in the news

A U.S. senator and a White House official crowded into a small family home in the International District on Thursday, where they were briefed on a $10,000 home-improvement project underway there. It might not sound like a project that would warrant the attention of Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Mitch Landrieu, the White House’s...

U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján, D-New Mexico, and Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, recently introduced a bill that they hope will help small farms. The two joined U.S. Senators Michael Bennet, D-Colorado, and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, to introduce the Small Farm Conservation Act. They hope it will allow small farms to access...

If it weren’t for a newly running financial institution that gives loans to people of color, Finnie Coleman said his small business couldn’t afford to stay afloat. He’s been involved in the pet care industry for years and soon wants to start fostering dogs that are set to be euthanized. With help from the newly organized One Hope...

U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Roy Tachias was honored with 16 medals, including the prestigious Purple Heart and Silver Star. Military service runs deep in the Tachias family.  “My father was in World War I. World War II my two sons, our military, Colonel Brian, Brian Tachias,” said Ramoncita Tachias, widow of a Korean War...

Pattern Energy is preparing to break ground in New Mexico on what could become the largest wind generation and transmission-line project in the Western Hemisphere when it comes online in 2026. The company will invest about $8 billion to get its SunZia wind and transmission development system up and running, creating a massive array of wind turbines...

With rent prices on the rise throughout the Albuquerque metro area in recent years, a bill introduced in Congress last week could help low-income residents find a home in a competitive market. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., who sponsored the legislation, said the bill is a small step in addressing a large problem across the country that has taken...

A bipartisan group of lawmakers will introduce a bill on Thursday to ban the sale of bump stocks and other devices that enable semi-automatic firearms to increase their rate of fire and effectively operate as fully automatic weapons, the bill’s lead sponsor told CNN. Democratic Sens. Martin Heinrich and Catherine Cortez Masto, as well as...

As the East Coast encounters wildfire smoke from Canada, US Sen. Martin Heinrich took to Capitol Hill June 7 to espouse the importance of electric vehicles. “Those of us in the West are used to this,” Heinrich said, gesturing at the smoggy air. “We’ve lived with it for 15, 20 years now. This is the result of 100...

If there’s one thing the U.S. does not need, it’s another yearslong study showing that the addition of more big power lines connecting different regions of the country could help prevent extreme-weather-driven blackouts. But that’s exactly what the debt ceiling bill that Congress passed on Friday has...

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) announced Thursday that he had introduced legislation designed to strengthen the electric grid by incentivizing the construction of new electric transmission infrastructure. The bill, The Grid Resiliency Tax Credit Act, would provide a targeted 30 percent investment tax credit supporting large-scale transmission...

The largest renewable energy project in America will start right here in New Mexico, and it just received a key approval from the Bureau of Land Management. The SunZia Transmission and Wind Project will have a massive economic impact in New Mexico. Estimates released last year put the project’s total economic benefits to New Mexico and...

The New Mexico Congressional delegation, local officials and environmental groups vowed to fight a high-level nuclear waste storage facility slated to be built in southern New Mexico. On Tuesday, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a license allowing nuclear equipment company Holtec International to build and operate a storage...

WASHINGTON — Congress’ Joint Economic Committee released a report Thursday detailing the economic repercussions of defaulting on the nation’s debt, adding fuel to the fire as Democrats pressed Republicans to address the nation’s borrowing limit without tying action to spending cuts. The report, from Democratic staff on the...

In the wake of the collapse of two large banks, Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and other Democrats are seeking to repeal a 2018 law that reduced oversight and capital requirements for certain financial institutions. The legislation would seek to repeal Title IV of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act of 2018. The bill...

“The team will respond to residents suffering from mental health emergencies, assist with de-escalating critical situations, and help individuals connect with the medical or psychological resources they may need,” according to a news release issued by the City of Las Cruces. Project LIGHT will operate from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. six days a...

SANTA FE — With New Mexico lawmakers facing an unprecedented revenue bonanza, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich urged lawmakers Monday to approve bills expanding rural health care services and creating a new trust fund for conservation projects. The state’s senior senator also expressed support for proposals to modernize New Mexico’s...

Four Western senators are urging the Bureau of Land Management to ban routine venting and flaring of natural gas on public lands, a stiffer standard that would mirror some state regulations. The ask — from Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper of Colorado, as well as New Mexico’s Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján...

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich along with other local leaders arrived at the Las Cruces Convention Center on an all-electric bus to promote the future of cleaner energy sources at the PowerUp Las Cruces Expo. The expos showcased electric cars, solar panels, and energy-efficient building upgrades to the public. Senator Heinrich says it takes a...

In the 1970’s several shields of cultural significance disappeared without a trace from Acoma Pueblo. The caretaker of the shields called the tribal sheriff, but there was little that could be done. Decades later, one of the shields resurfaced in an auction catalog. An email sent to Acoma tribal lawyers in 2015 informed them that the shield...

New hires for an organization. Helping Native American artisans get their work on e-commerce sites. Those are just some of the areas in which small businesses organizations are planning to use federal money they received through the Omnibus Appropriations Agreement for fiscal year 2023. At a Wednesday press conference, Sen. Martin Heinrich...