I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
Just after five on Friday afternoon, legislative leaders met with Gov. Bill Richardson to discuss a budget proposal put together by the leadership. Emerging from the meeting, House Speaker Ben Lujan told the Independent he hopes the governor responds to their proposal today or tomorrow.
A handout distributed to legislators detailed a plan that would net roughly $630 million in savings, coming close to addressing an estimated $660 million shortfall in the budget year that ends July 1. It would cut $74.3 million from state agencies, $90 million from K-12 public education and $32 million from higher education.
It does not appear to cut state workers’ salaries by a 2.5 percent, or raise taxes, as other scenarios have suggested.
The plan would come up with other revenue to plug the budget hole through fund transfers, including $50 million from sweeping various state accounts of unspent money; and $60 million taken from the state’s college affordability program.
Under this option, the Legislature would also void $112 million in money spent on brick-and-mortar projects around the state.
The state would use federal stimulus dollars for education and other programs to plug the budget hole.
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