political Report Kevin Hendricks The mayor of Rio Rancho will run for the Republican nomination for governor of New Mexico next year.  Gregg Hull, who is in the middle of his third term as mayor of New Mexico’s…

Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull announced he's running for governor, and will hold a kickoff event for his campaign this summer. He's the first announced Republican candidate.

Unvaccinated child is first case of measles in Doña Ana County - New Mexico Political Report By Matthew Reichbach State health officials reported the first case of measles in Doña Ana County, the most populous county in southern New Mexico. The case was an unvaccinated child. In all, the…

The unvaccinated child is the first case in Doña Ana County, and those at a preschool and medical facilities could have possible exposures to the highly infectious disease.