New Mexico Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Lujan is decrying a decision by the U.S. Department of Education to terminate federal funding of grants for Minority Serving Institutions. “In New Mexico and across the country, Minority-Serving Institutions have long played a vital role in expanding access to education and creating pathways to economic opportunity. The Trump […]
Category: Beats
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Albuquerque City Council approves $7.1 million Gateway West contract despite accountability questions
Albuquerque City Council voted 7-1 Tuesday, Sept. 15, to approve Executive Communication 481, giving Gateway West an extra $3.55 million, doubling Chicanos Por La Causa’s (CPLC) annual contract to $7.1 million and extending operations through June 2026, even as councilors and residents questioned whether the city’s $121 million Gateway program is producing results. Councilor Dan […]
Posted inNM Legislature
Lujan Grisham, GOP at odds over special session
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) and legislative Republicans are openly clashing about the necessity for next month’s special legislative session and what the priorities should be taken up when lawmakers return to Santa Fe. Top Republicans, in a letter to the governor released on Monday, called for her to provide them with additional information, including […]
Posted inPolitics & Elections
Albuquerque City Council candidates secure spots on the ballot after court challenge
Two Albuquerque City Council candidates will appear on the November ballot after a judge rejected legal challenges to their petition signatures, clearing the way for ballot printing to begin next week. District 1 candidate Stephanie Telles and District 3 candidate Teresa Garcia faced lawsuits claiming they failed to collect the required 500 valid signatures to […]
Posted inPolitics & Elections
Zuni Pueblo leaders back Haaland’s bid for governor
Leaders of the Zuni Pueblo have declared their support for former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s bid for the Democratic nomination for governor. New Mexico Political Report was the first to report the endorsement. The Haaland campaign later revealed the endorsement in a press release, which featured a statement from Zuni Pueblo Governor Arden Kucate, describing […]
Posted inPolitics & Elections
Thanks to public financing, council candidates still have hundreds of thousands to spend
Campaign finance reports released last week show the fundraising landscape for Albuquerque City Council candidates as they enter the final stretch before the Nov. 4 municipal election, with significant disparities between publicly and privately financed campaigns across five contested districts. The latest reporting period, ending Sept. 8, reveals how candidates are positioning themselves financially with […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., New Mexico
Rep. Vasquez cosponsors bill to reverse GOP health care cuts
Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., cosponsored legislation Thursday aimed at reversing Republican health care cuts and permanently extending Affordable Care Act tax credits. The Protecting Healthcare and Lowering Costs Act, H.R. 4849, would repeal provisions in a Republican tax bill that Vasquez said would eliminate Medicaid coverage for 110,000 New Mexicans and reduce health care eligibility […]
Posted inEnvironment & Conservation
Carlisle Village Cleaners contaminant cleanup project receives millions in federal funding
By Lauren Lifke The New Mexico Environment Department received $2.8 million in federal funding to make steps toward cleaning up a historical dry cleaner site in Southeast Albuquerque, according to a news release. In July, the Environmental Protection Agency confirmed that there are contaminants in the area of Carlisle Village Cleaners, according to CABQ. The […]
Posted inPolitics & Elections
Patrick Sais disqualified from Albuquerque mayoral race over insufficient signatures
Albuquerque mayoral hopeful Patrick Sais, who some have called Albuquerque’s George Santos, will not be on the ballot this November. Sais has been disqualified from the Albuquerque mayoral race after failing to submit the required number of valid signatures on his nominating petition, according to the New Mexico Bureau of Elections. Sais submitted his declaration […]
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
What happened to Albuquerque’s homeless encampment tracker?
What happened to Albuquerque’s public transparency tool tracking encampment responses? After CityDesk contacted the city about the frozen transparency tool, officials not only acknowledged the problem but created an entirely new dashboard with current data, delivering on their promise to restore it by “end of day”. Albuquerque’s original “Encampment Reports & Responses” dashboard, launched in […]