[{{{type}}}] {{{reason}}}
{{/data.error.root_cause}}{{{_source.displayDate}}}
{{/_source.showDate}}{{{_source.description}}}
{{#_source.additionalInfo}}{{#_source.additionalFields}} {{#title}} {{{label}}}: {{{title}}} {{/title}} {{/_source.additionalFields}}
{{/_source.additionalInfo}}This category will house articles relating to the 2025 NM Legislative Session.
Santa Fe, NM — Today, Senate Bill 258 "Human Sexuality Education" advanced on a (6-4) party line vote in the Senate Education Committee despite unified opposition from the Republican members.
Republicans attempted to amend the proposal to prevent the law from requiring instruction in gender identity—including the notion that there are more than two biological sexes—for middle and high school students. Traditionally, content standards are never placed directly in the law; instead, the law identifies the areas (including language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and more) in which the Public Education Department will develop standards for use by schools. SB 258 marks the first attempt to have the legislature mandate exactly what school districts must teach. Furthermore, the specific subject matter in this proposal is highly objectionable to many New Mexican families and communities.
SANTA FE – Today, the Senate Rules Committee advanced Senate Bill 283, CYFD & USE OF FEDERAL BENEFITS, on a vote of 8-0 with 2 members excused. The bill, sponsored by Senator Crystal Brantley (R-Elephant Butte), Senator Nicole Tobiasson (R-Albuquerque), Senator Katy Duhigg (D-Albuquerque), and Senator Heather Berghams (D-Albuquerque), seeks to ensure that federal funds awarded to New Mexico for the benefits of children in foster care or protective custody are actually awarded to the child rather than used for operating expenses of the department charged with their care the Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD).
"This is the session where we as a legislature say enough is enough," said Senator Brantley. "Our north star in bringing CYFD reform has always been ensuring the child's best interest is put first. This bill does just that and I'm pleased to have strong bipartisan support behind this commonsense reform that ensures our taxpayer dollars meant to help these kids get to them instead of lost in the bureaucratic mess."
Integrated crime package would reduce recidivism by connecting people involved
in the criminal justice system with appropriate behavioral healthcare,
while also addressing gun safety, fentanyl trafficking, vehicle thefts, and DWIs
Santa Fe, N.M. – Democratic lawmakers' public safety package is now headed to the House Floor after passing the House Judiciary Committee (HJC) today by a vote of 7-4, along party lines.
House Bill 8 incorporates six key public safety proposals that have already been heard and passed in their first committee into an integrated crime package.
Santa Fe, NM — Regrettably, the New Mexico State Senate today rejected an effort to bring transparency to monetary payments received by lawmakers.
An amendment to Senate Bill 85 offered by Senate Minority Leader Bill Sharer sought to require all sitting legislators to annually disclose any monetary payment received from any source, ensuring that New Mexicans would know who is exerting financial influence over their lawmakers.
"NASCAR drivers wear patches to show the world who sponsors them in their races," Senator Sharer pointed out during debate on the Senate floor. "It makes perfect sense that New Mexico residents know who is sponsoring their representatives and senators."
Despite bipartisan support for this important transparency measure, twenty-five Democrat Senators voted to kill the amendment.
Joint Resolution would allow voters to decide whether to give the state greater oversight to improve accountability of regents and at higher education institutions
Santa Fe, N.M. – Today, legislation that would allow voters to decide whether to strengthen oversight of regents at the state's higher education institutions passed the House Education Committee unanimously.
House Joint Resolution 12 would clearly detail regents' responsibilities to the students and institutions they serve and provide the state with authority to take disciplinary actions, including potential removal, of regents who violate their duties.
SANTA FE —A bill that aims to establish a visionary Strategic Water Supply for New Mexico cleared its first legislative hurdle on Tuesday.
The House Agriculture, Acequias and Water Resources Committee passed
House Bill 137 on a 5-4 vote. This is an important step toward realizing Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's goal of ensuring that the state has enough water to support future economic growth without depleting or endangering its valuable freshwater supplies, part of her 50-Year Water Action Plan.
Legislation to Open Medicaid Access Clears House Health & Human Services Committee with Strong Support
SANTA FE, NM – Today, the House Health & Human Services Committee advanced House Bill 186 (HB 186), a transformative step toward expanding Medicaid access and lowering healthcare costs for thousands of New Mexicans. Sponsored by Rep. Reena Szczepanski, the bill passed with a vote of 6-4 and now moves forward to House Appropriations & Finance Committee.
Legislation cracks down on illegal activity within the state's recreational cannabis market
Santa Fe, N.M. – Legislation to enhance regulation of New Mexico's recreational cannabis industry is now headed to the House Floor, after unanimously passing the House Judiciary Committee today.
House Bill 10 would establish an Enforcement Bureau within the Cannabis Control Division (CCD) at the Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD) to investigate potential criminal violations of New Mexico's cannabis laws. Under this legislation, CCD agents would be able to undertake lawful searches of cannabis facilities, confiscate suspicious products, pursue legal orders to destroy illegal products, and arrest those found to be in violation of state cannabis laws.
WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.
Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.
NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.
Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders.
New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.
Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.
It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!
Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com
Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat. The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!
Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.
Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.
Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.
Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.