- New Mexico lawmaker wants to let college athletes profit
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Republican state legislator and former university football lineman wants New Mexico to allow its student athletes to profit financially from their fame as the NCAA looks into possibly removing a longstanding prohibition on student earnings from sports. State Sen. Mark Moores of Albuquerque says he's drafting legislation with the help of a Democratic Senate colleague that would allow students to profit indirectly from their participation in college sports. Moores played as a lineman for the University of New Mexico football squad from 1988 through 1991. Separately, Moores has filed legislation seeking $500,000 to shore up mental health services for student athletes.
- NMSU professor gets grant for antibiotic-resistance research
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A researcher at New Mexico State University has been awarded $1.5 million from the National Institutes of Health for her work on antibiotic resistance. The university says professor Paola Mera will use the five-year grant for equipment and manpower that will be aimed at identifying new targets that can help others design new antibiotics so the growth of resistant bacteria can be controlled. Bacteria can grow from one cell to billions in less than a day. Mera's approach is to find out how bacteria maintain their genetic information intact after every cell division while growing so fast.
- Petition seeks federal protections for Rio Grande fish
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Environmentalists are asking federal wildlife managers to use the Endangered Species Act to protect a fish found only in the Rio Grande in Texas and the Pecos River in New Mexico. WildEarth Guardians filed the petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday, saying it is part of a campaign focused on vulnerable species found in rivers and streams across the West. The group contends the Rio Grande shiner is one of the aquatic and riparian species that will not survive into the next century without a significant change in the way rivers are managed.
- New Mexico switches to new licensing test for teachers
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico has opted for a new teacher candidate exam system that will mean a higher price tag for those taking the test for the first time. Information from the state Public Education Department shows that the change will cost teacher candidates up to $50 more for required assessments at the get-go. But officials tell the Albuquerque Journal that the new system will provide more support to test takers and retakes will be free. Under the previous testing platform, a candidate would pay full price for a second go at the exam.
- NATIONAL FORESTS-FEES
US forests in New Mexico consider new recreation feesALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Federal land managers are proposing adding new recreation fees and doing away with some developed recreational sites around New Mexico that are managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The agency is seeking public comment on proposed changes that would affect campgrounds and day-use sites on the Carson, Cibola, Gila, Lincoln and Santa Fe national forests. Regional forest officials say they're looking for ideas that may help cut costs and leverage resources when it comes to managing developed sites. They say it has become increasingly expensive to maintain and improve sites due to aging facilities, increases in visitation and limited resources.
- New Mexico governor seeks new investments in education
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is urging legislators at the outset of the state's annual legislative session to rally around new financial commitments to public education. The commitments range from a trust fund for early childhood educational to free college tuition for local residents. Lujan Grisham on Tuesday delivered her second State of the State speech as legislators weigh pending priorities for an $800 million budget surplus tied to a booming oil sector. She boasted about job growth and called for the legalization of recreational marijuana, saying it has the potential to be "the next frontier" of New Mexico's economic expansion.
- New Mexico governor seeks money for early childhood programs
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham urged legislators to legalize recreational marijuana, underwrite tuition-free college for local residents and boost spending on early childhood education amid efforts to improve economic opportunity. The Legislature convened Tuesday for a 30-day legislative session. New Mexico's Democrat-led Legislature is reaching for new ways to bolster a lagging public education system, open up new employment opportunities. Public safety also are on the agenda in the wake of the August 2019 mass shooting in nearby El Paso, Texas, and a spate of homicides in Albuquerque.
- New Mexico regulators open hearing on PNM replacement power
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico regulators are hearing from the public as they consider plans by the state's largest electric utility to replace the power that will be lost when the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station closes in 2022. The hearing that began Tuesday before the Public Regulation Commission will stretch into next week, but it could be months before a decision is reached as other aspects of the case are in legal limbo. Public Service Co. of New Mexico says the least costly option for customers involves a mix of solar, wind, natural gas and battery storage. Some critics want the proceedings suspended, saying the utility hasn't proposed viable alternatives beyond its preferred option.