Posted inHousing & Homelessness

Opt-In Zoning proposal suffers decisive defeat in committee

Albuquerque’s opt-in zoning proposal suffered a decisive defeat on Wednesday when the City Council’s Land Use, Planning and Zoning Committee voted 4-1 against it after many people spoke in public testimony, most of them neighbors opposed to the plan. The resolution, sponsored by City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn for Mayor Tim Keller, would have let property […]

Posted inNM State Gov.

Gov.’s “crime emergency” for Rio Arriba includes OK for National Guard, but other strategies funded first

New Mexico’s emergency declaration for the Española area prioritizes immediate, flexible support for overwhelmed local law enforcement rather than deploying additional state personnel, according to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office. The $750,000 in emergency funding authorized under Executive Order 2025-358 Wednesday will directly support Rio Arriba County, Española and Pueblo police departments through overtime pay […]

Posted inNew Mexico, NM State Gov.

Governor declares emergency in Española area amid crime surge

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency Wednesday for Rio Arriba County, the city of Española and surrounding Pueblo communities in response to what officials describe as an overwhelming surge in violent crime and drug trafficking that has strained local law enforcement resources. The emergency declaration, issued through Executive Order 2025-358, […]

Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety

ACLU on National Guard deployments in D.C. and Albuquerque: ‘Political Theater Won’t Make Us Safer’

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico is speaking out against the use of military forces for civilian law enforcement, criticizing both President Trump’s recent deployment of National Guard troops to Washington D.C. and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s ongoing use of Guard personnel in Albuquerque. “In our country, a simple, foundational principle is that […]

Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety

Failed New Mexico House candidate sentenced to 80 Years for role in shootings at local Democrats’ homes

A failed Republican legislative candidate was sentenced to 80 years in federal prison on Wednesday for hiring gunmen to shoot at the homes of four Democratic elected officials in the Albuquerque area following his 2022 election defeat. A U.S. District Judge handed down the sentence to Solomon Peña, 41, during an 11 a.m. hearing in […]

Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., New Mexico

Heinrich hosts roundtable on federal energy legislation’s impact on New Mexico

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), the ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, held a roundtable discussion on Friday to examine the potential effects of federal energy legislation on New Mexico’s utility costs and employment. The roundtable included representatives from Western Resource Advocates, the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, the New Mexico Renewable […]

Posted inHousing & Homelessness

Neighborhood groups clash with City Hall over voluntary zoning changes in Albuquerque

Albuquerque property owners could soon choose to increase housing density on their lots under a proposed resolution heading to committee review this week. Resolution 25-167, the Opt-In Zoning Ordinance, sponsored by City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn for Mayor Tim Keller, would let property owners choose to rezone for higher-density or mixed-use development. The measure goes before […]

Less than 90 days until election day, challengers post weak fundraising numbers in bid to oust Keller

Donations large and small from family members, real estate developers and cannabis companies helped the leading challengers to incumbent Mayor Tim Keller raise a combined $170,000 in just under 30 days, but all of that effort was dwarfed by Keller’s single contribution: a $733,000 contribution from the city’s public financing account. Candidates for all city […]