The Governor has announced a new series of actions to keep us safe from COVID-19. While some businesses are waiting out the storm, others have had to close permanently, or severely curtail operations, throwing thousands of people out of work, perhaps for a lengthy period. Often, the people hurting the most are the lower income workers, the restaurant, motel, retail workers who live paycheck to paycheck.

For these people, a storm is coming. And Civil Legal Services will be there to help. Even as the virus subsides, economic consequences of the pandemic will remain for many New Mexicans.

The storm is approaching. There can be no doubt about that. According to a study by the U.S. Census...

“New Mexico Voices for Children is cautiously optimistic about the revenue estimates released today [Dec. 8]. Given that 70 percent of the estimated decline in revenue for the current fiscal year can be attributed to the drop in oil and gas prices, it is clear that New Mexico needs to stabilize its revenue streams.

“While the revenue estimates tell us how much money is expected to be available, they do not tell us how much money is needed for New Mexico to prosper – money to boost our economy, provide rocket fuel for our K-12 moonshot, keep the promise of Opportunity Scholarships for higher education, finally achieve universal early care and education, and shore up our health...

Local resources prepare salsa maker for growth

Carla Gallegos-Ortega’s homemade salsas were a hit with family and friends for as long as she can remember. In 2017, she entered the Salsa Festival in Albuquerque’s Old Town and enlisted her daughter and a few friends to help her produce 16 gallons of salsa in an outdoor tent.

She left that festival with an award and the ambition to become a food entrepreneur.

Later that same year, she discovered The Mixing Bowl, a commercial kitchen that offers a food-business incubation program and hourly kitchen rental. By June 2018, Gallegos-Ortega had a license for her business, New Mexico Sabor; a health department permit; training in best...

Join other senators to block Trump executive order

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sens. Tom Udall, D-N.M. and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. joined Senator Gary Peters, D-Mich. and 40 other senators to introduce legislation that would block the implementation of an Oct. 21 Executive Order by President Trump, which created a new classification for federal employees, Schedule F. This harmful executive order would make it easier for the administration to facilitate politically-motivated hiring and firing practices against non-partisan civil servants with policy expertise. Over 33,000 New Mexicans are currently serving the American people in federal service.

“The president’s recent executive...