New Mexico
Bill incentivizing New Mexico schools to lock up student cell phones moves forward
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – Some lawmakers say it’s time to get New Mexico school kids to lock up their cell phones during class. Now, a bill to help school districts do that is already winning approval in the Roundhouse. The bill is being called the “Anti-Distraction Policy” and it would make millions of dollars available for schools to start up programs to lock and store cell phones during teaching hours.
“Our students are spending well over five hours a day on social media apps and we have to come in and really break that cell phone addiction,” said Senator Crystal Brantley, (R-Elephant Butte).
Sen. Brantley said educators have told her cell phones are now among the biggest distractions in New Mexico schools. She’s sponsoring Senate Bill 11, which would define an “Anti-Distraction Policy.” The bill would force PED to encourage schools to make policies locking up cell phones, while also offering 10 million to pay for equipment to do it.
“What the policy looks like is completely up to individual districts. As we know a school district in Quemado may need to adopt a different policy than the Albuquerque school district,” said Sen. Brantley.
In a first committee debate Wednesday night, some think it would help improve student proficiency.
“This bill will help teachers perform one of their main duties which is to help students focus academically and socially,” said J.D. Bullington, Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce.
“This isn’t about limiting access to technology it’s about ensuring technology supports rather than hinders the learning environment,” said Whitney Holland, President of American Federation of Teachers New Mexico.
However, some are worried about what happens to the funding.
“What is the maximum a school can spend, it doesn’t say, it says they’ll get reimbursed. That’s a pretty open checkbook it sounds like,” said Senator William P. Soules (D- oña Ana County).
Brantley sees this ultimately as a bipartisan issue. “This is something that is bringing together major teachers that have asked for this. 97-percent of teachers say this is their number one distractor is cell phones. We’re meeting the needs of the teachers and the needs of students,” said Sen. Brantley.
Some parents have also raised concerns about cell phones being locked up during emergencies. However, Senator Brantley said there are some options for products on the market that allow for easy, emergency access. The bill passed a first committee last night and now heads to the senate finance committee.
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) — The Social Security Office released the most popular baby names for 2025 on Thursday. And here in New Mexico, we saw some familiar names top the charts once again.
Coming in at No. 1 for girls is Mia, and as for the boys, Noah ranks No. 1. That’s no change from 2024 when Mia and Noah also led the pack, both coming in at No 1. For 2025, there were a total of 66 babies named Mia and 115 babies named Noah, while in 2024, there were 81 Mias and 105 Noahs.
What do the names mean? Online sources list a few different interpretations for Mia, but one common association is with the Italian word “mia,” which means “mine.” As for Noah, the name is most commonly associated with the prominent bible figure. It’s thought to mean “rest,” or “comfort.”
Here’s a look at some of the other top baby names in New Mexico for 2025.
- Girls:
- Olivia (65 total)
- Sophia (65 total)
- Sofia (60 total)
- Camila (59 total)
- Eliana (57 total)
- Isabella (56 total)
- Amelia (53 total)
- Aria (45 total)
- Aurora (45 total)
- Boys:
- Liam (109 total)
- Mateo (99 total)
- Elijah (76 total)
- Santiago (70 total)
- Sebastian (69 total)
- Ezra (67 total)
- Elias (66 total)
- Ezekiel (66 total)
- Levi (69 total)
Nationally, Olivia and Liam are the most popular baby names, and have been for the past seven years, according to the Social Security Administration. As for the fastest-rising names, Klarity jumped nearly 1,400 spots on the girls’ list, and Kasai jumped 1,108 for boy names.
Other names rising in popularity for boys include Atlas, Adriel, Emiliano, Arthur, and Archer. On the girls’ list, Ailany, Sienna, Amara, and Georgia are becoming more popular.
You can find the full list by state online.
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LAS CRUCES, N.M. — An ‘imposter nurse’ in Las Cruces is facing 34 charges after nearly causing the death of a patient and illegally giving medications to patients under 18 years old.
A Doña Ana County grand jury indicted Margarita Gonzalez. She is accused of assuming the identities of nurses in Texas to get hired at four nursing facilities in Las Cruces:
- Village at Northrise
- Las Cruces Wellness and Rehabilitation
- Peak Behavioral Health
- Matrix Home Care
The New Mexico Department of Justice’s Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Bureau investigated and discovered instances where Gonzalez illegally gave injections and dispensed prescriptions, including narcotics to eight inpatient residents under 18 years old.
An investigation also found Gonzalez was also about to allegedly give “an incorrect insulin dose” to a patient that they claim could’ve killed the patient if another nurse hadn’t caught the error.
Several facilities fired Gonzalez over patient safety concerns and an observed lack of knowledge.
“Impersonating a healthcare provider is a reckless and selfish crime that subjects those most vulnerable to risk of serious injury or death,” Attorney General Raúl Torrez said. “I will not tolerate those who risk the safety of patients or cause danger and unnecessary confusion within the healthcare system. These charges should keep anyone attempting to pose as a healthcare provider on notice: we will find you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law to protect New Mexicans.”
Gonzalez’s charges include identity theft, nursing without a license, abuse of a resident, distribution of controlled substances to a minor and fraud totaling over $25,000.
If convicted on all counts, Gonzalez could face up to 100 years in prison.
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