Los Alamos Federated Republican Women Seeks Entries From Students For 2026 U.S. Constitution Essay Contest
LAFRW News:
The Los Alamos Federated Republican Women (LAFRW) is seeking entries from students for its 2026 U.S. Constitution Essay Contest.
Since 2015, local students have been winning cash for their essays. The U.S. Constitution Essay Contest is designed to challenge students to learn more about the U.S. Constitution and to express original, thoughtful ideas in essay writing. Essays are judged on how completely and clearly the ideas are stated and supported. Grammar, spelling and punctuation are also considered. The judging is blind.
Students in grades 4-12 who reside in or attend school Read More
Dannemann: The Quiet Influence Of Legislative Committee Chairs
By MERILEE DANNEMANN
Triple Spaced Again
Some years ago, New Mexico’s Senate Judiciary Committee had the nickname Fernando’s Hideaway. The nickname came from a song called “Hernando’s Hideaway,” published in 1954, from a Broadway musical comedy called “The Pajama Game.” The song, with an enticing tango rhythm, is still a staple in the musical repertoire.
Hernando’s Hideaway was “a dark, secluded place, a place where no one knows your face.” The nickname Fernando’s Hideaway was based on committee chairman Senator Fernando Macias, Las Cruces Democrat. It was given because some bills assigned Read More
Video: Councilor Hand Discusses Work Session
Los Alamos County Councilor Melanee Hand discusses the Feb. 10 work session. Video by Kirsten Laskeyladailypost.com Read More
Bill lifting Statute Of Limitations For Some Child Sex Crimes Passes New Mexico Senate
Bill Sponsor Sen. Angel Charley, D-Acoma
By NATHAN BROWN
The Santa Fe New Mexican
A bill that would remove the statute of limitations for some of the most serious acts of child sex abuse passed the state Senate overwhelmingly Friday, with some recent events providing fodder for supporters’ arguments.
“The last time we looked at this law, we didn’t know what was happening at Zorro Ranch,” said Sen. Angel Charley, D-Acoma, who sponsored the bill, referring to the southern Santa Fe County property once owned by Jeffrey Epstein. “The last time we looked at this law, we didn’t know what we know now.” Read More
Legislative Roundup: 7 Days Left In Session
Rep. Cristina Parajón, D-Albuquerque, center, speaks with Rep. Mark Duncan, R-Farmington, left, and House Speaker Javier Martínez, D-Albuquerque, during the House floor session on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. Matt Dahlseid/The New Mexican
The Santa Fe New Mexican Staff Report
Budget battle: The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to take up New Mexico’s $11.1 billion spending plan Saturday.
Sen. George Muñoz, a Gallup Democrat who chairs the committee, said the panel made some 356 changes to the version of House Bill 2 passed by the House.
The revised spending plan proposes a 2.65% increase Read More
New Mexico Senate Passes Universal Child Care
Bill Sponsor Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup
STATE News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Senate voted Thursday to pass legislation establishing universal child care while protecting the program’s accessibility for working families across the state.
Senate Bill 241, sponsored by Sen. George Muñoz (D-Gallup) and approved on a 25-15 vote, would provide child care to New Mexico families without mandatory co-pays except under specific economic conditions such as inflation or declining oil revenues. If economic triggers are met, co-pays would begin only for families earning above 600% of the Read More
New Mexico STABLE $25 Match Incentive Extended Throughout 2026
State Treasurer Laura M. Montoya
From the State Treasurer’s Office:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico State Treasurer’s Achieving a Better Life Experience (NM STABLE) program is announcing the extension of its $25 match incentive offer for new accountholders.
NM STABLE is an award-winning savings and investment vehicle designed to allow New Mexicans with disabilities to save for disability-related expenses without losing eligibility for public benefits such as Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
New NM STABLE accountholders who open any NM STABLE account and deposit at least $25 Read More
State Broadband Officials Tout Investments, Push For Affordability Program
Jeff Lopez, director of the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access, reviews his notes in between presenters during Broadband Day at the state Capitol on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican
By MARGARET O’HARA
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Ramah has just a handful of restaurants and few paved roads.
But it’s also home to some 240 miles of fiber internet cables—with plans to add 175 more miles of the connective cables soon, said Margaret Merrill, owner of Oso Internet Solutions, a broadband company that serves Ramah in Western New Mexico and surrounding communities. Read More
New Mexico Senate Passes Initiative To Address Critical Shortage Of Healthcare Professionals
STATE News:
SANTA FE — New Mexico Senate Democrats marked the passage Feb. 11 of Senate Bill 14 on the Senate Floor, a piece of legislation aimed to significantly expand the state’s Health Professional Loan Repayment Program to attract and retain healthcare providers in underserved communities across New Mexico.
Sponsored by Senators Martin Hickey (D – Albuquerque) and Natalie Figueroa (D – Albuquerque), SB 14 has received strong bipartisan support throughout the legislative process, passing unanimously through both the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee (10-0) and the Read More
Sen. Gonzales: Protecting Northern New Mexico’s Land, Water, And Communities From Wildfire
By Sen. Bobby Gonzales
District: 6
Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe & Taos
In northern New Mexico, wildfire is not an abstract threat—it is something we have lived through, endured, and are still recovering from.
