Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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SANTA FE — New Mexico's red flag gun law continues to generate heated debate nearly five years after its 2020 approval. A bill expanding the law that allows firearms to temporarily be taken away from those deemed a danger to themselves or others advanced Tuesday at the Roundhouse, but only after facing fierce opposition from gun rights advocates and Republican lawmakers. After several hours of debate that featured numerous hypothetical questions from GOP legislators, the bill passed the House Consumer and Public Affairs C...
SANTA FE — In the run-up to every general election since 2016, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver's office has sent out mailers to potentially eligible but unregistered voters in New Mexico. But this year's batch of 105,000 postcards generated particular alarm among some Republican legislators, who say ineligible voters in their districts were among those who received the mailers. "As trust in our institutions continues to worsen, it is unconscionable to think that our top election official may be advising n...
SANTA FE — Former state senator John Arthur Smith, a conservative Democrat who carved out a reputation for bucking governors' spending plans, died early Monday, a caucus spokesman said. Smith, a Deming real estate appraiser, served in the Legislature from 1989 until 2020, when he was ousted by a primary opponent. News of his death prompted a moment of silence at Monday's annual meeting of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association. Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, who served with Smith in the Senate, said he felt heartbroken by Smith's p...
SANTA FE — Amid a dispute with lawmakers over high crime rates, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's administration is contesting the findings of a legislative report about unspent public safety appropriations. After a legislative report found about 56% of the roughly $424 million appropriated over the past five years for public safety initiatives had been spent, a state budget agency conducted its own review. Its analysis concluded about 72% of such one-time funding has been spent or is in the process of being spent. Wayne P...
SANTA FE — There weren't many surprises during Friday's televised debate when it came to Michelle Lujan Grisham and Mark Ronchetti's stances on abortion, crime and education. But the incumbent Democratic governor and her Republican rival found some unexpected common ground on the issue of homelessness, with both saying they would crack down on certain activities while expanding services to those willing to utilize them. Specifically, Lujan Grisham said she would push for legislation to restrict panhandling and criminal t...
SANTA FE — With Election Day less than six weeks away, Republican Mark Ronchetti continues to hammer away at Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's record on crime. In a recently launched TV ad, Ronchetti criticized a Lujan Grisham executive order from April 2020 that, over two-plus years, authorized more than 700 inmates to be released early from prison due to the COVID-19 pandemic, provided they met specific criteria that included being scheduled for release within the next 30 days. A spokeswoman for the Democratic governor said t...
SANTA FE — You can't legally buy it yet, but cannabis is no longer prohibited in New Mexico when it comes to possession and home growing. After years of debate, New Mexico became the 17th state to legalize recreational cannabis for users 21 and over Tuesday when a new law greenlighting the long illegal drug took effect. But the task of setting up a new weed industry from scratch is far from finished. A virtual rules hearing on the initial batch of proposed state rules governing marijuana licensing and plant count limits s...
SANTA FE — New Mexico will join about 15 other states in requiring businesses to provide paid sick leave for their workers — but not until July of next year — under a measure signed into law Thursday by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The sick leave bill, House Bill 20, was one of 10 bills signed by the governor on Thursday. It generated pointed debate at the Roundhouse during the session after a year in which the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on workers and businesses alike. Even the governor expressed misgivings about the i...
SANTA FE — After years of hitting a brick wall at the Roundhouse, cannabis legalization finally burst through on Wednesday. New Mexico is poised to join a wave of other states in legalizing and taxing recreational cannabis sales, after both the House and Senate voted to approve a special session bill during a marathon day at the Roundhouse that featured lengthy debates and stinging political accusations. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who has pushed for creation of what could be a multimillion-dollar industry, said she would s...
SANTA FE — After a cannabis legalization bill fizzled in the final hours of this year’s 60-day legislative session, a small group of New Mexico lawmakers have been working in recent days to plant the seed for a possible bipartisan breakthrough. They will have that chance after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Friday she will call lawmakers back to the state Capitol for a special session starting Tuesday. In addition to the proposal to legalize recreational marijuana for adult users, the governor also said she would add to...
SANTA FE — The push to legalize recreational cannabis for New Mexico adults will have to wait after stalling in the final hours of this year’s 60-day legislative session — but maybe not for long. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said she plans to call lawmakers back to the Capitol for a special session on marijuana legalization in about a week, adding a framework for a deal that was already largely in place despite its failure to win final approval. “It’s not really goodbye — it’s take a rest and I’ll see you soon,” Lujan Gr...
SANTA FE — A proposal to require paid sick leave in New Mexico beat the deadline Saturday and passed the Legislature with less than an hour to spare. But the noon adjournment extinguished any chance of a last-minute deal on cannabis legalization — a proposal that could resurface in a special session. The last 24 hours at the Capitol included a burst of activity as New Mexico lawmakers signed off on proposals to establish an independent redistricting committee, extend public financing to District Court judicial candidates and...
