New Mexico
New Mexico lawmakers discuss CYFD reform and oversight
Legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle promised to address the longstanding issues inside the Child Youth and Families Department.
SANTA FE, N.M. – Legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle promised to address the longstanding issues inside the Children, Youth and Families Department.
On Friday, those long-awaited reform plans took a big step forward in the Roundhouse.
Republican lawmakers bring CYFD reform and oversight bills to the Roundhouse every year, but they’ve largely collected dust at the starting line.
This year is different. Democratic leaders and the governor say it’s time to get some independent eyes on the embattled agency. But it seems there’s already a disagreement over who should be in charge.
“In the 2025, legislative session, we will continue our push to reform CYFD, the agency is broken, and our children need help,” said Speaker of the House Rep. Javier Martinez.
With a 9-1 vote, efforts to create a new Office of the Child Advocate are moving forward in the Roundhouse.
“For far too long, children have not had a voice where they could go, or a space that would provide them impartial fairness and treatment to make sure that their concerns are heard, and that action is taken,” said state Rep. Michelle Paulene Abeyta.
House Bill 5 places the oversight office inside the New Mexico Department of Justice, that’s where CYFD Secretary Teresa Casados is drawing the line.
“I think anytime you have oversight at an agency such as the Department of Justice, whether or not it is punitive, it just sends that message that it’s incredibly punitive. And that’s not a message that I want to send to my staff that are out there every single day doing this tough work,” said Casados.
Casados instead backs the governor’s plan for a Child Protection Agency inside the Regulation and Licensing Department.
“It’s important for anybody that does public service to have oversight,” said Casados.
But state lawmakers also want some control over CYFD.
A proposed constitutional amendment removing CYFD from the governor’s cabinet and allowing legislative leaders to appoint several members of a new CYFD commission is also moving forward.
“I think everybody agrees there needs to be changes at the department, but this is absolutely the wrong way to go about,” Casados said.
Cabinet secretaries from the Public Education Department, the Health Care Authority, Early Childhood Care and Education Department and Workforce Solutions all joined Casados to oppose the plan.
Still, state lawmakers say the glaring problems at CYFD have gone on long enough.
“I believe insanity is doing the same thing, day in and day out, and expecting different results. And I don’t know if this is the answer, but I believe we’ve got to do something,” said state Rep. Elaine Sena Cortez.
Secretary Cassados and the other cabinet secretaries pointed out several other states already tried establishing a commission to oversee their CYFD’s, but decided to go back to a cabinet secretary format.
Regardless, New Mexico voters would end up having to make the final decision on that.
Track HB 5 during the legislative session.
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Skies are partly to mostly clear with most similar or slightly milder than yesterday. Winds are a little breezy occasionally with the highest humidity values mostly from out east and to the north.
Air temperatures in the north are mostly starting off in the 30s to the low 50s. Elsewhere to the south, air temperatures are mostly ranging from around the high 30s to the low 60s.
Many areas from eastern New Mexico to the Pecos River Valley area will range from the high 60s to the 80s from north to south from high to low elevation. The northern higher elevations will mostly range from the high 40s to near 60°, while the northern valley floors to western and central areas will mostly range from the high 70s to the low 90s.
Southerly upper-level winds, in combination to the low-level moisture still lingering around the northern high elevations to out east, will lead to few thunderstorms capable of producing brief bouts of heavy rain, small hail, some lightning, & gusty conditions.
Ridging in the jet stream will then allow for clearer conditions, drier air, and for temperatures to rebound for the remainder of the week. However, slightly more thunderstorms will form for some eastern and mountainous areas late in the week, resulting in outflow-southeasterly winds to occasionally pick up.
Even hotter air returns late this weekend into early next week before thunderstorms are more likely to form next week.
Fog could cut visibility for the Thursday morning commute in eastern New Mexico before storms return and a severe weather risk builds Friday.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Fog could cut visibility for the Thursday morning commute in eastern New Mexico before storms return and a severe weather risk builds Friday.
Eastern New Mexico still has a very moist lower atmosphere for late May, with dewpoints in the 50s across the eastern plains, 40s through the Rio Grande Valley and 30s west toward Arizona.
That moisture will help low clouds and patchy fog reform late Wednesday night into early Thursday. The best chances for fog favor Clovis, Portales, Roswell, Tucumcari, Fort Sumner and Santa Rosa.
Some places could see reduced visibility Thursday morning, especially along Interstate 40, Highway 70 and Highway 285.
Low clouds and fog should gradually burn off by mid to late Thursday morning. After that, isolated to scattered afternoon thunderstorms are expected mainly along the east slopes of the central mountain chain.
Chief Meteorologist Eddie Garcia shares all the details in his full forecast in the video above.
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With less than a week before the 2026 Primary Election nearly 95,000 New Mexicans have voted early.
Expanded early voting began May 16 and will end on May 30. The Primary Election is June 2.
According to data released on May 26 by the Secretary of State’s Office, there have been 94,930 ballots cast since early voting began on May 4.
In Doña Ana County, there have been 6,294 voters in Doña Ana County who voted early. There have been 4,706 Democrats who have voted early with 1,567 Republicans and 646 who declined to state a party affiliation. There have been 2,023 residents who have voted absentee.
New Mexico has semi-open primary elections, which means voters who are not registered with a qualified political party may also participate in the election by selecting which major party’s ballot they want to vote on without changing their voter registration.
According to the Secretary of State’s office, there have been 9,000 voters in New Mexico who were not registered with qualified political parties, who have voted in the Primary Election ― 6,962 who voted in the Democrat Primary and 2,038 who have voted in the Republican Primary.
In Doña Ana County, 516 voters who were not registered with qualified political parties have voted in the Democrat Primary and 134 who voted in the Republican Primary.
Approximately 90,000 New Mexicans utilized early voting ahead of the 2024 Primary Election and 5,848 people voted early in Doña Ana County (4,195 Democrats, 18 Libertarian, 1,635 Republicans).
The total 2022 Primary Election turnout for the county was 16.41% or 15,499 ballots cast and the 2020 Primary Election turnout was 29.29% or 26,055 ballots cast.
Where to vote in Doña Ana County
Early voting at the Doña Ana County Government Center began on May 5 from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, until May 29, and on Saturday, May 30 from 10 a.m. through 6 p.m.
Alternate site early voting locations will begin on May 16 at 11 a.m., and run through May 30 from Tuesday through Saturday.
The alternate site locations in Doña Ana County are:
- Anthony Library (750 Landers Anthony)
- HVPS Student Services (350 Main St. Hatch)
- Doña Ana County Community College (755 Prescott Anthony Dr. Chaparral)
- Doña Ana County Community College (2800 Sonoma Ranch Blvd. Las Cruces)
- Doña Ana County Community College (3365 McNutt Rd. Sunland Park)
- Las Cruces City Hall (700 N. Main St. Las Cruces)
- Mesilla Town Hall (2231 Avenida de Mesilla Mesilla)
- Corbett Center Student Union (1600 International Mall Las Cruces)
Doña Ana County voting locations on Election Day are open from 7 a.m. through 7 p.m. Mailed ballots must be received no later than 7 p.m.
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