New Mexico
House Speaker Mike Johnson called on to pass nuclear weapons reparations for New Mexicans
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With two big films, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” hitting theaters, moviegoers and stars are opting for the “Barbenheimer” double feature.
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Reparations for New Mexicans impacted by nuclear weapons testing could be held up in the GOP-led House of Representatives after the U.S. Senate passed a bill in March to provide payments to those suffering health impacts tied to the tests.
The U.S.’ first nuclear bomb was tested in New Mexico in 1945 at the Trinity Site near Alamogordo, setting off a generational wave of cancers and other health impacts for nearby residents. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) passed in 1990 to fund federal payments to those who could prove their health was impacted by weapons testing but did not include reparations for New Mexicans near the Trinity Site.
That could change thanks to legislation sponsored by U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan to expand RECA to include New Mexico residents near the test, known as “downwinders.” The law currently provides payments to downwinders of the Nevada Test Site in multiple states.
After passing the Senate, supporters of the bill urged the U.S. House and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to take up and pass the measure before the law’s funding sunsets in about a month on June 7.
Lujan, along with Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and several other members of the chamber including GOP senators along with U.S. Reps. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM) and Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) and members of the House, penned a letter to Johnson demanding the bill be moved on to President Joe Biden’s desk to become law.
The letter pointed to the Oscar-winning film “Oppenheimer” released in July 2023 about the events at Trinity to show an increased awareness for the test and its potential impacts on the New Mexican people.
“The landmark film Oppenheimer has brought renewed attention to these events, particularly highlighting the first nuclear explosion in New Mexico in 1945,” the letter read. “The ‘downwinders,’ along with those involved in uranium mining, milling and transportation, are still enduring the health impacts from their exposure to this radiation.”
The lawmakers argued the nuclear test exposed nearby residents to radiation, creating illnesses passed through generations that many are still struggling with today.
“Their livelihoods, often devastated by the long-term consequences of radiation exposure, depend on your leadership and commitment to rectifying past injustices. Let us honor the commitment we made to these citizens by ensuring they receive the support and recognition they so rightly deserve,” read the letter.
More: US Senate OKs funding bill for New Mexicans impacted by Trinity Site
GOP bill extends but does not expand nuclear testing reparations
A Republican-led bill sponsored by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) was introduced in April to extend the RECA program for two more years but did not add language to allow New Mexicans to receive payments or expand the program to any other communities.
“When the government harms people, victims should be able to receive compensation. Downwinders and others harmed by the nation’s early atomic program often suffer the consequences of exposure decades after the fact,” Lee said in a statement.
The omission of New Mexico downwinders was a sticking point for the Union of Concerned Scientists. The national organization called Lee’s bill a “slap in the face” to downwinders in New Mexico and other states impacted by nuclear testing.
“I would ask Senator Lee: how do we decide who deserves to be taken care of and who doesn’t? Who gets to make these decisions? Why are people in certain zip codes considered more important than others?” said Tina Cordova, founder of the New Mexico Downwinders Consortium and a native of Tularosa.
She said it was Congress’ and the federal government’s duty to repay New Mexicans and other impacted for the health of affects of nuclear weapons in the U.S.
“We urgently need for our government to take responsibility for the egregious harm that was done to American citizens, including children, when nuclear testing was taking place in the American west and the Pacific,” Cordova said.
“Not only did that testing negatively affect the health of those alive at the time, it destined our children and grandchildren forevermore to a life never free of the genetic damage associated with our overexposure to radiation. I can think of no other act that is more immoral than this.”
Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.
LAS CRUCES, N.M (KFOX14/CBS4) — A gun-tracking program that uses shell casings to connect shootings is already helping investigators link crimes in Doña Ana County, according to new numbers released by the New Mexico Department of Justice.
The effort is part of New Mexico’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center, which uses ballistic evidence such as shell casings to track guns believed to be used in multiple crimes. The program relies on the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, or NIBIN, a national database that compares ballistic evidence to determine whether shell casings may have come from the same weapon.
