New Mexico
Biden moves to block mining in New Mexico
“The Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service will now initiate a process to propose that the Secretary of the Interior implement a 20-year withdrawal to help secure the region’s water and air quality, cultural resources, critical fish and wildlife habitat, and recreational values,” the Department of the Interior stated in a press release.
For several years, members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation have pushed for legislation to permanently withdraw the Pecos watershed from mineral development.
Earlier this month, US senator Martin Heinrich and other Democrats from New Mexico urged the Forest Service to complete the initial steps of the mineral withdrawal process.
They warned that the area remains vulnerable to mining and pollution, referencing a 1991 incident when toxic waste from a closed mine spilled into the Pecos River. The spill killed fish along an 11-mile stretch and required an extensive and costly cleanup.
Since Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 election, the Biden administration has acted to limit oil drilling and block mining. Meanwhile, the president-elect has pledged to expedite permits.
The federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently finalized restrictions on an oil and gas lease sale in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the largest wildlife refuge in the country. The decision limits lease sales to 400,000 acres, one-quarter of the refuge’s coastal plain section.
The governor sets the agenda for the session, including for the budget, so here is what they are looking at so far.
SANTA FE, N.M. — As the regular session of the New Mexico Legislature is set to begin Jan. 20, lawmakers have already filed dozens of bills.
Bills include prohibiting book bans at public libraries and protections against AI, specifically the distribution of sensitive and “Deepfake” images
Juvenile justice reform is, again, a hot topic. House Bill 25 would allow access to someone’s juvenile records during a background check if they’re trying to buy a gun.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham sets the agenda and puts forth the proposed budget lawmakers will address during the session. The governor is calling for lawmakers to take up an $11.3 billion budget for the 2027 fiscal year, which is up 4.6% from current spending levels.
Where would that money go? More than $600 million would go to universal free child care. Meanwhile, more than $200 million would go to health care and to protect against federal funding cuts.
There is also $65 million for statewide affordable housing initiatives and $19 million for public safety.
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