NM Gov signs four special session bills, but still 鈥榙eliberating鈥� on vaccine legislation - by Source NM Staff,
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday signed most of the legislation passed during this week鈥檚 special session of the New Mexico Legislature, according to a news release from her office.
She did not sign which would expand the New Mexico Department of Health鈥檚 authority to purchase COVID-19 vaccines for children, as well as allow the department to use additional sources than a sole federal advisory committee to create guidelines for school and daycare vaccination policy amid federal upheaval. The bill drew hours of Republican opposition during hearings and failed on Thursday to receive the two-thirds majority vote required to include an emergency clause that would have made it effective immediately.
In a news release on Thursday, Lujan Grisham, in a statement, said she was 鈥渄eeply disappointed in Republicans for voting to restrict vaccines,鈥� and that 鈥渢here is no good reason for Republicans to make New Mexicans wait 90 days for vaccines they need to protect their health.鈥� The governor鈥檚 Deputy Communications Director Jodi McGinnis Porter on Friday responded to Source鈥檚 query about the unsigned bill via text message to say that the governor 鈥渋s still deliberating on it and we will have something on it next week.鈥�
The governor signed the other four bills passed 鈥攎ost of which respond to federal funding cuts 鈥� and said in a statement: 鈥淲hen federal support falls short, New Mexico steps up 鈥� that鈥檚 our commitment to families who depend on these services. This funding protects the basics: food security, affordable health care, and access to care.鈥�
includes $162 million in emergency funding, including $66 million for the state Health Care Authority; $16.6 million to maintain federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; and $8 million for food banks and pantries, among other food-related expenses. The bill also includes $17 million to reduce health insurance costs on the state BeWell marketplace. HB1 transfers $30 million into the state鈥檚 emergency contingency fund and $50 million into the rural healthcare fund.
addresses the expiring Affordable Care Act premium health insurance tax credits, which have become a line in the sand in federal budget negotiations. The bill allows New Mexicans above 400% of the federal poverty level to receive assistance through the state鈥檚 Health Care Affordability Fund if they meet other eligibility requirements. The $17.3 million to do this for the current fiscal year is included in HB1.
transfers $50 million from the general fund to the Rural Health Care Delivery Fund to 鈥渟tabilize existing health care services at risk of reduction or closure in rural and underserved areas across New Mexico, and 鈥渂roadens eligibility beyond counties with populations under 100,000 to include providers in federally designated high-needs health professional shortage areas and tribally operated facilities.鈥�
takes effect immediately as an emergency measure and allows metropolitan court judges to preside over criminal competency proceedings, reversing a prior change earlier in 2025 that required all such cases to go to district court.
is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Source New Mexico maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Julia Goldberg for questions: info@sourcenm.com.
Charges filed against brother of teen killed in University of New Mexico dorm
鈥擬atthew Reisen,
The brother of a 14-year-old fatally shot in a University of New Mexico dorm is accused of removing guns and drugs from the room without trying to render aid to the teen or call 911. The Albuquerque Journal鈥檚 Matthew Reisen reports 19-year-old Zion Miera is charged with tampering with evidence, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and drug possession. Daniel Archuleta, the 19-year-old student who leased the dorm, faces similar charges.
Miera was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on Thursday. A warrant has been issued for Archuleta's arrest. John Fuentes, the alleged shooter, was arrested soon after the July 25th killing of Michael LaMotte and is awaiting trial on an open count of murder and lesser felonies.
An arrest warrant affidavit filed in Metropolitan Court further alleged that for months Miera had been supplying LaMotte with drugs to sell to his classmates and the pair would often "split the profits."
The night of the shooting, Miera took LaMotte to the dorm room a final time, according to the affidavit. Around 12:05 a.m. and without apparent warning, police said, Fuentes shot LaMotte in the head and opened fire on Miera and Archuleta. All three fled the dorm room but, the complaint states, Miera and Archuleta returned less than 20 minutes later.
Police said the two were seen leaving the dorm room on surveillance video with two bags believed to contain a large quantity of drugs and at least two guns. Neither called 911.
When UNM police made entry into the dorm after 3 a.m. they found LaMotte dead, with a box of ammunition, alcohol, cannabis, LSD and cocaine nearby, according to the complaint. More than $3,500 was found in a dresser drawer.
