New Mexico judge orders remedial plan to improve public education for Native American students - By Morgan Lee, Associated Press
The state of New Mexico must create a remedial plan to improve K-12 education after falling short of providing an adequate public school education to Native American students and others from low-income households, a judge ruled Tuesday.
The order from state district court Judge Matthew Wilson builds on a landmark 2018 ruling that spurred a multibillion-dollar spending spree on public schools in New Mexico 鈥� without yet resolving underlying failures to meet state constitutional obligations to educate an array of at-risk students, including those studying English as a second language and students with disabilities.
"The defendants are ordered to come up with comprehensive remedial plan to address the continuing violation of at-risk students' constitutional rights," Wilson said. "A court-ordered plan would provide guidance to the legislature and the executive branches of government, particularly when making difficult budgetary decisions that need to survive political and economic shifts."
New Mexico historically has been at the bottom of the list when it comes to educational outcomes nationwide. Struggles to address lagging test scores and low graduation rates predated the coronavirus pandemic. Lawmakers have been pouring public resources into efforts to improve attendance, boost access to broadband internet, shore up school staffing and more amid a windfall in state government income from oil and natural gas production.
Filed more than a decade ago on behalf of students and school districts rooted in Native American and Hispanic communities, the litigation known as the Yazzie- Martinez case identified systemic issues within the state's education system.
The administration of Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham acknowledged that there is room for improvement while highlighting a 62% increase in annual K-12 spending by state government since 2016 to $4.2 billion in the 2024, and the enactment of "dozens of new at-risk initiatives and legislation."
The judge rejected a request to put a state legislative agency on education and accountability at the helm of the remediation plan. He called instead for the state Public Education Department to work with the plaintiffs and commission a plan from an outside consultant or expert.
Attorney General Ra煤l Torrez in 2023 announced his support for the plaintiffs in efforts to make the state comply with its obligations to students.
The remedial plan could take five years to carry out and possibly resolve litigation.
The governor this month vetoed proposed legislation to expand specialized schools dedicated to Native American language and culture by declining to sign the bill without comment.
U.S. Rep. Stansbury on New Mexico fire season: 鈥榃e are not prepared鈥� - by Patrick Lohmann,
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) on Tuesday chastised the United States Forest Service for refusing to publicly detail how staffing and other cuts could affect the federal response to wildfires expected soon in New Mexico and elsewhere.
Stansbury directed her comments to Forest Service Associate Deputy Chief Ellen Shultzabarger, during the latter鈥檚 testimony to the U.S. House Federal Lands Subcommittee, on which Stansbury and fellow New Mexico Democrat Rep. Teresa Leger Fern谩ndez serve. Shultzaberger was there speaking in favor of a to be returned to states and cities, when questions from committee Democrats steered the conversation toward the upcoming wildfire season.
鈥淲e are continuing to hire to have that goal of 11,300 operational firefighters, and we feel that we鈥檒l be ready for the fire season,鈥� Shultzabarger said.
鈥淲ith all due respect,鈥� Stansbury responded, 鈥淚鈥檝e been on the ground for the last couple of months, and Forest Service employees are terrified they鈥檙e going to lose their jobs, people are leaving in large numbers and thousands of people have been fired and not rehired. So while I appreciate that that is the company line here in this hearing, and I understand the position that you鈥檙e in, it鈥檚 just factually untrue. We are not prepared for this fire season.鈥�
Dozens of probationary Forest Service employees across New Mexico were fired or resigned since President Donald Trump took office. While judicial orders required the Trump administration to rehire those employees, many who tried to return were simply placed on paid administrative leave.
While Forest Service officials have stressed that the mass firings were not aimed at employees whose sole job is dealing with wildfire, some outside estimates suggest three-quarters of those fired had 鈥渞ed cards,鈥� meaning they could be called to help suppress a wildfire if one breaks out. A Colorado Democrat on the committee, Joe Neguse, estimated that 3,000 red card holders were fired.
Meanwhile, Forest Service employees are awaiting the results of a 鈥渞eduction-in-force鈥� restructuring process that could take out another chunk of employees who are not on probationary status.
Forest Service Associate Deputy Chief Ellen Shultzabarger, left, stands up after speaking before the Federal Lands Subcommittee on in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. (Photo by Patrick Lohmann / Source NM) Asked about Stansbury鈥檚 comments after the meeting, Shultzabarger did not answer, instead deferring to Forest Service spokesperson Kyle Earnest, who did not provide further comment.
Source New Mexico caught up with Stansbury after the hearing in Washington and asked her about the upcoming wildfire season, which forecasts predict could be dire and federal stonewalling on what used to be basic information.
The following conversation took place during a short walk from the Capitol and has been edited for clarity and concision.