Communities across Taos, Mora, San Miguel, and Colfax counties know this all too well. The Hermits Peak–Calf Canyon Fire burned hundreds of thousands of acres, displaced families, damaged acequias, destroyed grazing lands, and forever altered watersheds that our villages and pueblos rely on. The scars remain visible today—not just on the land, but in the lives of the people who
Legislative Roundup: 8 Days Left In Session
Jordan Garcia, alongside students from West Las Vegas, dance to La Bamba while practicing for their performance later in the day outside of the Capitol building on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Capital outlay bill: The Senate Finance Committee Thursday morning unanimously approved a bill to rein in the problem of billions of dollars going unspent in capital outlay.
House Bill 247, sponsored by Derrick Lente, D-Sandia Pueblo, limits reauthorizations for capital projects.
A growing backlog of projects and unspent funds has been a concern Read More
New Mexico Environment Department Addresses Repeal Of EPA Endangerment Finding
NMED Secretary James Kenney
NMED News:
SANTA FE — New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Secretary James Kenney issued the following statement today regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s repeal of its “endangerment finding” — a policy that has served as the bedrock for federal environment and health advancements for decades:
“Today, the federal government destroyed decades of established policies grounded in hard science recognized by the American and global scientific community. As a science-based organization working to help New Mexicans breathe cleaner air Read More
New Mexico’s Law Makers Facing Medical Malpractice Bill With Higher Caps For Big Hospitals
The Roundhouse in Santa Fe. Post file photo
By MARGARET O’HARA
The Santa Fe New Mexican
New Mexico lawmakers are moving forward with a new version of a medical malpractice overhaul bill that would limit the amount jurors could award in punitive damages but includes a higher cap for large hospital systems than other providers.
The House Judiciary Committee voted unanimously Wednesday evening to approve House Bill 99 after stripping an amendment that would have left punitive damages uncapped for corporate hospitals. The bill still has to make it through a House floor vote, as well as the Senate Read More
Community Invited To Panel Discussion On ‘Health Care In Northern New Mexico: Changing Landscape’ At SALA
Bill To Curb New Mexico License Plate Data Sharing Heads To Senate Floor
State Police Chief Troy Weisler
By CLARA BATES
The Santa Fe New Mexican
An effort to restrict out-of-state agencies from using license plate camera data in New Mexico to enforce things like immigration laws or other states’ abortion bans is moving forward.
The “Driver Privacy and Safety Act” passed the state Senate Judiciary Committee Monday afternoon with unanimous support, despite some misgivings from a pair of Republicans on the committee. It will head next to the Senate floor for a vote.
“If we don’t put basic guardrails on, this is a really dangerous tool,” Senate Majority Leader Read More
Thirteen Los Alamos County Elected Officials Endorse Katharine Clark For New Mexico Secretary Of State
Katharine Clark
Candidate for New Mexico Secretary of State
By KARYL ANN ARMBRUSTER
Los Alamos
Thirteen Los Alamos County elected officials announced their endorsement of Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark for New Mexico Secretary of State, citing her effectiveness as Santa Fe County Clerk.
Clark has led one of the most advanced election operations in the state. Santa Fe County consistently delivers high-turnout elections among New Mexico’s largest counties, demonstrating that voter participation, accessibility, and operational discipline can be strengthened simultaneously. Read More
Senate Panel Rejects Bid To Classify Nuclear As Renewable Energy In New Mexico
Members of the Senate Conservation Committee meet Saturday, Feb. 8, 2026, at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe to discuss a bill that would classify nuclear energy as renewable under the state’s renewable portfolio standard; the committee later voted Tuesday to reject the bill with a ‘Do Not Pass’ recommendation. Courtesy image
By MARLENE WILDEN
Los Alamos Daily Post
marlene@ladailypost.com
SANTA FE – A proposal to classify nuclear power as a form of renewable energy in New Mexico was effectively killed Tuesday in the Senate Conservation Committee, where lawmakers voted 5-4 on a do-not-pass motion Read More
Legislative Roundup: 9 Days Left In Session
House Speaker Javier Martínez, right, marches with members of Somos Acción and other demonstrators along Paseo de Peralta while heading to the state Capitol on Jan. 26 during an Immigrant and Worker Day of Action rally.
The Santa Fe New Mexican
System out of order: New Mexico’s struggles with rising health care costs are a symptom of America’s private health care model, House Speaker Javier Martínez said Wednesday.
“I think this country’s original sin with regard to health care was 65 years ago when they decided to make health care for-profit,” the Albuquerque Read More
House Unanimously Passes Legislation To Make Healthcare More Affordable For Educators
NMDP News:
SANTA FE — Today, the New Mexico House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation to lower out-of-pocket health insurance costs for public school teachers and staff. House Bill 47 now heads to the Senate.
HB 47 increases public and charter schools’ required minimum contributions to their employees’ health insurance premiums. The bill would require districts to pay 80% of the total premium cost for all employees. Currently, districts pay 60-80% of the cost, depending on the individual’s income level, and most staff receive the lower end of the benefit.
The bill would bring Read More
Senate Panel Approves Bills To Bar Feds From Sending Troops And ICE To Polls In New Mexico
By LILY ALEXANDER
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Two bills aimed at shielding New Mexico’s elections from federal action — particularly the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to the polls — are making their way through the New Mexico Senate.
The measures, which cleared the Senate Rules Committee on party-line votes Wednesday morning, would make it a felony in New Mexico for federal troops to be deployed to polling places and ban the carrying of firearms at polling places in most cases, building on a ban on guns at polling places passed in 2024.
“The Constitution reserves to Read More