In April, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez described how the technology can connect cases across jurisdictions.
“There may be a shooting that occurs in Deming that’s actually connected to a crime gun that’s recovered in Las Cruces. We may find shell casings in Silver City that are connected to something that happened in T or C,” Torrez said.
Four months into the program, the Department of Justice said 210 bullet casings have been analyzed in Doña Ana County. Those casings helped link 32 incidents to 13 guns.
Jordan Salas reports on New Mexico DOJ data: Shell-casing tracking links shootings in Doña Ana County (Credit: KFOX14)
Statewide, more than 700 casings have been entered into the system, connecting 74 shootings to 31 guns.
One person reacting to the numbers said, “That’s crazy. Honestly, all those shootings all coming from that little amount of weapons is crazy.”
New Mexico officials say the system is designed to help law enforcement share information faster and build cases more efficiently.
Also in April, Doña Ana County Sheriff Kim Stewart pointed to a local case she said the technology helped resolve quickly.
“We resolved a homicide with a suspect arrest in four days. We know that those casings may lead to another 1 or 2 incidents in another city,” Stewart said.
Some residents said the technology alone will not solve gun violence, but they see it as a step forward. One person said, “I mean, growing up, like hearing gunshots in the distance. That wasn’t something crazy. I have stories of, like, friends who’ve gone to parties that had guns go off there. So, yeah, I would say guns are a problem there.”
Another person said, “I would think that it’s a good thing. I’m personally like, just anything to help the gun crimes, you know?”
KFOX14/CBS4 contacted Las Cruces police and the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office to ask how the leads are being used in local investigations, but we are awaiting a response.
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- Who: New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez brought a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc.
- Why: The state claims Meta misrepresented harms to minors and created a public nuisance through its social media platforms.
- Where: The lawsuit is pending in New Mexico state court.
- How to get help: Has social media impacted the mental health of you or your child? You may qualify to join a social media lawsuit against the platform.
New Mexico’s attorney general is asking a state court to order Meta to pay approximately $3.7 billion to address what the state describes as a “public nuisance” caused by the company’s social media platforms.
The request comes after a jury previously found Meta misrepresented the risks its platforms — including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — pose to underage users. The jury also imposed a $375 million penalty in the first phase of the trial.
The case has now moved into a second phase, where the court will determine what additional remedies, if any, Meta must provide.
According to the state, the proposed $3.712 billion abatement plan would fund a 15-year effort to address the alleged harms caused by Meta’s platforms. The plan includes funding for public education, school resources, law enforcement support and mental health services for children affected by issues, such as online bullying and sexual exploitation.
“This request recognizes the scope of the public nuisance that Meta has caused,” counsel for the state argued in court.
The lawsuit alleges Meta concealed or downplayed the extent of harmful activity on its platforms while publicly portraying them as safe for younger users.
Meta disputes liability, challenges proposed abatement plan
Meta denies the allegations and argues there is no legal basis for the sweeping relief requested by the state.
Attorneys for the company contend the proposed abatement plan does not directly address or stop the alleged harmful conduct and instead seeks compensation for downstream effects.
“What no court has ever allowed … is payment for the downstream effects,” Meta’s counsel argued, describing the request as “damages masquerading as something else.”
The court is expected to hear additional testimony during the second phase of the trial before determining whether to approve any form of injunctive relief or financial remedies.
In March, a California jury found Meta and Google liable for mental health harms suffered by plaintiff Kaley G.M., who became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child, awarding $6 million in damages, including $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages.
What do you think about the claims against Meta in this case? Let us know in the comments.
The state is represented by Raul Torrez of the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General and Donald Migliori, Linda Singer, Michael Pendell and David Ackerman of Motley Rice LLC.
The Meta lawsuit is New Mexico v. Meta Platforms Inc., et al., Case No. D-101-CV-2023-02838, in the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico.
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