The New Mexico House and Senate adjourned Thursday, completing a special session called to offset anticipated federal funding cuts to state programs. Senators adjourned just after noon, while the House remained in session until 5:15 p.m. All five bills brought up that align with the issues listed in the governor’s proclamation for the special session […]
Category: Communities
Posted inAlbuquerque
Will the government shutdown affect Balloon Fiesta? We asked. Here’s what we found.
Hundreds of thousands of visitors are flying into Albuquerque for the Balloon Fiesta, just as a federal government shutdown puts Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers on the job without pay. Starting Saturday, Oct. 4, those screeners will handle the airport’s busiest week of the year. So far, federal and local officials said the shutdown hasn’t […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov.
Adding shutdown pressure, Trump cuts Dem state climate funds, including $195.2 million from New Mexico
New Mexico Congressional offices were caught by surprise on Thursday when they the Trump administration announced on social media that it had canceled more than $8 billion Congressionally-approved appropriations in 16 “Blue States,” including New Mexico. Inquiries from reporters, including our own, seeking details received automated responses blaming Democrats for the shutdown. Hours later, a […]
Posted inNM Legislature
Gov., legislators move quickly to OK $150 million for healthcare, SNAP and public broadcasting to backfill fed funding cuts
New Mexico legislators gathered at the Roundhouse on Wednesday and quickly passed legislation authorizing more than $161 million in one-time spending to fill state budgets gaps for healthcare, food assistance for the needy and public broadcasting stations caused by federal spending cancelations pushed through Congress by President Trump and Republicans last spring. In line with […]
Posted inOpinion
Government shutdown signals heartburn ahead for New Mexicans
Alex Ross is a senior politics and legislative reporter for the New Mexico Political Report. He began his career in daily journalism in Montana and previously worked as a breaking news and politics reporter. At midnight on Wednesday, the federal government went into shutdown mode, and if the last shutdown was any indication, New Mexico […]
Posted inPolitics & Elections
Albuquerque mayoral candidates debate crime, homelessness at NAIOP forum
Six Albuquerque mayoral hopefuls clashed over crime, homelessness and housing Tuesday, Sept. 30, at a business forum, laying out starkly different visions for a city struggling with safety concerns and stalled growth. The forum at Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown, hosted by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) New Mexico chapter and 13 business […]
Posted inNew Mexico, New Mexico Statewide News, NM Legislature, State News
House Republicans slam Democrats ahead of special session
Leading Republicans in the New Mexico House of Representatives on Tuesday accused Democrats of failing to include the most urgent issues facing the state on the agenda for the upcoming special session. “We know the issues that are facing New Mexicans every day, but progressives refuse to address the real emergencies that we have and […]
Posted inLocal Gov.
United Stadium moving forward — quietly
After years of delays, New Mexico United’s stadium at Balloon Fiesta Park moved closer to reality. Monday, Sept. 29, Mayor Tim Keller announced construction will begin this winter with a 2028 opening target — though officials stayed silent on a Court of Appeals case challenging the project filed just six weeks ago. The announcement, made […]
Posted inNM State Gov.
Special session set to get underway
The 112 members of the New Mexico House of Representatives and Senate will return to the Roundhouse on Wednesday for a special session that will concentrate on legislation to deal with the expected cuts in federal funding to the state. Last month, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-NM, announced she would use the authority granted to […]
Posted inPolitics & Elections
Daniel Chavez ends mayoral bid following staffer accusation, plummeting polls
Last week, City Desk ABQ reported that Albuquerque mayoral candidate Daniel Chavez had not disclosed to voters that he was facing battery charges for inappropriately touching a former staffer. This weekend, a new poll found that he had earned just six percent of support. Now the parking lot company owner says he’s had enough and […]