- ONLINE LEGISLATURE-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A top-ranked state legislator is defending the move to online committee hearings and other pandemic safety rules that allow only three legislators at a time on the floor of the New Mexico House of Representatives. In legal filings made public on Monday, Democratic House Speaker Brian Egolf urged the state Supreme Court to uphold emergency legislative procedures that rely heavily on videoconferencing. Egolf says more people are participating in online legislative hearings than could possibly fit physically into committee rooms under normal circumstances. Top House Republicans say that the health restrictions exclude people without internet service and are asking the Supreme court to intervene.
- POLICING REFORMS-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A bill is headed to the House floor for a vote that would open up state courts to a variety of civil rights claims against police agencies and local governments. A House committee on judicial affairs on Monday endorsed the bill that would allow damage awards of up to $2 million and court intervention in state and local government affairs where civil rights guarantees are violated under the New Mexico Constitution. Democratic legislators advanced the bill on an 8-4 vote without Republican support. The proposal builds on recommendations of a civil rights commission chartered by the lawmakers as protests over police brutality and racial injustice swept the nation.
- STATE OFFICIAL-BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A top human resources employee for New Mexico's governor has stepped down to take a new role with President Joe Biden's administration after more than two years in the position. Pam Coleman, who was appointed to serve as director of the state personnel office in January 2019 under Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, will now transition into a top-ranking job with the U.S. office of Management and Budget. The Albuquerque Journal reported that Coleman said in her Jan. 27 resignation letter that she would take a "mutual passion for public service" to the Biden administration.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Officials at some of New Mexico's largest hospitals are holding out hope that vaccine supplies will catch up with demand. They said during a briefing that they understand the wait is stressful for people who have registered to receive shots. Some have been waiting for weeks, and state health officials have acknowledged that residents have been crossing state lines in search of vaccines in Texas. On Monday, the New Mexico Health Department confirmed Walgreens and other pharmacies in the state would begin receiving shipments this week. Over 89,000 New Mexico residents have been fully vaccinated — or about 4.2% of the population.
- SCHOOLS DELAY HYBRID
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Loosened restrictions on large-scale in-person learning programs in New Mexico public schools went into effect Monday after an 11-month ban, but few school districts are rushing to bring all students back into classrooms. The Albuquerque Public Schools board last week tabled a discussion for a hybrid in-person plan with 50% of students in classrooms. The board instead asked officials to prepare a plan for even smaller groups. In Santa Fe, a hybrid reopening plan relies on teacher volunteers, but only 15% are raising their hand to head back. Other districts have simply given up on in-person classes, opting to educate remotely through the end of the spring semester.
- MARIJUANA PRODUCER-LICENSE
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A medical marijuana producer is in danger of losing its license in the wake of a fire at a Santa Fe facility left two workers hurt. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported Saturday that the New Mexico Department of Health is weighing whether to revoke the license for New Mexicann Natural Medicine. Authorities say the October fire started after two employees were in the midst of a cannabis extraction process. One lost his grip as both were carrying a large metal vessel with a mixture of ethanol and cannabis oil. It is the second incident at that location after an explosion occurred there in 2015.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — Navajo Nation officials say they are getting nearly 29,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines this week plus 82 more federal personnel to help with vaccinations. Tribal President Jonathan Nez says the goal is to administer 100,000 total doses of the vaccines by the end of this month. Navajo Nation health officials say the tribe will be receiving 26,000 more doses of the Moderna vaccine and 2,925 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Nez says that as of Sunday, the Navajo Area Indian Health Service received 78,520 vaccine doses and 74,048 of those doses have been administered _ a 94% efficiency rate so far. The vast reservation covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
- BIDEN-IMMIGRATION
HOUSTON (AP) — President Joe Biden rushed to send the most ambitious overhaul of the nation's immigration system in a generation to Congress. And he signed nine executive actions to wipe out some the toughest measures to fortify the U.S.-Mexico border implemented by his predecessor, President Donald Trump. But a federal court suspended Biden's 100-day moratorium on deportations, the immigration bill hasn't been passed and many of the new president's orders will take weeks, months — perhaps even years — to implement. In the meantime, there is likely to be more overlap in the Biden and Trump hardline immigration policies than many of the activists who helped generate Latino support for Biden in the election had hoped.