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.
On the first day of the special session, protesters opposing the governor’s push to ban driver’s licenses rallied in the Capitol while tea party supporters supported the governor.
The 2011 legislative special session begins today in Santa Fe to deal with the once-per-decade process of redistricting, but Gov. Susana Martinez has demanded lawmakers repeal driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants and end social promotion for third-graders, among other provisions.
New Mexico Attorney General Gary King highlighted an expansion of an ethics law this morning that passed the Legislature and was signed by Gov. Susana Martinez. The expansion comes to New Mexico’s Governmental Conduct Act. The changes include adding local government officials to the list of public employees who are bound by its ethical provisions.
Reporter Heath Haussamen of NMPolitics.net says that he has “identified several potential IPRA violations” by Secretary of State Dianna Duran’s office over requests pertaining to alleged illegal voters in New Mexico.
New Mexico Democratic legislators are crying foul over a line item veto by Gov. Susana Martinez that they say overstates her constitutional authority. A spokesman for Martinez says that her administration believes that it is legal.
New Mexico Senators criticized vetoes made today by Gov. Susana Martinez. Sens. Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque, and George Munoz, D-Gallup, said a veto of a bill to create a health insurance exchange may mean more federal control of the insurance marketplace in New Mexico, while Alburquerque Sen. Tim Keller criticized Martinez for vetoing transparency and accountability measures.
Gov. Susana Martinez signed the $5.4 billion state budget today with a few line item vetoes, including $1.9 million in yearly funding and $2.6 million in one-time spending.
Gov. Susana Martinez signed legislation Monday that will strengthen regulatory power by the state on health insurance premium increases. The legislation is in response to large increases requested last year by Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico that were recently affirmed by the New Mexico Superintendent of Insurance.
At least one media outlet and the New Mexico chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said in recent days that they are having a hard time getting documents from the Secretary of State’s office about alleged illegal votes in New Mexico.
New Mexico will join most of the other states in the country in banning corporal punishment in schools. Gov. Susana Martinez announced Wednesday that she signed the legislation that would ban the practice of allowing school personnel to strike students to punish them.
One of the biggest duties of the state legislature this year will be dealing with the decennial redistricting of congressional and legislative seats following last year’s U.S. Census. The state legislature posted preliminary data on redistricting on its website Wednesday for congressional, state House, state Senate and Public Regulations Commission seats.
Gov. Susana Martinez signed a bill Tuesday that would grade school performances on an A–F scale, part of her plan to reform education in New Mexico.
Gov. Susana Martinez is currently deciding whether to sign a bill to ban a practice in New Mexico schools that many assume is a thing of the past — corporal punishment. New Mexico is one of 20 states that allow corporal, or physical, punishment in public schools.
Gov. Susana Martinez has promised to keep up the pressure on barring undocumented immigrants from receiving driver’s licenses despite the state House and Senate being unable to come to a compromise on legislation over the next two years.
Two bills that get a lot of attention and the capital outlay bill failed to pass the state legislature this year as they failed to gain approval from both chambers in the final hours of the state legislative session on Saturday.
The House stayed past midnight at the Roundhouse early Thursday morning to concur with changes that the Senate made to the budget and the film incentive cap, but the body failed to concur on the changes the Senate made on the retirement “swaps” legislation. The House will ask the Senate to recede from their amendments, and if the Senate doesn’t, the two houses would have a conference committee to iron out their differences.
The New Mexico House passed a bill Tuesday afternoon that would change the retirement fund for state workers who have been working for five years or less. The bill, which failed to pass the House this weekend, was brought back to life by Rep. Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque.
The New Mexico House failed to concur on Senate amendment to the controversial immigrant driver’s license bill Tuesday evening, likely setting the table for a conference committee. This could be the death knell for any attempt to bar illegal immigrants from receiving driver’s licenses in this year’s session.
The Senate intends to hear the budget bill today but other controversial bills, including the film tax credit legislation, will have to be heard first, perhaps signaling a long night in the Senate as time runs out in the 60-day session.
The New Mexico Independen is now participating in a liveblog with the KUNM Government Project to cover the action in the final days of the legislative session.
