Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Torrance County

Santa Fe court launches mental health diversion program for arrestees

The First Judicial District Court has announced a new program designed to divert people with severe mental illness away from the criminal justice system and into treatment services. The competency diversion pilot program will serve individuals charged with misdemeanors, excluding DWI and nonviolent felony offenses. It marks the fourth such initiative established by New Mexico […]

Posted inHousing & Homelessness, Sandoval County

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 inHousing & Homelessness, Sandoval County

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 inNew Mexico State Gov., Sandoval County

Redistricting Task Force shifts focus after Democratic resignations

Following the resignation of two Democratic lawmakers from its committee, the 2025 New Mexico Redistricting Task Force will shift its focus.  A Sept. 3  press release issued by Fair Districts for New Mexico said the Task Force, a panel of both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, as well as independent experts, and redistricting reform avocates, chaired […]

Posted inNew Mexico State Gov.

Bomb threat target top legislative Democrats in Santa Fe

Editor’s note: This story was updated to include the second threat being investigated in Santa Fe. Threats against top Democrats in the New Mexico legislature on Thursday prompted the disruption and evacuation in parts of two Santa Fe neighborhoods, including one nearby school. Chris Nordstrum, communications director for New Mexico Senate Democrats, confirmed to New […]

Posted inHousing & Homelessness, Sandoval County

Sanchez loans $150K to mayoral campaign, but financial disclosures show no assets to loan

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story reported that Sanchez’s 2025 finance report showed no income. A change in the clerk’s process, discussed in the story below, let Sanchez refer to previous filings. Those filings still failed to report some income and still do not show the loan or source of funds for it. […]

Posted inHousing & Homelessness, Sandoval County

New Mexico senators blast Republicans for blocking Epstein document release

New Mexico Democratic Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan on Thursday denounced their Republican Senate colleagues for voting down an amendment that would require the U.S. Department of Justice to release all its files on alleged child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.  On Wednesday, the Senate voted 51-49 to table a proposed amendment to the […]