Albuquerque nonprofit offers cooling relief for unhoused folks and their pets
436 Views As a heatwave continues to scorch the Southwest, Albuquerque is seeing an unusual run of triple-digit days. Heat advisories warn of health consequences for everyone, but unhoused people are particularly vulnerable. And the homeless population statewide has surged by 48% over the last year.
NM puts wildfire management funds into hiring and recovery
502 Views In the wake of last year’s record-breaking wildfire season, the New Mexico Legislature and the federal government injected money into the state to help communities recover and prevent future fires.
Environment Department adds new clean water violations to database
694 Views The New Mexico Environment Department’s database for alleged violations logged about 200 entries related to clean water last month. About 40% of the notices went to one organization, and a small water association was referred to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over continued violations.
Forest Service says it’s not obligated to follow state law on prescribed burns
369 Views The U.S. Forest Service scheduled two prescribed burns last week in the southwest part of the state despite a red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service. Ultimately the agency burned the day before, but not the day of the warning.
Gallup City Council hears public comment concerning potential abortion ban
486 Views Gallup may be the next city in New Mexico to pursue adopting an anti-abortion ordinance. Tensions ran high at the city’s council meeting late Tuesday evening as each side made its case in support of or opposition to the proposed ordinance.
Legislative Finance Committee extends timeline for hiring new director
417 Views The powerful Legislative Finance Committee held its first interim meeting this week and appointed Charles Sallee as interim director. The committee is extending its search for a permanent director.
New Mexico groups issue joint disapproval of climate vetoes
490 Views Many climate scientists and researchers point to meaningful legislative action as the most effective path forward to both mitigate and adapt to a changing climate. New Mexico’s past legislative session had climate groups feeling hopeful –– but a series of line-item vetoes from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham left them disappointed.
Efforts to reform unpaid legislature down to the wire in last days of session
422 Views Lawmakers in New York State make more than $140,000 a year. Their counterparts in New Hampshire bring in just $100. In New Mexico, legislators receive a per diem, mileage and retirement benefits, but they are the only lawmakers in the country who don’t get a penny for the actual work they do.
Doña Ana County clerk sent evidence of online threats by Solomon Peña to FBI months ago
477 Views A former Republican legislative candidate accused of coordinating recent shootings at the homes of several Democratic elected officials in Albuquerque is scheduled to be arraigned Friday morning. But an elections official says she reported him to the FBI last year–months before the attacks and his arrest.
With a national EV charging network on the horizon, can New Mexico keep up?
516 Views Billions of dollars for electric vehicle infrastructure is making its way into communities across the country –– with an emphasis on tribal and rural areas. While this is a crucial first step for equitable access to modern technology, much more needs to be done to make EVs in New Mexico a feasible reality.
