Dear Editor,

At the close of the sixth week of the legislative session, we are pleased to report that many of our union’s priority legislation continues to move forward. There are still three weeks to go, and many things can change, but we continue to make progress every day by advocating, educating, and agitating for the positive policies than help our students, profession, and communities.

Part of why we continue to make progress has been the efforts of our AFT NM locals who have taken the time to lobby their representatives on the issues that matter to their constituency and community.

Our latest local to lobby were the AFT NM Retirees, who were in the Roundhouse advocating for...

At New Mexico in Depth and ProPublica, we practice “no surprises” journalism: No one should read anything about themselves in our articles without first having had a chance to respond.

So journalists in our newsrooms were surprised to read in the Sun that the superintendent of Gallup-McKinley County Schools had criticized our story about his school district. We had given him ample opportunity to respond to our reporting, but the Sun did not give us that opportunity in turn.

Superintendent Mike Hyatt told the Sun and school board members that he ignored our requests to talk to him because he believed we had a predetermined narrative.

That’s not the case. ProPublica, a national...

Dear Editor,

We are now in the sixth week of the Legislative session and bills are beginning to make their way out of the N.M. House or N.M. Senate to the other legislative chamber. What does this look like in real life?

Generally, a bill will receive 1-3 committee hearings in the legislative chamber where the bill is introduced.

Once a bill passes those committees, it will be heard by the full chamber where it was introduced. If that chamber’s majority votes “yes” on the legislation, it will then be sent to the other legislative chamber for consideration in committees and then by the full chamber before heading to the governor for her signature or veto.

House Bill 126 passed...

Dear Editor,

House Bill 236, led by Rep. Eleanor Chavez and co-sponsored by Reps. Borrego, Castellano, Gurrola, Roybal Caballero, Rubio, and Sen. Brenda McKenna, would initiate a process for New Mexico to establish safe staffing parameters in our hospitals.

HB 236 is important as it would boost patient care levels by lessening the case loads of nurses and other healthcare professionals, and it would also help to lessen the burnout experienced by our healthcare workers.

AFT New Mexico is partnering with AFSCME District 1199 to promote and advocate for this legislation. HB 236 was presented on Feb.17 in the House Health Committee and public comment was taken. Due to a lack of time...