New Mexico Political Report

Lawmakers take field trip to get firsthand taste of school meals

By Daniel J. Chacón, The Santa Fe New Mexican

New Mexico Political Report

 Scrase announces retirement as state human services secretary

By Phill Casaus and Daniel J. Chacón

New Mexico Political Report

Law to ban discrimination against organ donor recipients has support

Three legislators filed a bill to prevent patients from being denied an organ donation due to mental or physical disability from happening in New Mexico, dubbed Glory’s Law.

New Mexico Political Report

Additional learning time soars through key committee with bipartisan support

By Robert Nott, The Santa Fe New Mexican

Piñon Post

by: Renato Costa

NMPED Secretary Kurt Steinhaus quits Lujan Grisham administrationby Renato Costa January 28, 202

On Saturday, Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) secretary, Dr. Kurt Steinhaus, announced his departure from the governor’s administration.

New Mexico Political Report

As Water Trust Fund dries up, Wirth champions bill to infuse it with $250M

By Daniel J. Chacón, The Santa Fe New Mexican

New Mexico Political Report

Bill would add penalties for livestock rustling

By Robert Nott, The Santa Fe New Mexican

New Mexico Political Report

Governor-backed fund would address shortage of health care providers in rural areas

By Daniel J. Chacón, The Santa Fe New Mexican

Piñon Post

by: Renato Costa

Tucker Carlson interviews Rep. Lord about bill to castrate pedophiles by Renato Costa January 26, 202

On Thursday night, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson of Tucker Carlson Tonight interviewed New Mexico state Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) about a bill, H.

New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan

by: Joe Monahan

Politicos Play Act Over Pretrial Detention Bill While It Hangs From The Gallows; Time For Another Script, Plus: Some Santa Fe Movin' And Shakin'  

MLG (Moore, Journal)Can someone please explain this? The Governor holds a news conference to trot out a crime-fighting package with its centerpiece the pretrial detention bill and at the same news conference she cozies up to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Joe Cervantes who is going to kill that very bill.

New Mexico Political Report

Expansion of prohibition of storage of radioactive waste bill heads to judiciary committee

A bill that would expand the current prohibition on storing radioactive waste in New Mexico passed its first committee—the Senate Conservation Committee—on Tuesday on a 6-1 vote.

New Mexico Political Report

Funding to support rebuilding after fire passes committee while spring burn ban dies

With questions remaining surrounding allocation of federal assistance, the communities impacted by the largest wildfire in state history are asking the legislature for $100 million to replace and repair infrastructure destroyed or damaged by the blaze.

New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan

by: Joe Monahan

Voting Rights Bill Is Back; Election Day A Holiday? Plus: Abbey Adjusts; Longtime LFC Director Navigates Major Change With New Leadership 

A state holiday on Election Day? That's about the only deal-breaker in this year's voting rights bill that is surfacing at the Roundhouse.

Piñon Post

by: John Block

Bill limiting governor’s emergency powers passes through first committee 

On Wednesday, H.B. 80, sponsored by Rep. Greg Nibert (R-Chaves), passed through its first committee with vast bipartisan support.

New Mexico Political Report

Bill to classify natural gas as renewable dies in first committee

A Republican-sponsored bill attempting to get combined cycle natural gas included in the definition of renewable energy died in its first committee on Tuesday.

New Mexico Political Report

Lawmakers begin to examine differences in executive and legislative spending plans

By Daniel J. Chacón, The Santa Fe New Mexican

Piñon Post

by: Renato Costa

Dems looking to resurrect extremist pro-voter fraud billby Renato Costa January 24, 202

Democrats are planning on resurrecting the failed bill they tried to pass in the last legislative session that was filibustered down by Republicans in the final hours.

New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan

by: Joe Monahan

Ban The Bottle? Senator Tries To Limit Roundhouse Boozing; Wants Lawmakers "To Be Professional," Plus: Rep. Vasquez Irked Over Not Meeting Biden At El Paso Immigration Visit But He Had An Earlier Chance  

Sen. Pope Here's a topic near and dear to the hearts of some of our New Mexico lawmakers. ABQ Dem Senator Harold Pope wants to ban the boozing at the venerable Roundhouse, or at least strictly limit when senators can imbibe.

New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan

by: Joe Monahan

The Crime Beat: Another Defeat Anticipated For Pretrial Detention Bill But Controversial Court Tool May Be Cut, Plus: More Pena: GOP Embarrassed After Electing Him To Post But Their Reaction To Alleged Crimes Seems Mild, Plus: Drug Money Used In His House Campaign? 

