U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) announced Wednesday that his Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act has been signed into law. The bill permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances (FRS) as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. Heinrich, the bill’s lead Democratic sponsor, introduced the HALT Fentanyl Act in January with U.S. Senators Bill […]
Category: New Mexico
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., New Mexico
Good Trouble Lives On: New Mexico communities to join national civil rights protests
Communities across New Mexico will participate in nationwide “Good Trouble Lives On” protests Thursday, joining what organizers call a moral reckoning on the fifth anniversary of civil rights leader John Lewis’s death. The statewide participation continues New Mexico’s active engagement in 2025 protest movements, with events planned in at least 11 communities including Santa Fe, […]
Posted inNew Mexico, Politics & Elections
Haaland warns of rural healthcare crisis, opposes federal healthcare legislation
Deb Haaland, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for New Mexico governor, held a press conference outside a hospital in Española on Tuesday to criticize federal healthcare legislation she says will devastate rural communities across the state. Speaking in front of the hospital, Haaland warned that the “Big Billionaire Bill” would strip Medicaid coverage from […]
Posted inEnvironment & Conservation
Albuquerque dispatches mosquito control team to flood-hit Ruidoso
The City of Albuquerque has deployed an Environmental Health Department crew to Ruidoso to assist with mosquito control and surveillance efforts following the community’s recent devastating flooding. The Urban Biology Division team left for Ruidoso Tuesday to conduct mosquito monitoring and assess the potential for disease transmission as standing water from the unprecedented flooding creates […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., New Mexico
Heinrich secures $12.5 million for New Mexico in Senate Appropriations bill
The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved legislation that would deliver more than $12.5 million in federal funding to New Mexico, including $7.73 million in direct project funding secured by Sen. Martin Heinrich. The Democratic senator announced the passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration appropriations bill following bipartisan committee […]
Posted inNew Mexico, NM State Gov.
N.M. State Land Office sets new records with first oil and gas lease auction at 25% royalty rate
The New Mexico State Land Office has announced a historic achievement, auctioning oil and gas leases at a new 25% royalty rate for the first time, a change championed by Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard. The new state law, which took effect on June 20, allows the State Land Office to offer its […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., New Mexico
Luján secures $6.9 Million in federal funding for New Mexico communities
U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee has passed legislation that would deliver over $6.9 million in federal investments to New Mexico communities, marking a significant win for the state’s rural development and public safety initiatives. The funding, secured through the Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., New Mexico
Sen. Luján calls for quick RECA implementation as healthcare cuts threaten New Mexico victims
As the 80th anniversary of the Trinity Test approaches this week, New Mexico radiation exposure victims are closer than ever to receiving federal compensation, but face new threats to their healthcare access from proposed Medicaid cuts. Senator Ben Ray Luján called for federal agencies to quickly establish guidelines for the expanded Radiation Exposure Compensation Act […]
Posted inNew Mexico, NM State Gov.
Sen. Pope enters 2026 race for lieutenant governor
By Connor Currier New Mexico Senator Harold Pope has officially entered the race to become the state’s next lieutenant governor. His candidacy comes after current lieutenant governor Howie Morales’ announcement that he will not seek re-election in 2026. Morales, who has served in the role since 2019, spent the past seven years working alongside Governor […]
Posted inNM State Gov.
Peeing gets partisan: Republicans challenge new Roundhouse restroom policy
The legislature’s Facilities Review Subcommittee voted last week to convert a shower into a gender-neutral restroom and build a dedicated lactation room on the fourth floor of the New Mexico State Capitol. The project will also include an adult changing table for people with disabilities. But Senate Republican Leader Bill Sharer (R-Farmington) said in a […]