Source: Do you have any sense at all of what we could be looking at with reduction in force in New Mexico forests, in terms of employees lost?
MS: We have not received any specific plans. The New Mexico national forests have been heavily impacted by all the mass firings that have happened. The probationary firing that happened at the beginning of the DOGE effort resulted in dozens and dozens, both senior and junior, Forest Service employees, receiving notice that they鈥檝e been fired. A lot of senior Forest Service officials did take the initial deferred departure offer, and we know that there is a RIF restructuring that is coming, but there鈥檚 been nothing released publicly, and there鈥檚 been nothing released internally.
And so when I was home in New Mexico last week, during my town halls, I had Forest Service employees actually come to my town halls and speak to me privately about what鈥檚 happening. There鈥檚 a complete culture of fear. Nobody has any idea what鈥檚 going on. A lot of people are afraid they鈥檙e going to lose their jobs. 鈥e鈥檝e been heavily and disproportionately impacted. So we don鈥檛 have specific numbers, but we know that the entire workforce is in chaos and struggling right now.
Do you know the status of the, including the one that鈥檚 in the Cibola National Forest office, which is on the ?
I don鈥檛 have any specific details. I mean, one of the things that I think has been really troubling about this entire DOGE exercise is that they claim that they鈥檙e doing it with transparency, and yet they refuse to come testify in front of Congress. They don鈥檛 even send political appointees to testify. Today, they sent a career staffer rather than a political appointee. And they transmit no information to congressional offices. And, you know, I say this all the time, but this is not normal.
In past administrations, regardless of what side of the aisle you are on, it has always been the norm and the practice that if you鈥檙e going to make a major change to a district, you notify the congressional offices, you notify the local officials, you notify towns and counties in the state, because all of them are impacted, and there鈥檚 zero communication at all between the administration DOG and local authorities, so we have no idea what they鈥檙e doing.
Do you think we鈥檒l learn more in the president鈥檚 budget to be released this week about how those cuts will affect the New Mexico forests?
I don鈥檛 know. The word on the street is that the budget that will be transmitted this week is what they鈥檙e calling a skinny budget. So it will say, you know, [the] Forest Service鈥檚 budget is XYZ. It鈥檚 cut by XYZ amount and these programs, but I doubt it鈥檒l have the level of detail that you see in a more fully fledged budget, where it describes in detail what their plans are.
We ran into New Mexico State Forester Laura McCarthy near the Capitol, who told us she was here 鈥榣obbying鈥� but would not say for what bill or issue. Do you know?
She鈥檚 here? Wow, OK, I鈥檓 going to text her. I鈥檓 very good friends with Laura. My background is in water resources management, and she and I collaborated a lot on forest and water management in previous lives. So no, I don鈥檛 know what she鈥檚 up to here. But what I can say in general is that both states and tribes have been heavily impacted by the funding freezes. In fact, just yesterday, Mescalero Apache had a huge forest greenhouse project that had been on hold since the beginning of the Trump administration because they had frozen a [Bureau of Indian Affairs] grant they had received, and it was critical to growing seedlings for reforestation after these big fires, and they just found out yesterday that it had gotten unfrozen.
So my guess is that the states and tribes and local authorities are trying to track down grants and federal funding. I think folks are very, very concerned about the upcoming fire season, as I mentioned in the hearing. We have the lowest snow pack in recorded history. And the thing to understand about that is it means that both the river is drying up already, which is unseasonably early, but it also means soil moisture and vegetation moisture is very low, which means basically the entire state鈥檚 a tinder box for the fire season. So if and when fires hit us, we鈥檙e at a very, very, extremely high risk for a really catastrophic fire season. And as you know, our communities are still reeling and recovering from the last major fires, and we can鈥檛 do it without support from the Forest Service, FEMA and these programs that they鈥檙e talking about cutting. It鈥檚 a bad situation.
The Cibola Forest has . Do you think those uranium mines could become operational?
Well, this administration is absolutely moving forward with stripping away protections for permitting and for national forests. They just issued guidance last week that would reduce all federal permitting to 28 days. In the case of, for example, Mount Taylor 鈥� which is not only set aside as national tourist land, but it鈥檚 also a sacred site for the pueblos and tribes of New Mexico 鈥� you can鈥檛 do an environmental and cultural review in 28 days. That鈥檚 just going to result in lawsuits. I believe that the administration is going to do everything it can to green-light mining and extractive activities on sensitive lands, and we will fight them every step of the way.
Federal agency kills endangered wolf after chronic livestock losses - Cathy Cook,
After at least seven livestock animals were killed by a wolf or wolves in central New Mexico over the last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service killed an endangered Mexican gray wolf last week.