Proposed hotel at busy Cerrillos Road at St. Francis Drive draws sharp criticism
鈥擬ike Easterling,
In Santa Fe, many locals are not pleased with a proposed four-story hotel with 150 rooms that would be built near one of the busiest intersections in the city.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the project is planned for a triangular property at the southwestern corner of Cerrillos Road and South St. Francis Drive.
Objections voiced during a neighborhood notification meeting Tuesday (Sept. 30) evening include claims that the hotel would increase traffic, block views, pose safety risks for students at the nearby New Mexico School for the Deaf. Opponents of the proposed Titan Hotel also said that the building鈥檚 modern design would clash with the neighborhood.
The New Mexican reports preliminary plans by Titan Development of Albuquerque show an 80,000-square-foot Marriott hotel would have a contemporary style and would feature a rooftop lounge.
Officials from Albuquerque-based Titan Development told the New Mexican they plan to submit their proposal to the city by mid-October, meaning the project could go before the Santa Fe Planning Commission on Jan. 8.
MVD tightens commercial driver's license requirements for noncitizens - Olivier Uyttebrouck,
New Mexico has tightened up requirements for noncitizens seeking commercial driver鈥檚 licenses to comply with new federal rules in the aftermath of fatal crashes that officials blame on immigrant drivers.
The New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division said Thursday it will issue new and renewed commercial driver鈥檚 licenses only for people who hold three specific types of visas.
The U.S. Department of Transportation began a nationwide audit of commercial driver鈥檚 licenses after a driver officials say was in the country illegally made a U-turn on the Florida Turnpike on Aug. 12, causing a crash that killed two people.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy threatened to pull federal funding from New Mexico for failing to properly give the driver, Harjinder Singh, an English language proficiency test during a July 3 traffic stop near Raton.
State Taxation and Revenue Secretary Stephanie Schardin Clarke, who oversees MVD, said New Mexico rigorously complies with all rules issued by the federal Department of Transportation.
鈥淓verything we do in the issuance of these CDLs and learner鈥檚 permits to (noncitizens) is compliant with everything that they鈥檝e requested of us,鈥� she said Thursday.
New Mexico issues a relatively small number of commercial driver鈥檚 licenses for noncitizens.
Since 2023, New Mexico MVD has issued noncitizens 500 commercial driver鈥檚 licenses and commercial learner鈥檚 permits, of whom 204 currently hold those licenses, the agency said Thursday.
Those numbers account for a fraction of the 38,411 active commercial driver鈥檚 licenses and 26,302 active commercial learner鈥檚 permits registered with MVD.
MVD was unable to estimate on Thursday how many noncitizens who currently hold commercial driver鈥檚 licenses will be unable to qualify for renewal.
In the past, MVD only required foreign nationals to have an Employment Authorization card to substantiate their authorization to work in the U.S., the agency said. Noncitizens also must present a foreign passport to obtain a commercial driver鈥檚 license.
Nationwide, only about 10,000 of the 200,000 noncitizens who now have commercial licenses would qualify for them, the U.S. DOT estimates.
To qualify, drivers must have one of three specific visas: an H-2a for temporary agricultural worker, an H-2b for temporary nonagricultural workers, or E-2 visa for people who make a substantial investment in a U.S. business.
MVD made the announcement Thursday to give noncitizens a heads-up about the tighter restrictions before they arrive for an appointment to get a commercial driver鈥檚 license, Schardin Clark said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping we can get the word out to those individuals to inform them before they wait and come in so that they鈥檙e not surprised that they鈥檙e ineligible or that we can鈥檛 complete their transaction,鈥� she said.
U.S. Department of Energy cancels $135.2M for New Mexico projects -
The U.S. Department of Energy on Wednesday announced the cancellation of $7.5 billion in awards for 223 projects across the country. , the department said the canceled projects 鈥渄id not adequately advance the nation鈥檚 energy needs, were not economically viable, and would not provide a positive return on investment of taxpayer dollars.鈥�
, Russell Vought, director of the United States Office of Management and Budget, listed 16 states in which grants had been canceled, including New Mexico, and wrote: 鈥淣early $8 billion in Green New Scam funding to fuel the Left鈥檚 climate agenda is being cancelled.鈥� identified the states as ones that had all voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in last year鈥檚 presidential election.
