in the news

New Mexico’s Democratic U.S. senators, Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall, have decided to delay the process of filling two U.S. District Court vacancies in the state until after the presidential election in November. The lawmakers said Friday they had decided to exercise their authority to pause confirmation hearings for the two judgeships after...

On our previous episode of Open Space Radio — which was part one of our Great American Outdoors Act coverage — we spoke with Happy Haynes, the executive director of Denver Parks and Recreation, about what the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act meant for access to quality parks and recreation...

Earlier this month in Florida, President Donald Trump absurdly called himself “the great environmentalist.” That’s right. The guy, who repealed or weakened more than a hundred environmental protections, proposed unbridled oil and gas leasing on millions of acres of lands and waters, and still denies...

The New Mexico Delegation announced Wednesday that seven New Mexico colleges and universities will receive over $4.1 million in grants to expand and improve educational opportunities for Hispanic students. According to a news release, the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program provides grants to assist universities to expand educational...

A bill that would withdraw all federally-managed minerals in the Pecos watershed from future leasing or sales was introduced by U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich this week. “We all have different relationships with this river, but whether you’re a fisherman or farmer or outdoor recreationist, people understand this river is the thing that ties...

Representatives from two opposing groups in New Mexico testified before the U.S. House Energy and Natural Resources Committee Wednesday, painting conflicting portraits of support for a bill that would see portions of the Gila River receive federal Wild and Scenic designations.  The M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River...

There are just under three weeks left until the deadline for the 2020 census and at a cumulative response rate of 81.5%, according to data from the Census Bureau, New Mexico is progressing toward its goal of a full count. Still, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and members of the state’s congressional delegation – Sens. Martin Heinrich and...

It’s not just the federal money New Mexico would lose if state residents are severely undercounted this year. It’s about “everything we touch,” said U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., during a Thursday conference call on the census. “Those dollars signs equate to people not getting health care, which equates to people...

WASHINGTON — New bipartisan federal legislation to narrow the “digital divide” in Indian Country would expand access to an existing broadband internet service used by schools and libraries. The Tribal Connect Act, introduced in late August by Senators Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. and Martha McSally, R-Ariz., and U.S. Reps. Ben Ray...

A change in the deadline for collecting Census data is not sitting well with some in Congress and nonprofit groups charged with getting every resident in the United States to complete the 2020 Census. In an Aug. 3 online statement, Census Director Steven Dillingham said the Bureau was ending all counting efforts for the 2020 census on Sept....

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- Members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation announced Tuesday their plan to help save the post office. On Saturday, the U.S. House will vote to give the U.S. Postal Service $25 billion. The money would be sued to cover some financial shortfalls to ensure there are no operational changes ahead of the election. "New...

New Mexico’s congressional delegation commended the withdrawal of William Pendley’s nomination as director of the Bureau of Land Management but warned the original proposal he take up the post was part of a pattern by the administration of President Donald Trump to dismantle U.S. federal land management. Democrat U.S. Sens. Martin...

New Mexico Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich on Thursday joined other Senate Democrats in signing a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy expressing concern about policy changes they say are causing mail delivery delays and that will make it more difficult and more expensive for citizens to vote by mail. New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie...

New Mexico’s congressional delegation gathered virtually Thursday to celebrate the recent passage of landmark legislation that will provide $9.5 billion in funding over the next five years to address deferred maintenance projects on federal public lands. Democratic U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich were joined by Democratic U.S. Reps....

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, members of the New Mexico National Guard have been deployed in a number of roles — providing food, water, testing and transportation in the ongoing battle against the coronavirus. Although up to 400 of those soldiers have been deployed in that effort, the National Guard decreased that number after...

New Mexico U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich says Congress must approve legislation that will offer significant relief during the pandemic.  He also talked about President Trump's executive actions related to pandemic relief, calling them inadequate. In addition, Heinrich says Congress must take action to protect funding for the U.S. Post Office,...

New Mexico has passed a key threshold in its transition away from fossil fuels. Public Service Company of New Mexico, a utility owned by PNM Resources, will build 650 megawatts of solar power and 300 megawatts of battery capacity to divest its share of the San Juan coal plant in 2022. The unanimous decision last week by the Public...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation criticized a decision this week by the Trump administration moving up the end of field data collection for the 2020 Census from Oct. 31 to Sept. 30. U.S. Sen. Tom Udall called the decision an “obvious attempt to skew the count,” while fellow Democrat U.S....

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a stroke culminating years of work by Democratic and Republican lawmakers, President Donald Trump signed into law Tuesday morning a bill guaranteeing full annual funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. "America’s natural landscapes belong to the American people," the president said in an address...

Members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation praised President Donald Trump’s signing of the Great American Outdoors Act as a victory for conservation and a help for an economy crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic. The president signed the legislation Tuesday. It will provide $1.9 billion a year for five years to help clear a...