The agency is allowed to intentionally kill the endangered wolves within the experimental population area, which straddles Arizona and New Mexico. Wildlife advocates are critical of the decision, calling it infuriating and counterproductive, while one Catron County rancher thinks it was the right decision made too late.
The species was listed as , after being almost entirely eliminated from the wild because of conflicts with livestock. Fish and Wildlife began releasing captive wolves into the experimental population area in 1998, part of a long-term recovery effort. The Mexican gray wolf population increased 11% last year, according to an annual wolf count from the Arizona and New Mexico departments of Game and Fish.
Wolves from the Hail Canyon pack near Reserve were connected to seven confirmed and two probable livestock kills over the last year, prompting the decision to kill a 5-year-old male wolf from the pack.
Six of the livestock kills were in the last month, . One horse was killed, but the rest of the animals were cows. The pack had five wolves, including two adults. The breeding female in the pack is expected to soon have a new litter of pups.
Fish and Wildlife does not expect the male wolf鈥檚 removal to 鈥渋mpact the ability of the Hail Canyon pack to raise pups because there are other yearlings in the pack to assist in raising pups,鈥� the memo reads, and the wolf鈥檚 genes are still represented in the wild through offspring and siblings.
鈥淭his is such a critical time of year for a wolf family 鈥� to kill the breeding male of a pack is a huge setback,鈥� Chris Smith, wildlife program director at WildEarth Guardians, said in a statement.
Before killing the wolf, the agency worked with a rancher in the area to deter cattle depredation by establishing diversionary food caches and hazing the wolves, according to the memo. They also trapped three Mexican wolves on private land in the area and radio collared them for continued monitoring.
鈥淭hese removals are done to support the public lands livestock grazing industry, where a handful of ranchers get a sweetheart deal and heavy subsidies to degrade our national forests for private profit 鈥� including the destruction of keystone species who are vital to a healthy ecosystem,鈥� Greta Anderson, deputy director of Western Watersheds Project, said in a statement.
Livestock kills declined in 2024 to 99, 77 of which were in New Mexico, according to a report from the Mexican Wolf Interagency Field Team. In 2023 there were 111 livestock kills.
But some Catron County ranchers have seen an increase compared to their experience with livestock depredation in past years during the 2025 calving season, which can stretch from January through April.
Louis Sanders has lost one cow and four calves to wolf kills since January, he said, a problem he鈥檚 never dealt with at this scale in his 35 years of ranching in northern Catron County. The kills stress out surviving cattle, inhibiting future breeding.
鈥淥ne would be too many, because the wolf is not welcome here on my private land,鈥� Sanders said. 鈥淲hen none of us ranchers wanted them here, and they were forced on us, and now we鈥檙e dealing with consequences, and it鈥檚 costing us actually more than money. It鈥檚 costing us so much time and stress.鈥�
Sanders has been patrolling his land every night since January to try to prevent more cattle loss.
Some Catron County residents are fearful the wolves could kill pets or children, according to rancher Dana Barnett.
鈥淚f this was happening in Downtown Albuquerque, wolves showing up in people鈥檚 backyards, I think it would be taken care of a little quicker,鈥� Barnett said.
New Mexico lawmakers brace for steep cuts to federal funding - by Austin Fisher,
New Mexico lawmakers this week rolled out a plan to help prepare for potential hefty reductions in federal funding.
The Legislative Council, the group of state representatives and senators that oversees all lawmaking between New Mexico鈥檚 legislative sessions, voted unanimously Monday afternoon at its first meeting following this year鈥檚 session to create a new panel called the Federal Infrastructure Funds and Stability Interim Committee.
House Speaker Javier Mart铆nez and Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, both Albuquerque Democrats, told Source NM after the meeting that the committee, in a nutshell, will examine potential federal funding cuts and consider ways to adapt to them if they become real.
For example, the committee will look at proposals to cut funding to , a child care and early education program. This week, U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luj谩n (D-N.M.) joined 40 other senators in a to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. demanding he immediately unfreeze Head Start funding and reinstate early childhood education workers who have either been laid off or furloughed as result of of the preschools, which rely on federal funding.
Similarly, the new legislative committee will track funds for , the safety-net health insurance program for people with low incomes, Mart铆nez said. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham she might call a special session in the fall, should the state need to address federal shortcomings in programs such as Medicaid. The state also is also challenging federal cuts.
Its members will also consider the Trump administration鈥檚 proposal to abolish the federal , Stewart said. Federal funding accounts for 30% of New Mexico鈥檚 education budget, she said, including money for special education.
Stewart said the committee has no historical precedent in the New Mexico Legislature, noting 鈥渢his is an ahistorical presidency.鈥� The committee is intended to last for the remainder of the year, but could extend beyond that if needed, she said.
