Rep. Derrick Lente discusses getting creative to fund raises for state employees at end of session

The 2026 30-day legislative session came to a close Thursday with Democrats largely touting it as a success following an overhaul of the state's medical malpractice law, the funding of universal child care and more.  One of the bigger news items to come out of the final full day of the session was…

Rep. Gail Armstrong shares a Republican’s view on the good, bad and ugly of the legislative session

With just over a week left in New Mexico’s 30-day legislative session, a handful of bills have been passed and signed into law but there’s still a lot up in the air for lawmakers. Some of the bills passed so far have had bipartisan support, but others have faced strong opposition by the Republican …

Universal child care: New Mexico official discusses setting a blueprint for the nation

New Mexico made national headlines last year with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s announcement that it would be the first state in the country to offer child care to all families at no cost. Elizabeth Groginsky, secretary of the state Early Childhood Education and Care Department, was at the governor…

Gen Z lawmaker Cristina Parajón discusses her path to the Roundhouse and early legislative wins

Cristina Parajón’s first day at the Roundhouse as a lawmaker got off to a bit of an awkward start when the  sergeant-at-arms initially wouldn’t let her in her seat in the House chamber because he thought she looked too young to be a legislator. With some notable early legislative successes, the now…

Sen. Jeff Steinborn pushes for lobbyist transparency, more oversight for data center microgrids

During his years serving in the Legislature, state Sen. Jeff Steinborn has championed and passed a wide variety of legislation including the creation of an independent ethics commission, setting campaign contribution limits and banning the storage of high-level nuclear waste in New Mexico. This yea…

Sen. Linda Trujillo talks interstate licensing compact, child care funding and more as session nears

Residents in communities across New Mexico have felt the impact of a physician shortage that has led to patients facing long wait times and a struggle to schedule appointments. A bipartisan group of state legislators has been working to help improve access to health care through the Interstate Medi…

LFC Chair Nathan Small discusses budget priorities, child care funding ahead of legislative session

New Mexico’s 30-day legislative session is less than two weeks away and the Legislative Finance Committee just released its budget proposal for fiscal year 2027. The committee’s $11.1 billion spending plan is similar to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s but doesn’t fully fund the governor’s free univer…

‘I’m going to ignite a conversation’: Duke Rodriguez discusses his run for New Mexico governor

Duke Rodriguez officially launched his candidacy for governor of New Mexico earlier this month by making the announcement in newspaper advertisements across the state. A former state human services Cabinet secretary who is now among New Mexico's most successful cannabis entrepreneurs, Rodriguez is …

Shel Neymark advocates for New Mexico’s rural libraries to receive greater funding

Shel Neymark helped found the Embed Valley Library in Dixon in 1992 and, over the years, has seen it become a cornerstone of the small community. It’s a place to not only check out books, but also serves as a gathering place and a link to connect residents with resources that support their well-bei…

Legislative Finance Committee Director Charles Sallee addresses drop in New Mexico’s revenue projections

Economists with the state of New Mexico delivered what Rep. Nathan Small, chair of the Legislative Finance Committee, called a “very sobering" revenue forecast to lawmakers Monday, with projections of total new money being revised down to $105.7 million from an August projection of $484.8 million. …