Sen. CervantesThe stunning shootings of homes of four elected officials allegedly engineered by failed GOP House candidate Solomon Pena doesn't seem to be moving the needle on that controversial pretrial detention bill that's back at the Roundhouse.

Piñon Post

by: Renato Costa

NM House committee hearing anti-gun bill on Tuesdayby Renato Costa January 22, 202

On Tuesday, the New Mexico House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee (HCPAC) will meet to consider an extreme anti-gun bill, H.

New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan

by: Joe Monahan

Pena Case Gets More Political As APD Chief Blasts Finding At His First Court Appearance, Plus: Pena And The Pretrial Detention Bill, Also: Bregman's Black Hat And Some Blog Bottom Lines  

Pena in courtSolomon Pena has done the near impossible. He's made politicians look sympathetic--and he's the gift that keeps on giving to them.

New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan

by: Joe Monahan

Roundhouse Rocked On Opening Day: State's Fiscal Direction Takes U Turn As Conservative Lundstrom Is Stripped of Powerful Chairmanship; Liberal Nathan Small Takes The Helm As New Speaker Martinez Consolidates Power And As MLG Pushes For New Spending Amid Historic Surpluses 

Speaker Martinez (Moore, Journal)Open the floodgates. A huge gusher of money is about to flood through courtesy of a new House Speaker and a Governor unshackled from re-election worries and armed with the most massive cash kitty in New Mexican history.

Piñon Post

by: Renato Costa

Anti-gun bills referred to legislative committeesby Renato Costa January 18, 202

On the second day of the 2023 Legislative Session, progressive legislation was referred to House committees for consideration. Some of the proposals include sweeping gun bans to assault New Mexicans’ constitutional rights.

Piñon Post

by: Renato Costa

Opening day: MLG goes leftward, Dems boot moderate from powerful chair postby Renato Costa January 17, 202

On Tuesday, the New Mexico Legislature met for the first session of the 56th Legislature, which is meeting for 60 days this year.

New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan

by: Joe Monahan

Arrest of Former GOP House Candidate In Shootings Has Political Implications And Raises Questions, Plus: 60 Day Legislative Session Kicks Off Today; So What's Missing?  

Pena arrested (Rosales, Journal)The 112 legislators gathered at the capitol today are breathing a sigh of relief in the wake of an arrest on the eve of the session related to the recent shootings that targeted the homes of ABQ based politicos.

Piñon Post

by: Piñon Post

Report: Suspect arrested in connection with shootings targeting Dem politiciansby Piñon Post January 16, 202

On Monday, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) revealed that Solomon Peña, a former GOP candidate for state House of Representatives District 14 was arrested at his Albuquerque home.

New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan

by: Joe Monahan

Legislative Session Not The Only Center Of Power This Week; Giant Medicaid Program Set To Choose Companies Tasked With Providing Health Care To Nearly Half of All New Mexicans 

The start of the 2023 legislative session tomorrow isn't the only big news in Santa Fe this week. One of the most impactful financial and healthcare decisions will be made when the NM Human Services Department announces the companies that will be awarded contracts to run the state's Medicaid program for nearly 1 million lower income recipients--or almost half the state's population.

Piñon Post

by: Renato Costa

Dems drop two new radical anti-gun bills ahead of 2023 Legislatureby Renato Costa January 14, 202

On Thursday and Friday, Democrats dropped more anti-gun bills to assault New Mexicans’ Second Amendment rights

Piñon Post

by: John Block

Leger Fernandez defends vote against bill requiring care for abortion survivors

On Wednesday, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, that would require medical care for babies born alive after a failed abortion attempt.

Piñon Post

by: John Block

Dems drop second anti-gun bill of the 2023 Legislative Session

On Wednesday, Democrats dropped their latest anti-gun bill they will introduce this upcoming 2023 Legislative Session

Piñon Post

by: Renato Costa

Dems drop first anti-gun bill of the 2023 Legislative Sessionby Renato Costa January 12, 202

On Monday, far-left New Mexico state Rep. Patricia Roybal-Caballero (D-Bernalillo) dropped the Democrats’ first anti-gun bill of the 2023 Legislative Session, H.

New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan

by: Joe Monahan

Death Of Former ABQ Mayor Finally Confirmed After Over Three Years Of Silence; Why the News Was Squashed, Plus: The Life And Times Of Ken Schultz  

Mayor Ken SchultzHow could a former mayor of New Mexico's largest city be dead for three and a half years and no one have a clue that he is gone? That's the odd story of Ken Schultz, mayor of ABQ from1985-'89 who we have learned passed away in Henderson, Nevada in 2019 but only now has confirmation of his death become public.