Mart铆nez told the Legislative Council the new committee will not duplicate the work being done by the Legislative Finance Committee and other legislative panels but, rather, supplement it with a 鈥減roactive approach to deal with any potential reductions in federal funding.鈥�
鈥淚t will be what I consider to be a very nuts-and-bolts committee, with a tailored, specific focus,鈥� he said.
Mart铆nez appointed Rep. Patricia Lundstrom (D-Grants) as the panel鈥檚 co-chair from the House of Representatives, and Stewart appointed Sen. William Soules (D-Las Cruces) as the co-chair from the Senate. Attempts to reach Lundstrom and Soules for comment through spokespeople for their respective chambers were unsuccessful as of publication time.
Other members of the new committee include Reps. Susan Herrera (D-Embudo), Micaela Lara Cadena (D-Las Cruces), Mark Duncan (R-Kirtland) and Cathrynn Brown (R-Carlsbad); and Sens. George Mu帽oz (D-Gallup), Linda Trujillo (D-Santa Fe), James Townsend (R-Artesia) and Minority Whip Pat Woods (R-Broadview).
The panel is expected to hold an organizational meeting in May, Mart铆nez said.
Complaint alleges Gallup-McKinley Schools superintendent violated state ethics laws - By Bryant Furlow,
Gallup-McKinley County Schools Superintendent Mike Hyatt is under scrutiny for alleged violations of state procurement and government ethics laws, following a with the New Mexico State Ethics Commission.
Submitted on behalf of Stride, Inc. and its online education subsidiary, K12 Virtual Schools, the complaint alleges Hyatt sought a $235,000-per-year salary as Stride鈥檚 Vice President for Academic Innovation, while the company had an active contract with the school district鈥攁nd when he was not hired for the position, Hyatt sought to terminate that contract.
K12 provides online education for the district鈥檚 Destinations Career Academy of New Mexico.
鈥淪uperintendent Hyatt is apparently knowingly and willfully abusing his public position, at the expense of ~4,200 New Mexico students鈥� who are enrolled in online schooling, the complaint alleged.
In an email to New Mexico In Depth, Monday, Hyatt refuted the allegations, saying the company, not he, behaved in 鈥渋llegal鈥� and 鈥渦nethical鈥� ways, because of inadequate student-teacher ratios for their online courses.
鈥淲e have recently found out the illegal [and] unethical practices of Stride and how they are profiting and increasing revenue by breaking the law in our online program,鈥� Hyatt wrote. 鈥淲e notified them of their wrongdoing and had previously notified them to not break the law when it comes to students teacher ratios.鈥�
The ethics complaint letter alleges that Hyatt potentially violated the New Mexico Government Conduct Act (GCA) and state procurement code. 鈥淭he GCA has specific prohibitions against a public officer or employee seeking employment with a contractor who has a contract with the public officer or employee鈥檚 employer,鈥� according to the complaint. 鈥淭he Procurement Code similarly prohibits an employee who is participating directly or indirectly in the procurement process to become, or to be, while such an employee, the employee of any person or business contracting with the governmental body by whom the employee is employed.鈥�
The complaint was filed by attorney Laura E. Sanchez of the law firm Rodey, Dickason, Sloan, Akin & Robb, P.A., in Albuquerque.
The New Mexico State Ethics Commission declined to comment on the complaint or its investigation plans. On Monday, Deputy Director Amelia Bierle told New Mexico In Depth in an email that the Commission does not comment on alleged ethics violations before investigations are concluded.
Gallup-McKinley signed an Educational Products & Services Contract with K12 in June 2020. Hyatt was district superintendent.
According to the company鈥檚 complaint letter, Hyatt applied for the company鈥檚 VP position on December 11, 2024 and was initially interviewed on Jan. 21, 2025.
On Feb. 21, the company鈥檚 senior vice president of schools, Adam Hawf, spoke with Hyatt by phone to let him know he had not been hired.
鈥淢r. Hawf called Superintendent Hyatt, as opposed to issuing him a formal letter, due to the sensitivity of the relationship and fear that Superintendent Hyatt would adversely affect the District鈥檚 relationship with the Contractor,鈥� the complaint letter states.
In his email to New Mexico In Depth, Monday, Hyatt confirmed, 鈥淚 applied for a job there in 2024.鈥�
Less than a month after the call with Hawf, at a routine monthly meeting with the company on March 10, Hyatt鈥檚 demeanor had become 鈥渃ompletely different than it had been in past meetings,鈥� according to the complaint letter. 鈥淸T]he meeting was hostile [鈥 instead of amicable and collaborative.鈥�
On April 1, Hyatt sent a breach of contract and termination letter to the company, citing several alleged contract breaches, including inadequate student-teacher ratios, teacher licensure, and problems with student achievement in Destinations Career Academy students. Three days later, Gallup-McKinley issued a to find a new contractor.
