New Mexico
NM Lawmakers try again to give judges a raise – Source New Mexico
This year marks the New Mexico Legislature’s third attempt to raise the salaries of their coequal branch of government in the judiciary. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has vetoed raises for state Supreme Court justices and most lower court judges two years in a row. But a change to this year’s bill may gain the governor’s support.
Last year, the governor said she vetoed judicial raises in part because the bill tied the salaries to those of federal judges, which she said could prove “problematic” in the future. The year before that, she didn’t give a reason for pocket vetoing the bill.
Senate Bill 70 sponsor Democratic Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D-Las Cruces) told his colleagues on the Senate Finance Committee Thursday that, against his better judgment, he took that provision out of this year’s version.
“The earlier way was superior,” he said. “And I’ll just tell you we’re trying to get the governor satisfied.”
The raises would amount to a 21% bump, according to the Administrative Office of the Courts. New Mexico Supreme Court justices’ pay would become equal to federal district court judges at $232,600.
“We’re kind of taking just about the lowest level of the federal system and making that essentially equivalent to the highest level of our state,” he explained.
The concern about not indexing the amount to the federal rate is that state lawmakers will have to come back to the table to bump the pay again in the future.
Lower court judges other than magistrates would also get a raise since they make a percentage of what the justices do.
Cervantes said the raises could help the New Mexico judiciary better compete for talent.
“We’re trying to get more experienced judges on the bench,” he said. “Right now, if you’re a public defender or district attorney, you’d see a pretty significant salary increase. But if you’re in private practice, we’re not attracting people with experience.”
Sen. George Muñoz (D-Gallup) took issue with the bill not tying judicial pay to performance, which he said is lacking.
“We’ve got a big problem with crime and performance for judges is going to be top of my list,” he said. “Maybe I’ll put it somewhere in another statute or bill that will come across, but performance needs to happen.”
Cervantes warned against painting New Mexico judges with a broad brush, offering to work with Muñoz to take up the issue of performance in the interim session when there is more time.
Meanwhile, Sen. Jeff Steinborn (D-Las Cruces) pointed out after the vote what he called “the disconnect” of lawmakers not being paid a salary at all.
“This branch of government continues to be given the short shrift,” he said of the Legislature. “And I would ask the question, do we have a hard time getting good people?”
A bill to create an independent commission to set legislative salaries for the only unpaid Legislature in the country is being heard this session.
The judicial raises proposal passed unanimously out of committee and now goes to the full Senate for consideration. If approved, it will start the process over again on the House side, where a similar bill is already working its way through. Another that would tie the raises to inflation has yet to be heard.
Acres: 7,769 acres
Start Date: June 9, 2026
Location: 18 miles southeast of Quemado, NM
Personnel: 169
Containment: 100%
Cause: Lightning
Summary: Containment lines are holding, and much of the repair work is completed on the Bear Fire. The Gila Las Cruces Type 3 Incident Management Team will transfer command of the fire back to the Gila National Forest and a Type 4 Incident Commander on Wednesday morning. Firefighters will continue to patrol and secure the perimeter while repair is completed.
Remarking on the success of firefighters on the Bear Fire, Incident Commander Marcus Cornwell said, “The support from the State of New Mexico Forestry Division, local landowners, and the Village of Quemado were instrumental in helping suppress the fire. Providing firefighters access to private land and use of Quemado High School proved pivotal.”
This will be the last daily update provided by the Gila Las Cruces Type 3 Incident Management Team. Any future updates for the Bear Fire will come from the Gila National Forest.
Weather: Today’s high temperature will be in the mid 80s. Moisture moving in from the south will improve relative humidity and drop temperatures slightly. The forecast shows daily chances of thunderstorms through Friday.
Safety: A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place through this evening. If you fly, we can’t! The Gila National Forest enacted an Area Closure Order for the Bear Fire.
Evacuations: Catron County Emergency Management lifted SET status for residences within zones 2, 3 and 4 on Thursday, June 18th. For more information about the change in evacuation status, visit Catron County Emergency Management.
Smoke: Smoke may be visible in and around surrounding communities. Air quality will vary based on fire activity, weather, and wind patterns. Residents should reduce prolonged outdoor activity when smoke is present and check the Air Quality Index before recreating or working outdoors. Sensitive groups should take extra precautions to limit smoke exposure. For real-time smoke conditions, visit https://fire.airnow.gov.
Fire Restrictions: The Gila National Forest is in Stage 1 Fire Restrictions due to long term severe drought in the Gila region, increased tree mortality across the forest, and forecasted hotter, drier weather conditions. Stage 1 Fire Restrictions limit campfires on forest land to designated recreation sites and campgrounds with constructed metal fire rings. Open burning is also prohibited in the unincorporated area of Catron County and in Catron County Fire District 30.
Public Information: 2026.bear@firenet.gov
Incident Information:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GilaNForest
InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/nmgnf-bear-fire
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Southwest Albuquerque neighbors claim a woman targeted them for at least a year, throwing items into their yard, and leading one family to spend more than $1,000 on security.
Neighbors said they kept contacting Albuquerque police, the city and the state after the most recent encounter left a father with a cut on his face. They said Sunday’s arrest helped some, but they still do not feel safe.
Richard and Lindsey Boldin said they have dealt with harassment from Andrea Padilla-Garcia for at least a year. They said she has thrown broken glass, frozen food, a MacBook, metal poles and wood over their fence and dumped nail polish on it.
They said the incident with the glass resulted in a cut to Richard’s face.
“She can’t come back to where she lives. I won’t feel safe. There’s no way,” Lindsey Boldin said.
The Boldins said they spent more than a thousand dollars on security cameras, motion-sensor lights and other steps to protect their property. They also blocked the view into their yard, but said they still do not feel safe.
“It hurts the whole family. We’ve got to watch animals going outside. We have to watch when we go outside. You know, when can we go outside?” Richard Boldin said. “She kept coming to the fence and attacking the fence and shaking it and yelling at the fence at the children, you know, giving them inappropriate, you know, telling them inappropriate things.”
Neighbor Lawrence Lovato said he has lived in the neighborhood for about a year and what he has seen stands out from anything he has experienced before. He said he has called police multiple times.
“Never in my life have I have I seen something as horrible that I’ve seen here,” Lawrence Lovato said.
Lovato said he worries about his own safety and his daughter’s safety. Neighbors said they plan to keep looking out for one another and hope the latest arrest leads to help for Padilla-Garcia. She remains in jail and faced charges of battery and aggravated assault.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Americans now say they need $1.46 million to retire comfortably, up $200,000 from last year, according to a study discussed by Oakmont Advisory Group.
David Hicks of Oakmont Advisory Group said the number can feel overwhelming, but he said people should focus on starting and adjusting a plan instead of panicking.
“The average retiree actually has less than $300,000 saved for retirement, so that’s about a $1 million gap there,” Hicks said.
Hicks said the $1.46 million figure reflects what people think they need, but he said retirement planning depends on each person’s savings, income and timeline.
He said longer life spans now mean many people need to plan for 20, 25 or even 30 years in retirement.
“When you start saving when you’re younger, it makes a lot of difference in the future,” Hicks said.
Hicks said 57% of people do not start saving until after age 30, and he said about a third do not start until their 40s.
Hicks pointed to Fidelity benchmarks that suggest workers should aim to save one times their salary in their 30s, three times in their 40s, six times in their 50s and 10 times by retirement.
“Don’t wait another year. Don’t wait another month. Just start that process of saving,” Hicks said.
Hicks also said the study found people who work with a financial adviser improve their chances of retirement success by about 50% and report more confidence about their plans.
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