Finally federal gun safety legislation that is truly bipartisan may be moving forward. Although the specifics have not been carved in stone, 20 senators, 10 of whom are Republicans and none of whom are up for re-election this year, announced on Sunday, June 12, a deal to push new gun safety legislation through the U…

The Opportunity Scholarship Act cruised through the New Mexico state legislature with bipartisan support on Thursday, February 17. The innovative scholarship program, known as SB140 (PDF), could benefit as many as 35,000 New Mexicans by providing tuition-free college. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the bill into law on Friday, March 4. Goals of the Scholarship…

Steps are being taken in New Mexico to stop predatory interest rates – “overcharging a borrower for rates and fees”. Predatory interest rates can be devastating to those who become trapped in a seemingly unbreakable cycle of living from loan to payday. Unfortunately, those who can least afford these rates are the ones who are…

Gas prices in Lea County continue to rise. The good news is that these prices remain about 10¢ per gallon below the state average – and well below New Mexico’s all time high price average of $4.078 that was recorded on July 17, 2008. The expectation was for prices to increase this winter, but the…

New Mexico school districts are again a target of cyber attacks. These unwanted and unfriendly breaches of computer systems effectively shut down many schools.  As a result of the dependence upon remote learning due to COVID-19, current cyber attacks are particularly damaging, not just to the pocketbooks of school systems but also to the students…

“Zombie” or orphan oil and gas wells are creating serious problems for southeastern New Mexico and particularly for Lea County. Fortunately, help is on the way from the federal government to clean up these wells — in the tune of $43.7 million. The result will be to diminish the numerous potentially dangerous environmental and health…

Shoplifting is a chronic problem for retailers throughout America and is proving especially painful for businesses in Lea County.  One of the main reasons shoplifting is hitting the county’s merchants so badly is because of the area’s lower volume market that provides local retailers with thinner profit margins than they might have in larger, more…

A week ago New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a new program to help the state’s schools and child care facilities stay open in the wake of staffing shortages caused by the current flood of COVID-19 cases, especially those of the more recent Omicron variant.  The initiative is called Supporting Teachers and Families (STAF),…

New Mexico is taking positive steps to limit the number of “human caused” seismic events, commonly known as earthquakes, that occur in Lea and Eddy counties, as well as in other southeast areas of the state. In general, earthquakes are a natural process that allows the earth to release tension and pressure that builds beneath…

The New Mexico legislature has not as of yet passed Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) legislation. In 2021 state lawmakers considered passing a law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but negotiations stopped midstream.  Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham stated in a Monday, December 20 press release that she wants New Mexico lawmakers to pass LCFS during…