Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could unlock new job opportunities, investments in wind and solar energy projects, improving internet connectivity, better roads and bridges, and access to clean water in rural homes, communities, and businesses across New Mexico? As the Mayor of Gallup, this vision is a long time in the making.

And now, the New Mexico Match Fund or House Bill 177, backed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, State Representative Meredith Dixon, and many others, could bring this vision to fruition and help us access major federal investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. This will help my community, as well as every corner of our...

Sen. Heinrich urges Biden administration to work with Israel

WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., joined U.S. Senators Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Chris Coons, D-Del., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and 20 colleagues in a letter to President Joe Biden urging the administration to encourage Israeli officials to take five specific steps to significantly increase urgently needed humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza.

“The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is dire and the civilian suffering is at an unacceptable and staggering level...

With less than two weeks to go in the legislative session, bills are moving at a quickened pace, passing from one chamber to another and between committees.

Below are six pieces of legislation that made forward progress on Feb. 1 and 2 in Santa Fe:

FEB. 1

The full Senate passed Senate Bill 137 by a vote of 30-9. SB 137 now heads to the House of Representatives. AFT NM supports SB 137.


SB 137 (SCHOOL BOARD TRAINING)

SB 137 would implement several accountability measures for New Mexico’s school boards and charter school councils. Among the provisions of the legislation are a 10-hour series of mandatory trainings for board/council members and the requirement for all board/council...

I’m going to confess to a murder, acknowledging there probably aren’t any statutes of limitations on this kind of thing. Growing up, my sister and I sprinkled salt on our fair share of slugs. While I’m not proud of my salty slug serial killing spree, exploring under big rocks in the backyard was a great way to learn about the creepy-crawly world around me.




Let’s turn over the next big rock. It’s the one next to the shed. Once you get enough leverage to hoist the rock from its resting place, you see several things scurry around — some squirming worms, a truly terrifying millipede and a host of bugs that roll into little balls.




What are those balled-up bugs called? If...