The termination letter violated a 45-day 鈥渃ure鈥� period for contractual disputes, the company contends. The complaint further alleges that Hyatt directed the district to issue the new request for proposals for virtual education services while Stride鈥檚 contract was still in effect, potentially violating its exclusivity provision.
Hyatt knew previously about student-teacher ratio concerns, according to the complaint letter.
鈥淪uperintendent Hyatt鈥檚 conduct after he was denied employment 鈥� shows that he is potentially abusing his authority, and not acting in the public interest,鈥� the ethics complaint states. 鈥淗e was aware of the alleged student-teacher ratios and the licensure issues prior to submitting his application for employment with the Contractor. He also served as a positive reference for the Contractor with the New Mexico PED [Public Education Department] on February 6, 2025 and for Ohio as recently as February 25, 2025, despite knowledge of the concerns he later raised in the letter to the Contractor on April 1, 2025.鈥�
The firm submitted 18 supporting documents with the ethics complaint, including emails and correspondence, the termination letter, and the request for proposals.
The company has tried to address Hyatt鈥檚 concerns within the 45-day 鈥渃ure period鈥� set out in the contract but has been hindered by Gallup-McKinley since receiving the termination letter, according to the complaint. Examples include the district delaying teacher criminal history fingerprint clearances and refusing to sign off on teachers鈥� license extensions.
鈥淥ut of desperation they are attempting to deflect the harm they have done [鈥 and are trying to create a narrative that I by myself am trying to break a contract for personal reasons,鈥� Hyatt wrote in his email to the news organization. 鈥淣othing could be further from the truth.鈥�
All students at NMs largest universities have visas restored - Noah Alcala Bach,
All students at the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University have had their visa status reinstated after they were revoked earlier in the month, the universities confirmed to the Journal Monday.
The news from the two largest post-secondary institutions in the state comes days after the Trump administration restored some students鈥� access to their visa registrations that had been revoked via the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a database the Department of Homeland Security uses to monitor international students鈥� status and enrollment in American universities.
Across the country, international students had their visas revoked until Friday, when the Trump administration reversed course and reinstated the status for thousands of students.
However, the measure could be temporary. The New York Times reported Friday that an unnamed DHS official said the department could terminate the visas again in the future.
While it declined to give a number of how many students were affected, UNM confirmed Monday all of those students had their visas restored. NMSU also said all nine of its students who had previously had their visa status pulled had SEVIS access restored.
At New Mexico Tech in Socorro, one student had his visa status revoked. On Friday, the student, going by the alias K.O.D., had his status reinstated two days after the ACLU filed a lawsuit against the DHS on his behalf.
His attorney, Shayne Huffman, told the Journal after getting his client a 14-day restraining order that the suit wouldn鈥檛 be dropped until there was more confirmation K.O.D.鈥檚 visa would remain in place, adding that the next step will be seeking a preliminary injunction.
Autopsy confirms Gene Hackman died from heart disease, notes his Alzheimer's and prolonged fasting - By Jacques Billeaud and Morgan Lee Associated Press
The main cause of Gene Hackman's death was heart disease, but he was also in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease and likely had not eaten for a long time, according to a new autopsy report.
The report documents the 95-year-old actor鈥檚 poor heart health, noting he had experienced congestive heart failure, an aortic valve replacement and an irregular heartbeat. He was given a pacemaker in April 2019.
Hackman鈥檚 carbon monoxide concentration was less than 5% saturation, which is within the normal range. He tested negative for the hantavirus, which is a rare but potentially fatal disease spread by infected rodent droppings.
Authorities have said Hackman鈥檚 wife, Betsy Arakawa, likely died Feb. 11 at home from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Her autopsy report hasn鈥檛 yet been released.
A toxicology report says Hackman tested negative for alcohol and intoxicating drugs, but that he had a low concentration of acetone in his system that indicates prolonged fasting.
Hackman , possibly unaware of his wife's death. Hackman鈥檚 pacemaker showed an abnormal heart rhythm on Feb. 18 鈥� the day he likely died, according to the state's chief medical examiner.
Records released earlier in the investigation showed Arakawa made phone calls and internet searches as she on flu-like symptoms and breathing techniques.
Recently released videos outline the scope of the investigation into the deaths of Hackman and Arakawa.
Before they understood how Hackman and Arakawa died, authorities recorded themselves conducting interviews with workers and returning to Hackman鈥檚 home to search for more evidence. Detectives searched the home in early March for Arakawa鈥檚 laptop and other clues.
