Concerns elsewhere aren’t stopping local town halls

Members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation are holding a number of town hall meetings on health-care reform despite the unruliness, shouting and occasional scuffles that have characterized similar meetings in some other states. Rep. Ben Ray Luján held a town hall meeting on health-care reform in Santa Fe on Monday. Sen. Jeff Bingaman is holding one today in Clovis. Rep. Harry Teague will hold a “Harry in Your Hometown” event in Las Cruces on Wednesday that could turn into a town hall or individual meetings with constituents, depending on the desires of those who attend. Rep. Martin Heinrich is holding a town hall in Albuquerque on Saturday. Continue Reading

Energy secretary to headline conference at NMSU

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu will be the keynote speaker later this month at New Mexico State University’s “Re-Energize America” conference on moving toward a clean-energy economy. Chu’s scheduled Aug. 31 speech was announced in a news release from U.S. Rep. Harry Teague, D-N.M., who is honorary chairman of the conference. “Having Secretary Chu join us in Las Cruces for this important conference clearly shows that this administration sees New Mexico as a key player in our nation’s energy future,” Teague said in the release. “New Mexico’s unique combination of traditional source reserves and the right climate and geography for capitalizing on emerging renewable technologies has positioned us as a true energy leader.” The two-day conference is designed to give participants opportunities to discuss how they can start or grow their own energy ventures. Continue Reading