OP/ED

Hampton: Proposed Heat Regulations Damaging To Business

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By DAVID HAMPTON
Los Alamos

The New Mexico Environment Department is currently inviting public input on a new “heat” regulation. You can comment on the project at the NMED website through May 30, 2025: EIB 25-11 (R) – Proposed New Regulation, 11.5.7 NMAC – Heat Illness and Injury Prevention. 

Among the provisions contained in the proposed regulation is the requirement that employers must conduct time-consuming heat exposure assessments when the heat index meets or exceeds just 80°F. 

It goes without saying that 80 degrees is a common temperature for nearly any New Mexican to Read More

Knight: Deep Federal Spending Cuts Would Hit New Mexicans Hard

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By PAIGE KNIGHT
NM Voices for Children’s Director of Research

Children and families throughout New Mexico deserve access to affordable health care and nutritious food. However, Congressional Republicans are pushing for harsh cuts to Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and other programs that working families need to make ends meet, all to fund trillions more in tax cuts for billionaires and corporations.

Medicaid is the largest source of health coverage in the nation, with 836,881 New Mexicans—and 350,453 of our state’s children—relying on Medicaid Read More

Short-Sighted Taxation On Oil And Gas ‘A Recipe For Disaster’

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By MISSI CURRIER
CEO
New Mexico Oil and Gas Association

In recent legislative sessions, there has been a push to further tax the oil and gas industry in New Mexico. This approach is not only short-sighted but also detrimental to the state’s economic stability and growth.

The price of oil is notoriously volatile, subject to global market fluctuations and geopolitical tensions.

Legislators seem to focus solely on the immediate revenue that can be generated from higher taxes, ignoring the long-term consequences. This myopic view fails to consider the inherent instability of Over the Read More

Op-Ed: DPU Should Consider Shopping Local For Solar

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By RICK NEBEL
Los Alamos

Several years ago, my wife Kathy and my son Dan worked for Carol and Tex Felts at Los Alamos Music. Like many small businesses they provided multiple services to the community. They gave music lessons. They sold new and used instruments. They did “rent-to-own” instruments for beginners. They repaired instruments. However, the real money-maker for that business was that Tex tuned pianos.

For many years, Tex had a contract with the County to tune its pianos. One year he put in his usual bid, and the County told him that they had awarded the contract to some outfit from Santa   Read More

Op-Ed: A Future Worth Working For – Clean Air, Good Jobs, Climate Justice

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By Sen. Pro Tem Mimi Stewart
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Rep. Kristina Ortez

New Mexico just accelerated our path forward to build a cleaner, more sustainable future for everyone. With the passage of the Community Benefit Fund (Senate Bill 48) and the Innovation in State Government Fund (Senate Bill 83), the state is proving that smart, community-driven climate action isn’t just possible—it’s already happening. 

These wins are the result of years of hard work by advocates, lawmakers, and New Mexicans from across the state who believe in a future where clean energy, good jobs, and resilient communities go hand in hand. Read More

Kuchinsky: Eggo The Guide Dog

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By MIKE KUCHINSKY
Member
Los Alamos Canes and Canines 

What is warm, golden brown, sweet, and named Eggo? If you are thinking a waffle, you would be mistaken, in this instance Eggo is a Golden Retriever guide dog. I first met Eggo two months ago on my third day as a student at Guide Dogs of America/Tender Loving Canines (GDA/TLC). We were in the 432nd class of GDA. From the day we met, through the three-week training course, and through today, Eggo has been with me 24/7, and has changed my life. But let me set the stage and share mybackstory.

My name is Mike, I worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory for Read More

Op-Ed: National Park People … May I Salute You?

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By Steve Scarano
Vista, Calif.

Dear National Park People,

May I salute you? I know that this is a particularly challenging season of service for you, and while mine is certainly not the only voice crying in the wilderness to acknowledge that and may even ring a bit hollow in the short view, the option of silence is just not viable to me. So here we are.

I’m a card-carrying property owner and cherish our parks, monuments, historic sites and recreation areas. Thank you for making them available to us. In fact, for decades it has been my practice to express my gratitude when I’ve either coincidentally met Read More

Youth Mental Health: If Outcomes Don’t Matter, Nothing Does

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By JAMES WERNICKE
Los Alamos Parent

Since the dawn of humanity, all parents have shared the same experience—watching their children grow into raging balls of hormones as they enter adolescence—and all parents respond the same way—doing the best they can to guide them through it. In the past, there was the village. Generations lived under one roof with extended family biologically hardwired to step in and help.

Today, many of us live far from family in neighborhoods where everyone’s busy, help is a luxury, and community is aspirational. If we’re lucky, we find trusted friends. If not, we rely Read More

Op-Ed: Social Media Safety For Children

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By MELANIE A. LEWIS
Albuquerque Community School Coordinator

As a Community School Coordinator in Albuquerque, I spend my days nurturing connections between families, schools, and our community. My passion is creating enriched learning environments where students can discover their potential and where parents can be active participants in their children’s education. Part of this work involves navigating the increasingly complex digital landscape that our children inhabit.

The reality facing New Mexico’s children today is daunting. They navigate social media platforms Read More

Mason: Unified Focus On Traffic Safety Is Essential

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By Director Thom Mason
Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory supports Los Alamos County’s recent efforts to control speeding and enforce traffic safety through an ordinance approved last week to install automated speed cameras in various locations around the county. The ordinance complements efforts taken by the Laboratory in recent months to further promote safer driving on and around Lab property. The Laboratory has installed mobile speed cameras around the site, utilized GPS systems in government vehicles that track speed, seatbelt usage, and location of Read More