City says economic indicators are stable despite Trump turbulence- Justin Garcia,
Despite worries following the whirlwind of news, tariffs and executive orders from the federal government, a presentation given to the Albuquerque City Council last week suggested the turbulence has yet to hit the local economy.
The presentation, delivered by Christine Boerner, a city economist, stated that economic models and gross receipts tax predictions have not shown much year-to-year change despite the onslaught of news, particularly around tariffs and a stock market dip.
鈥淒on鈥檛 misunderstand what I鈥檓 saying, that I think everything is just fine. A lot of what鈥檚 going on could still be filtering through the system,鈥� Boerner said.
In their proposed budget for the fiscal year 2025, the mayor鈥檚 office expressed concern that economic disruptions 鈥� such as cuts in federal funding, increased inflation, and even war in Europe and the Middle East driving up gas prices 鈥� would require the city to reduce nonessential spending and consider selling nonessential property, equipment and vehicles.
The same proposed budget predicted that gross receipts taxes 鈥� a tax collected on nearly all exchanges of goods and services that funds everything from parks to police salaries 鈥� would grow in the next fiscal year, but at a slower rate.
鈥淲hile there鈥檚 a lot happening at the federal level, there鈥檚 not much of a change in the economic models,鈥� Boerner said. 鈥淚t generally looks the same as it was in the prior administration.鈥�
Boerner also said that nearly all business sectors saw growth in GRT collections in February compared to 2024. The data indicated growth in accommodation, food, construction, professional, scientific and technical services.
The data showed that health care and social assistance declined slightly, but nothing fell as noticeably as retail.
鈥淩etail has pretty much struggled the entire year so far,鈥� Boerner said.
Councilor Dan Lewis asked if the decline in retail GRT represented a long-term trend. Boerner said she couldn't say for sure, but that it was clear that retail sales in Albuquerque were hurting.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot going there,鈥� Boerner said. 鈥淏ut for us, retail has been struggling.鈥�
Boerner went on to say that nationally, there is not as much of a pronounced decline in retail. She didn鈥檛 have any data on the cause but speculated that consumers are worried about an economic slowdown and are cutting back.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just something I think folks are worried about, all the information that鈥檚 out there,鈥� Boerner said.
Albuquerque鈥檚 situation seems to contrast with that of national retail sales. U.S. retail sales rose 1.4% in March and 4.6% compared to last year, according to federal . Much of the rise was attributed to , as consumers look to get ahead of looming tariffs.
Lewis also asked if the decline was felt more in small retailers or big box stores, information that Boerner didn鈥檛 have but said she would look into.
Councilor Klarissa Pe帽a said she鈥檇 like to see the retail data broken out as online sales versus brick-and-mortar sales. Boerner said that information, much of which is handed down by the state, was not readily available.
Looking forward, Boerner said a forecast from the University of New Mexico鈥檚 Bureau of Business and Economic Research could provide more insight into the local economic future. That forecast is expected in early May.
New Mexico Democrats elevate labor leader as top party official- Austin Fisher,
Democratic Party of New Mexico insiders this month chose a labor official to lead the party for the next two years.
Sara Attleson is the new chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico, according to voting results announced on Sunday.
Attleson, of Albuquerque, chairs the party鈥檚 , as well as the Albuquerque Teachers Federation鈥檚 Committee on Political Education. She defeated Marisol Enriquez, Letitia Montoya and Joseph Weathers to lead the party. Former Chair Jessica Velasquez did not seek reelection.
Attleson said in a statement she wants to work with county-level Democratic parties 鈥渢o make sure we have a presence in every community.鈥�
鈥淒emocrats across the country have our work cut out for us,鈥� she said in a statement. 鈥淏ut here in New Mexico, we have the energy to make sure that MAGA Republicans and Donald Trump are never able to get a foothold here.鈥�
DPNM announced the results at the spring meeting of its governing body, the State Central Committee, at the Albuquerque Little Theater following voting by 466 SCC members via online absentee ballot from April 19-26. The new party officers鈥� terms end in 2027.
Party members elected Cameron Crawford as vice chair. Crawford, of Santa Fe, defeated incumbent Manny Crespin and Augustine Montoya to win the seat.
鈥淚n an era of unprecedented political turmoil, I will go to counties red and blue to rebuild community by showing up for everyone, regardless of who they vote for,鈥� Crawford said in a statement. 鈥淧olitics is about making people鈥檚 lives better, and I鈥檓 more than prepared to take that message far and wide.鈥�
The party elected Brenda Hoskie as its treasurer. Hoskie, from Springstead, is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and chair of the McKinley County Democrats. She defeated Daniel Alfredo Garcia and Barbara Jordan to become secretary.
