- Democrats defend online legislative work in 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.
- Democrats advance civil rights legislation in 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.
- New Mexico officials hold out hope for more vaccine supply
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.
- Few New Mexico schools rush to offer in-person classes
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 may lose license after Santa Fe fire
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.
- Navajo Nation getting nearly 29K doses of COVID-19 vaccines
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.
- Immigrants, activists worry Biden won't end Trump barriers
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.
- New Mexico releases data on child poverty and welfare
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — New data from New Mexico shows that the southern portion of the state continues to lag behind the rest of the state in child poverty and welfare. The 2020 New Mexico Kids Count Data Book was released to provide state legislators child welfare data and showed that the state is still 48th in child poverty among U.S. states. Emily Wildau, the New Mexico Kids Count research and policy analyst, says most of the data released was from 2019. She says that in the data's timeframe, 11 of 16 indicators of child welfare had improved. Despite the improvements in some categories, the south of the state is still experiencing problems with child poverty and welfare.
- Democrats defend online legislative work in 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.
- Democrats advance civil rights legislation in 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.
- New Mexico officials hold out hope for more vaccine supply
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.
- Few New Mexico schools rush to offer in-person classes
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 may lose license after Santa Fe fire
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.
- Navajo Nation getting nearly 29K doses of COVID-19 vaccines
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.
- Immigrants, activists worry Biden won't end Trump barriers
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.
- New Mexico releases data on child poverty and welfare
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — New data from New Mexico shows that the southern portion of the state continues to lag behind the rest of the state in child poverty and welfare. The 2020 New Mexico Kids Count Data Book was released to provide state legislators child welfare data and showed that the state is still 48th in child poverty among U.S. states. Emily Wildau, the New Mexico Kids Count research and policy analyst, says most of the data released was from 2019. She says that in the data's timeframe, 11 of 16 indicators of child welfare had improved. Despite the improvements in some categories, the south of the state is still experiencing problems with child poverty and welfare.