SANTA FE — Citing heartburn over hefty possible revenue losses, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is asking President Joe Biden to give New Mexico a break when it comes to crafting new federal policies on oil and natural gas leasing and permitting on federal lands. In a Monday letter, Lujan Grisham praised Biden for taking action to address “global climate change” but said New Mexico has already taken steps to increase its renewable energy industry and tighten emission and waste standards for the oil and natural gas indus...
SANTA FE — Two competing bills to legalize recreational cannabis in New Mexico moved forward last week at the Roundhouse, setting up a high-stakes showdown that will play out during the final days of this year’s 60-day legislative session. Both bills approved by a Senate committee were revised in recent days as backers worked to address trouble spots and shore up support, while several other cannabis legalization measures were withdrawn in an attempt to avoid a marijuana backlog. “The clock is ticking on the session, but I...
SANTA FE — The battle over paid sick leave for New Mexico private sector employees took a new twist Monday, with backers agreeing to delay the effective date of a mandatory leave bill until July 2022. The pushed-back implementation date, which the bill’s sponsor said was chosen with input from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office, frustrated some bill supporters and did not win over business groups that have strongly opposed the measure. But the revised measure, House Bill 20, ultimately cleared its first assigned Senat...
SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law Wednesday two new stimulus measures, authorizing a fresh round of financial relief for New Mexico low-income workers, restaurants and small businesses. Backers say the two signed bills, which took effect immediately upon being signed, could help thousands of New Mexicans navigate the final throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. “This pandemic has been devastating for everyone, but the pain has been spread unequally,” Lujan Grisham said Wednesday. “My hope is these economi...
SANTA FE — A $200 million pandemic relief bill aimed at propping up hard-hit New Mexico essential workers and restaurants is headed to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's desk for approval, after breezing through the state House on Wednesday. The 66-1 vote to approve the bill, part of a larger pandemic stimulus package, happened at the end of a long House floor session. Perhaps tired and screen-weary after lengthy debate on several other measures, House members did not offer any debate on the relief bill before voting to pass it. "...
SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's recent suggestion that this might not be the right time for New Mexico lawmakers to pass bills imposing new requirements on businesses — including mandatory paid leave and a higher minimum wage — surprised advocates who say such measures are needed to protect front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. And backers of the bills, which have already drawn fierce debate during the 60-day legislative session, said Tuesday they would keep pushing the measures despite the gover...
SANTA FE — A bill allowing college athletes in New Mexico to make money from endorsement deals and sponsorships is headed to the House after winning decisive approval in the Senate. Members of the Senate voted 39-0 on Friday to approve the measure, Senate Bill 94, which is similar to laws passed in California, Colorado and several other states. "Our student athletes should be able to benefit from their hard work and earn a living," said Sen. Mark Moores, R-Albuquerque, a former University of New Mexico football player who i...
SANTA FE — New Mexico hit the halfway point of its unusual 60-day session Thursday with abortion-rights legislation and pandemic relief measures speeding toward passage. But hundreds of other proposals — ranging from cannabis legalization to restricting the governor's emergency powers — hang in the balance as legislators begin the crucial back stretch of the session. "There's plenty of time still," said Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque. "The last few days is when most of the action happens, unfortunately." It's already...
SANTA FE — With New Mexico at the center of a climate change debate, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration has asked the U.S. Department of Interior to clarify the workings of a recent order dealing with oil and natural gas drilling on public lands. In a letter last week, state Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Secretary Sarah Cottrell Propst said uncertainty caused by the order has already caused oil rigs to leave New Mexico for Texas, where federal land is more sparse. “The recent DOI order achieves impor...
SANTA FE — Different Senate, different vote. Two years after voting down a bill that would have repealed a long-dormant New Mexico abortion ban, a new-look state Senate voted 25-17 on Thursday to approve similar legislation. The vote, which occurred after more than three hours of emotional and sometimes testy debate, sets the stage for the Democratic-controlled House to give final approval to the measure as early as this week and send it on to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “We can hold our own moral values about abortion and...
SANTA FE — A package of bills aimed at buoying New Mexico workers, restaurants and bars hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic is picking up steam at the Roundhouse. A key Senate committee on Thursday approved two pandemic relief bills without dissent, including a measure that includes $600 rebates for New Mexico workers who make less than $15 per hour and a four-month tax holiday for restaurants, breweries, food trucks and other dining establishments. That bill, along with several others, is expected to be voted on this week b...
SANTA FE — Two bills seeking to add New Mexico to the ranks of Western states that have legalized recreational cannabis for adult users were introduced in the state Senate on Monday. Additional proposals could be filed in the coming days. The proposals filed Monday offer different road maps for marijuana legalization, which backers say is likely to happen this year after last year’s election cycle led to shake-ups in the Legislature. One measure, Senate Bill 288, filed by Sen. Cliff Pirtle, R-Roswell, would require at lea...
SANTA FE — New Mexico has largely been a state divided by region when it comes to such issues as environmental regulations, pandemic-related school closures and gun rights laws. A proposal filed Monday by a Roswell Republican would take those divisions a step further by allowing counties to petition the Legislature to actually secede from the state — either to join a neighboring state or create a new state. The proposed constitutional amendment, filed by Sen. Cliff Pirtle, likely faces long odds at the Roundhouse but could tr...
