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.
Using his line-item veto authority, Gov. Bill Richardson last week canceled a legislative demand that his administration trim 1,900 vacant positions from state government. Now lawmakers want to know why. “It was a good-faith effort on our part to show that we were trying to downsize government at every level,” said Rep. Luciano “Lucky” Varela, D-Santa Fe, who sounded piqued Monday by the governor’s action.
The numbers are big and the money bigger, but the bottom line is New Mexico could find $280 million to help fix its budget. Rep. Dennis Roch, R-Tucumcari will try to bring an amendment to the state budget bill that…
By most estimates the cost of the 2010 special session is $50,000 a day. It a number that weighs heavy on the minds of law makers as they try to tackle the states budget crunch. “Everyday of the…
By a vote of 65 to three Thursday morning, the House overwhelmingly passed legislation that would prevent the vast majority of government retirees after that date from earning both a pension and government paycheck, commonly referred to as “double dipping.”
The House has easily approved the creation of a publicly accessible, online database of financial information from government agencies in New Mexico that would include the names of exempt employees but not classified employees.
Anyone convicted of domestic violence in the previous three years would be disqualified from being hired as a police officer if legislation passed by the House Monday becomes law.
House Speaker Ben Lujan’s bill to implement a temporary half-cent hike in the state’s gross receipts tax would presumably not have passed earlier today if two Republican members hadn’t missed the vote.
On Wednesday night, NMI hosted our third Independent Forum event with Sen. Dede Feldman, Rep. Dennis Roch and Sarah Welsh of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government. We had a lively discussion that ranged from taxes…
Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez has the public backing of 25 percent of Republican state senators and representatives–10 of 40. What does it mean? Do endorsements matter? Depends on whom you ask.
Could Barack Obama have Election Day coattails long enough to reach down into the New Mexico Legislature? That’s certainly the hope of state Democrats — and the fear of at least a few Republicans. Thanks to clever redistricting, most seats in the 112-member body have remained remarkably stable for years. But at least a few are drawing intense interest, and money, in this election cycle.
