ELECTION 2022-REDISTRICTING-NEW MEXICO
- SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A state district judge has cleared the way for the Republican Party of New Mexico to challenge a congressional map that divvies up a conservative area into three congressional districts. The judge on Tuesday rejected a motion by Democrats to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the GOP and seven allied plaintiffs. The case will affect a congressional swing district in southern New Mexico where Republican Yvette Herrell ousted a first-term Democrat in the 2020 election. GOP attorneys argued that the congressional map approved by Democratic lawmakers dilutes the conservative vote and violates state constitutional rights to impartial government.
MISSING NATIVE AMERICANS-NEW MEXICO
- ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Federal authorities are taking to the airwaves to call attention to unsolved homicide and missing person cases on the largest Native American reservation in the U.S. The FBI announced Tuesday that it is running a 60-second radio ad in the Navajo language to call attention to what family members and advocacy groups have described as a crisis that is affecting Indian Country. The radio spot comes as some states put more resources toward the reporting and investigation of such cases. New Mexico recently adopted legislation to ensure more effective coordination among law enforcement agencies, while Washington created a first-in-the-nation statewide alert system for missing Native Americans.
NUCLEAR SECURITY-NEW MEXICO
- ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The head of the National Nuclear Security Administration is in New Mexico to celebrate the completion of a nearly $200 million building that will be home to 1,200 employees. Administrator Jill Hruby joined other officials for Tuesday's ribbon-cutting ceremony. The building on the edge of Albuquerque was supposed to be finished last year. Officials blamed pandemic-related labor and material shortages for the delay. The building boasts enough office space to cover more than five football fields. The NNSA is overseeing a multibillion-dollar modernization effort that includes the production of plutonium cores for the nation's nuclear arsenal at sites in New Mexico and South Carolina.
NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR-WEDDING
- SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is getting married, and Vice President Kamala Harris has been picked to officiate. The first-term Democratic governor made the announcement through her personal spokesman Tuesday, saying a small ceremony will be held May 21 in Washington, D.C. No other details about the upcoming ceremony were released. Lujan Grisham, who is running for reelection, will be tying the knot with her fiancé Manny Cordova. The couple has been together about 10 years. The governor said in a statement that they had previously postponed getting married due to the coronavirus pandemic and felt fortunate they now could celebrate with family and friends.
ELECTION 2022-REDISTRICTING-NEW MEXICO
- SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Attorneys for the Republican Party of New Mexico are urging a state district court judge to throw out a congressional map that divvies up the conservative southeast of the state into three congressional districts. The lawsuit by the GOP and seven allied plaintiffs holds implications for a congressional swing district in southern New Mexico where Republican Yvette Herrell ousted a first-term Democrat in the 2020 election. GOP attorney Christopher Murray argued Monday that the congressional map from Democratic lawmakers dilutes the conservative vote and violates state constitutional rights to impartial government. Attorneys for the Legislature and governor defended the state's redistricting as properly vetted.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
- LAS CRUCES, N.M (AP) — New Mexico State University will require all students on campus to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by July 1, ending the option of submitting weekly tests as an alternative. Chancellor Dan Arvizu also said in a memo to students, faculty and staff Monday that NMSU no longer will require weekly testing for students and employees who decided against getting a booster or received an exemption from vaccination. The new policy applies to all branch colleges, It requires new and/or transfer students to provide their COVID-19 vaccination records or an approved exemption by Aug. 1. Arvizu said more than 91% of students and 99% of faculty are now vaccinated.
DARK MONEY-NEW MEXICO
- SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a challenge to Santa Fe campaign disclosure requirements stemming from a failed city ballot initiative in 2017 to tax sugary beverages. The Supreme Court decision Monday upholds the rejection of a lawsuit from the Rio Grande Foundation that sought to shield future financial contributions from public disclosure, in defiance of requirements enacted by the city of Santa Fe. The failed city ballot initiative to fund early childhood education was marked by millions of dollars in campaign spending.