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.
In an overwhelming 406-19 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve a bill that would strip health insurance companies of their anti-trust exemptions. All three Congressmen from New Mexico were cosponsors of H.R. 4626 and voted for the bill.
The only other industry that currently enjoys such an anti-trust exemption is Major League Baseball — and that dates back to a Supreme Court ruling in 1922 (since upheld twice by the Supreme Court).
“This bill puts the health of working families before the profits of health insurance companies,” said Martin Heinrich in a statement after the vote. “Competition and transparency must be restored in the health insurance market – by repealing the blanket antitrust exemption afforded to health insurance companies New Mexicans will receive a fair deal, as they should.”
“It is about time we start cracking down on the insurance companies who for years have gotten away with raising premiums on hard working New Mexicans,” said Harry Teague in a statement. “This bill will crack down on the worst corporate insurance practices and put some of the power back in the hands of the New Mexican families struggling to keep up with rate increases.”
“Today, we took an important step to hold insurance companies accountable for practices that harm consumers,” said Ben Ray Luján in a statement. “This legislation ends noncompetitive practices and forces insurance companies to compete with each other in the open market.”
The White House was on board with this proposal:
“Removing this exemption will allow appropriate enforcement and examination of potential policies that might prove uncompetitive, might stifle competition,” said Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary. “And we think this better promotes affordability and innovation through greater choice and less market concentration.”
Barring any obstruction in the Senate, though with nearly 300 bills awaiting awaiting concurrence in the Senate that is no sure thing, the bill should quickly be signed by the President.