Members elected Julie Rochman as Secretary. Rochman, of Albuquerque, defeated Joseph Ortiz to become treasurer.
The Republican Party of New Mexico its party officers in December.
Only one NM college president signs letter opposing 鈥榰nprecedented government overreach鈥�- Danielle Prokop,
Hundreds of leaders at colleges and universities from across the United States recently signed an to the Trump Administration, rebuking 鈥渢he unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education.鈥�
Only one New Mexico higher-education leader signed the letter 鈥� from a small college in Santa Fe.
In the first 100 days, the Trump administration has in research grants and threatened further cuts if universities fail to comply with policies to reshape admissions, curriculum and speech on campus. Broadly, the Trump and Republicans have alleged higher education indoctrinates students with left-wing ideologies, and are using federal funds as leverage to require universities to change campus policies.
Last week, over its freezing of $2.2 billion in grants after the school refused to comply with federal demands to limit activism on campus.
The letter from academics, released last week by the American Association of Colleges and Universities, pushes back against the Trump Administration, penning a defense of higher education.
鈥淲e are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight,鈥� the letter states. 鈥淗owever, we must oppose undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live, and work on our campuses. We will always seek effective and fair financial practices, but we must reject the coercive use of public research funding.鈥�
As of Monday morning, the letter had amassed 523 signatures from colleges, universities and scholarly societies.
Leaders from University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University, the state鈥檚 largest schools, did not sign on.When reached for comment, Cinnamon Blair, a spokesperson for UNM wrote: 鈥淲hat I can share is that UNM鈥檚 participation in any statements is an internal administrative decision, and will be reflected in the public record.鈥�
New Mexico State University spokesperson Amanda Bradford confirmed the administration had not signed the letter, stating: 鈥淭he university has no further comments on this topic at this time.鈥�
As of press time, Thom Chesney, president of , a private graduate-level school tucked away on Santa Fe鈥檚 Southside, remains the only New Mexico school leader on the list.
Southwestern College offers a variety of graduate-level programs and certificates, including: master鈥檚 degrees in counseling, art therapy and consciousness in action; as well as a Ph.D in.
In an interview with Source NM, Chesney said higher education is facing unprecedented threats at multiple levels. Chesney took the position at Southwestern College eight months ago, following three years as president at Clarke University in Iowa and nearly eight years as president of Brookhaven College in Texas, among other academic postings. He鈥檚 been in higher education for nearly 30 years and started his work in academia teaching English, American and British literature and the humanities.
鈥淲e鈥檝e not seen this before,鈥� Chesney said. 鈥淭he federal government stepping in and making demands about how we admit, who we admit and what we teach 鈥� that flies directly in the face of independence, of building a curriculum.鈥�
Chesney told Source NM that this was the right time for his college to speak out, and said other New Mexican institutions are trying to navigate a difficult position.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to defend my colleagues, my peers from the public and private institutions in New Mexico, who haven鈥檛 signed the letter,鈥� Chesney said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not on the sidelines, they鈥檙e not silent, in assent or giving in 鈥� we can鈥檛 assume any of that. They are absolutely, I believe, thinking through where their space is, at this time, for this type of response.鈥�
Chesney said the letter he signed offers the chance to be part of 鈥渁 collective, unified voice.鈥�
鈥淚t fits in with not only the mission of my institution, but also the broader need to respond in a call to action for dialogue, for decorum to come together and recognize we have a shared space, to identify the successes, the flaws 鈥� all of that, rather than react reactionarily,鈥� he said.
Chesney noted that all higher education institutions face threats, regardless of size and programs. Southwestern College鈥檚 enrollment is just over 320 students. While his institution does not receive federal research grants, some of the students rely on Title IV funds to attend college. The college also offers a counseling center at which its counseling and therapy students receive real-world experience and provide low-cost or no-cost services for 500 Santa Fe residents.
鈥淚f someone comes in and says 鈥榶ou can鈥檛 do that anymore,鈥� that鈥檚 a threat,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat threatens the wellness of Santa Fe鈥檚 Southside, Santa Fe in general and ultimately New Mexico, in my mind.鈥�
Not only did Chesney sign the letter, he hopes his participation in a national dialogue creates an opportunity for students to become more engaged with faculty and administrators in addressing the future of higher education.
And he has a message for prospective students who are considering further training or schooling: 鈥淒on鈥檛 become cynical.鈥�
鈥淣o one should give up on that dream or that aspiration to do the kind of learning that leads them into opportunities to serve and create and have jobs that are for the greater, common good,鈥� Chesney said.
