It’s a crisis, our children are hungry
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We have an obligation to make sure every child is fed – and without them having to choose between 1st-hour reading or eating in the cafeteria because their bus may have been late. Continue Reading
Budget concerns cast cloud over session in final stretch
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Ever-shrinking revenue projections caused by plummeting oil and gas prices have cast dark clouds over the budget and forced lawmakers to deal with the possibility of deep cuts. Whispers about the need for a special session are growing louder every day. Continue Reading
Schools, lawmakers grapple with feeding kids breakfast
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Some say as it works now, Breakfast After the Bell disrupts learning time and creates a mess in classrooms. They would like to see the breakfast served before the first bell, preferably in the cafeteria. Continue Reading
Senate OKs 10-day timeout for young athletes with head injuries
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Players would be required to sit out at least 10 days after being diagnosed with a concussion if the bill becomes law. The current wait is seven days. Continue Reading
It’s time to create a transparent ethics commission
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Some want less transparency in the Ethics Commission’s operations. I believe one of the pillars of ethical conduct is transparency. Continue Reading
Committee OKs ‘three-strikes’ law after emotional testimony
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“My daughter was 4 years old when she was shot in the head on Oct. 20 by an individual who should not have been out on the street,” Veronica Garcia, the mother of 4-year-old Lilly Garcia, told the committee. Continue Reading
Senate committee takes hatchet to state budget plan
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A Senate panel took another bite out of government spending Saturday, moving forward with a budget that as of now reduces basic government operations in New Mexico by $7.4 million starting July 1. Continue Reading
Compromise on driver’s licenses soars through Senate
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New Mexico’s rancorous five-year fight over allowing immigrants without legal status to drive lawfully is within an eyelash of being resolved. Continue Reading
How clean energy can unite left and right
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Lawmakers have an opportunity to support a green-energy agenda that can not only advance the economy and protect the environment but actually unite New Mexicans of diverse political persuasions. Continue Reading
Billions of dollars sitting in state accounts, state auditor says
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How is it even possible that state Auditor Tim Keller claims billions of dollars sit idle in state bank accounts when some of it can be used for construction projects around New Mexico? It’s complicated. Continue Reading
Effort to take politics out of capital outlay fizzles in first hearing
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Lawmakers from rural areas opposed the legislation, saying they believed important projects in their districts would be downgraded or ignored if they lost a direct say-so in the process. Continue Reading
Governor, immigrant group both claim victory in driver’s license compromise
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Both Gov. Susana Martinez and immigrant advocates claimed victory after a Senate committee on Friday approved a compromise bill that would allow immigrants without legal status a way to drive legally — and would exempt many of them from a requirement to be fingerprinted. Continue Reading
Bail bond industry wins compromise on constitutional amendment
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As part of a compromise, language was dropped that would have allowed nonviolent indigent offenders to be released without posting bail. Instead, they will have to file a petition with a judge to ask for release. Continue Reading
Put our families first, fix the budget crisis
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We need our leaders to fund a state budget that addresses our economic crisis and the needs of everyday New Mexicans. Continue Reading
House committee kills proposal to appoint PRC members
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Voters — and not the governor — will continue to choose members of the Public Regulation Commission for the foreseeable future. Continue Reading