The grants were through DOE鈥檚 Offices of Clean Energy Demonstrations; Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Grid Deployment; Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains; Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy; and Fossil Energy.
In a news release, New Mexico Democratic U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, described 鈥淒onald Trump鈥檚 decision to cancel 223 energy projects in 21 states鈥� as 鈥渘akedly political, unhinged, and unlawful. And now those cancelled energy projects have become the latest casualty of Trump鈥檚 vengeful attack on the American people.鈥�
The projects, Heinrich鈥檚 statement noted, were already approved and funded by Congress and are ones that 鈥渃reate jobs, lower electricity costs, and move our country forward. Instead of working to help our families and communities.鈥�
The projects in New Mexico total $135.2 million, the news release said, and include $42.7 million to New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology for the third phase of a project to a project to develop a storage hub at a commercial scale within San Juan basin; $35.6 million for PNM for a 鈥渧irtual power plant enablement that improves grid stability and reduces customers鈥� electricity bills鈥�; and $15.4 million for Kit Carson Electric Cooperative for a distributed battery energy storage system.
Heinrich said in his statement he had lunch with DOE Secretary Chris Wright shortly before news of the cancelled projects broke. 鈥淗e had neither the courtesy nor the care to mention that this was coming, and that it included ten projects in my state,鈥� Heinrich noted, 鈥減rojects that affect real jobs and real families. That tells you everything you need to know about how this Administration operates: in the dark and with no respect for the people hurt by their decisions. The American people deserve a government that works for them, not one that plays politics with their lives. This Administration is choosing to punish ordinary families just to settle scores 鈥� and that is as dangerous as it is un-American.鈥�
The DOE says award recipients have 30 days to appeal the canceled funding.
New Mexico credit unions offer programs to help people through government shutdown - Cathy Cook,
New Mexico credit unions are offering loan programs and waiving penalties to help workers affected by the federal government shutdown.
Credit unions are nonprofit, member-owned financial institutions, and three Albuquerque-based credit unions are offering programs to help out members who have been furloughed or are missing paychecks because of the shutdown.
鈥淚 think people keeping their cars, staying in their homes, having access to credit or funds to help bridge them to whatever this looks like on the other end, that鈥檚 where we can show up,鈥� said Alex de la Cruz, executive vice president at Sunward Federal Credit Union.
is offering a member assistance program during the government shutdown. The program has been offered to its members before in other times of financial hardship, like after recent floods in Ruidoso.
It includes waived penalties for early term certificate withdrawals, waived non-sufficient funds and penalty fees for overdrafts, skipping a payment on a signature loan or auto loan, requesting a loan modification on mortgages, and applying for a relief loan for up to three months net pay.
If the shutdown stretches out for a long period of time and member needs increase, the credit union will add more things to the program to help mitigate those effects, de la Cruz said.
While government shutdowns can financially strain federal employees, they can also affect military personnel and if a shutdown stretches out, can impact small or midsized businesses that support federal institutions, according to de la Cruz.
To prepare ahead of a government shutdown, make sure you have savings and are managing your credit score and budget, de la Cruz said. To respond to a shutdown, you can lean on trusted financial partners.
He said that could be a credit union or bank you have an account with, state resources or municipal and county programs.
is also offering flexible loan payment options, early certificate withdrawals and a 0% interest member assistance loan, to help ease the financial burden for members, according to spokesman Eric Harrison.
U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union is also offering a relief loan for its members, with 0% interest for the first 90 days. The loans are up to $5,000 and meant to help members who experience a sudden loss of income, like a furloughed federal employee. It requires documentation of the hardship. Affordable short-term loans are also available for non-members affected by the shutdown.
鈥淚n situations like these, we鈥檙e less concerned about how much money we can earn off a loan or anything like that,鈥� said Michael Moore, executive vice president and CFO of the credit union. 鈥淲e just want to make sure that people are able to get back on their feet, and we are happy to be a part of that.鈥�
The government shutdown does not extend to the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the federal agencies that provide deposit insurance to credit unions and banks. Both entities are considered essential and continue operating.