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.
All told, $150 million could be saved if the state abandoned more than 1,500 stalled brick-and-mortar projects around the state, as proposed by a bill introduced in the state Senate Monday afternoon.
The money would help the state beef up this year’s reserves, but the effects of the cancelled projects would be felt in all of the state’s 33 counties, especially Bernalillo.
Nearly $2 million earmarked for domestic violence shelters statewide could vanish. So could $1.1 million meant to renovate pre-kindergarten classrooms and half a million dollars dedicated to programs helping Native American suffering from mental illness or struggling with substance abuse.
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Park would see $400,000 disappear, including money for a railroad spur to the RailRunner commuter train. Also disappearing would be nearly $200,000 for Albuquerque’s Explora Children’s Museum and Science Center.
In the state’s capital, $673,000 for Santa Fe Opera rehearsal hall would disappear as well, as would $250,000 for a Santa Fe River crossing bridge.
Over the next few days, many state lawmakers will review the over 60-page list to see if one or more of their projects made the cut. The gyms, senior centers and bridges built with state money money are often viewed as tangible evidence of what the lawmakers are doing for the districts. The buildings, in many lawmakers’ minds, are a calling card to voters come re-election time. “See what I’ve done for you lately,” the projects say.
Most members of the New Mexico House of Representatives are standing for re-election this fall.
If enough state lawmakers become upset over the bill, it could distract from the Legislature’s No. 1 goal: reaching a state budget deal.
Under the proposed legislation, Bernalillo County would lose $44 million in projects money, while Santa Fe County could lose $14 million, according to state documents that summarize the bill’s contents.
Nearly $10 million would disappear for various statewide projects, from the domestic violence shelters to money for clean energy projects.
The bill, SB 182, is the result of a months-long, labor-intensive effort by executive and legislative staff to identify brick-and-mortar projects that are stalled.
UPDATED 6:15 p.m. Monday:
Here’s the link to the capital outlay bill and the list of projects.