City launches basic income payments program- Rod Cayton
A new guaranteed basic income (GBI) program in Albuquerque is distributing its first monthly payments.
City leaders say the $750 payments will provide financial relief to struggling residents and underscore Albuquerque鈥檚 commitment to economic equity and financial empowerment. The first payments went out last week.
The money is unrestricted, and participants were selected from families of students in selected high-needs public schools 鈥� those with some of the lowest academic outcomes and highest rates of chronic absenteeism 鈥� on the Westside and in the International District.
鈥淲e鈥檙e putting dollars directly into the hands of our residents,鈥� Mayor Tim Keller said. 鈥淎nd more importantly, we鈥檙e putting trust in their ability to make the best decisions for their families. This program is about building a city where everyone, regardless of their starting point, has the opportunity to thrive.鈥�
Rada Moss, financial empowerment manager for the city鈥檚 Office of Equity and Inclusion, said the guaranteed income will position recipients to pursue new educational or career goals, care for loved ones or simply experience less financial uncertainty each month.
The first cohort will consist of 80 households will receive the income support for three years. The $4.02 million program cost will be partially financed with $2 million in adult-use cannabis tax revenue.
City officials say the program aims to support communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis criminalization. It was designed by community members, local organizations and city departments.
As the GBI program progresses, according to the release, participants will gain access to training and other resources to help strengthen financial decision-making, through the city Office of Financial Empowerment.
The release states the program is modeled after a successful similar effort launched in Santa Fe in 2022.
More information on the guaranteed basic income and the Office of Financial Empowerment is available .
First community solar project on state lands breaks ground- Hannah Grover,
The first community solar project on state trust lands in New Mexico broke ground on Thursday in Los Lunas.
The Global Give A Book Community Solar Project is one of eight currently slated to be installed on parcels leased from the State Land Office as the agency looks to increase renewable energy capacity on state lands.
The projects slated to be placed on state lands will be in Do帽a Ana, Grant, Hidalgo and Roosevelt counties.
The Global Give A Book project is being developed by the Albuquerque-based company Affordable Solar, which names each of its community solar projects after nonprofit organizations that are receiving monetary donations from the business.
The community solar arrays are five-megawatt projects that utility customers who are unable to install solar on their residences can subscribe to receive electricity from.
There are 49 community solar projects in the works in New Mexico, including seven that Affordable Solar is working on. Three of Affordable Solar鈥檚 projects are on state trust land.
Developers who proposed projects on state trust land received extra points during the scoring process while a third-party administrator was deciding which of the more than 400 projects to accept into the community solar program.
鈥淭he State Land Office has lots of land. This beautiful site, and pretty much as far as you can see in those directions, is state land,鈥� Dylan Connelly with Affordable Solar said.
The State Land Office also has land in close proximity to communities, which is important because the community solar projects tie into distribution systems rather than relying on large transmission lines.
State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard said one of the benefits of community solar is that the electricity produced stays in the local area.
鈥淯sually what happens is, we鈥檙e building a renewable project, and the community comes up and says, 鈥榳here is this power going?鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淎nd we have to tell them that most likely, if it鈥檚 a large-scale project, the power is going to be exported elsewhere, and the local folks won鈥檛 be able to take advantage of renewable power in their community. And that鈥檚 part of the reason we love community solar so much is because it gives access to local folks.鈥�
She said community solar also helps solve some of the challenges communities in New Mexico face.
鈥淢anaging your 13 million acres of state land, we like to think of ourselves as problem solvers,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e want to be in communities, helping communities solve their challenges, and we use land to do that. And so obviously one challenge is how to get affordable, sustainable renewable power to people who may not have, like we said before, easy access to that. And so partnering on this community solar really has given us a land based solution to solving that problem.鈥�
She said locating community solar projects on state lands also helps fund schools, universities and hospitals. The Global Give A Book Community Solar Project will generate $2.7 million for those institutions over the life of the lease.
The project is being built on sandy lands covered in brush that Garcia Richard said has been used for agriculture in the past. She said agriculture and community solar uses can co-exist on leased State Trust Land.
Other ways that the State Land Office can make money for schools, universities and hospitals in ways that solve problems include leasing lands for affordable housing, Garcia Richard said. However, she said often the State Trust Land is leased for agricultural purposes such as grazing.
The Global Give A Book Community Solar Project is located near an elementary school and Connelly said Affordable Solar plans on bringing students to tour the facility.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to do one tour per year for the local school nearby so that those local schools can kind of see what鈥檚 going on,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 really exciting about these projects, to me is they move every 12 minutes鈥o it鈥檚 a fun tour to see as the sun鈥檚 moving across. There鈥檚 a little bit of physics lesson there as well.鈥