New Mexico
Republican governor candidate calls for eliminating New Mexico’s gross receipts tax on retail sales – New Mexico Political Report
Duke Rodriguez, a Republican candidate for New Mexico governor wants to eliminate the state’s gross receipts tax on retail sales entirely — and says the state can afford it right now. Rodriguez, a former state cabinet secretary and hospital executive, reiterated the idea during Friday’s Albuquerque Journal Republican gubernatorial debate, arguing the state’s surplus reserves of $3 to $4 billion cover the estimated $1.2 to $1.5 billion cost of elimination.
Rodriguez was careful to draw a distinction: his proposal targets only the state’s portion of the tax, leaving intact the local rates cities and counties levy to fund police, fire and other services. “It’s the state portion of New Mexico gross receipts tax,” Rodriguez said. “I still say cities and counties should have their local control.”
Fellow candidate Gregg Hull called the personal income tax the “lowest-hanging fruit” for reform but cautioned that eliminating the gross receipts tax required protecting municipal revenue streams that fund police and fire departments. Doug Turner, who is also running for the Republican nomination, didn’t put a specific number on the shortfall from GRT elimination, but said “that cost could be as much as two billion or three billion dollars that the state would have to come up with.”
Rodriguez pushed back against the estimate of a $2 billion shortfall, arguing that the actual $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion cost of his targeted tax cut is already covered by the state’s massive revenue windfall. “We have a surplus now that goes directly into our reserves closer to three to four billion,” Rodriguez explained, noting that the state could easily afford the elimination “before even talking about cutting services.” Instead, he argued the state is failing because it puts money “in the wrong places.” His proposed solution is to implement better accountability and demand better results from the money that is already being spent. He’s also initiated lawsuits to undo the universal childcare program, a new spending program he opposes.
Rodriguez’s plan is not without precedent. When the state legislature and Governor Bill Richardson eliminated the sales tax on groceries in 2005, they created a “hold harmless” payment to cities and counties paid from other state funds to make up for the lost sales tax revenue.
Vote in the June 2 Primary
Early voting is open now through May 30.
- Now through May 15 — Early voting and same-day registration available
- May 16–May 30 — Early voting and same-day registration expand to additional locations
- All early voting locations closed Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day
New this year: The June 2 primary is New Mexico’s first under a semi-open system. Voters with no party affiliation may choose a Republican or Democratic ballot at the polls without changing their registration.
Find early voting locations: NMVote.org
Find your county clerk: sos.nm.gov
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VALENCIA COUNTY, N.M. — Multiple earthquakes sent tremors through communities just south of Albuquerque, the U.S. Geological Survey reported Sunday morning.
The USGS reported a 3.9-magnitude earthquake happened at 11:41 a.m., just three minutes after a 3.7-magnitude earthquake. They were both in the Jarales and Rio Communities area.
Two other earthquakes were reported on the other side of the Rio Grande: A 3.2-magnitude earthquake Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and a 2.6-magnitude earthquake Saturday at 11:51 p.m., near Abeytas.
There have been reports of no damage or injuries, according to the Valencia County Fire Department. The Department received reports of an earthquake in the Jarales and Rio Communities area.
New Mexico
Tree deaths in New Mexico tripled in 2025 as warming summers increases insects, stress on forests – New Mexico Political Report
Tree deaths tripled in New Mexico during the second warmest year on record, according to new analysis of the state’s forest health from the U.S. Forest Service and New Mexico Forestry Division.
last decade, 291,000 acres with spruce beetle-killed trees have been mapped in New Mexico.
2025 saw a rapid expansion of bark beetle-caused deaths with 209,000 acres of conifers now dead — up from 67,000 acres in 2024 — mostly on national forest land managed by the USFS. “Fall and winter temperatures remained warmer and drier, allowing bark beetles to remain active late in the season,” the report concluded. “Large areas of ponderosa and piñon forests saw significant mortality from bark beetles, especially in the southern part of the state. Areas near burn scars from large wildfires continue to experience bark beetle attack on residual trees.”
New Mexico’s forests under threat
Findings from 2025 statewide survey
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Beetle-killed conifer forest increased 211%, mostly on national forest lands
Defoliation (distinct from mortality) decreased 51%
Total acreage with damage decreased 6%
Forests impacted by drought and heat increased 66%
If there is good news in the report, it is that a virus infecting some of the most common insects causing defoliation greatly reduced the number of acres showing a loss of leaf or needle coverings. Insect infestations of the western spruce budworm, Douglas-fir tussock moth, western tent caterpillar, needleminers and scale insects was down 51% from 327,000 acres in 2024 to 160,000 acres in 2025.
Still, the number of forest acres under threat increased 6% in just one year and the number of acres threatened by drought and temperature were up a whopping 66%, the report’s authors say.
Crystal Tischler, USFS.
“Our forests have exceeded the land’s carrying capacity,” said Victor Lucero, the state’s forest health manager. “No matter what, disturbance events will try to rebalance our ecosystems, whether it’s through human intervention, like proactive thinning, or biological events such as pest outbreaks or wildfire. We can manage disturbances to prevent catastrophic events like these in the future.”
Read more from the report here.
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Loved ones filled Queen of Heaven Catholic Church as the state mourned musician Al Hurricane Jr., whose family said he died at 66 from a heart attack.
NEW MEXICO – Loved ones filled Queen of Heaven Catholic Church as the state mourned musician Al Hurricane Jr., whose family said he died at 66 from a heart attack.
Family members, friends and others gathered Saturday morning for his funeral service and honored the legacy he left behind. KOB 4 spoke with relatives as they said their final goodbyes.
“270 years we can still be listening to Beethoven, Mozart, Handel. Why couldn’t we in 270 year be listening to Flor de las Flores?” the priest said.
A voice that helped define New Mexico’s sound is now being remembered across the state. Al Hurricane Jr. started his musical career at age 5 and later followed in the footsteps of his father, Al Hurricane.
“Through the years, he was so sweet, he listens very well, very well. And he made a song, well, the song that was for him and I, that he always sang when we used to see him was Flor de las Flores,” Frances Lucero said.
Remembering his legacy
Lucero, whose husband Anthony Lucero is second cousins with Al Hurricane Jr., joined dozens of family members inside the church to pay respects.
“Al Jr.’s dad and I were first cousins, so I’ve known Al Jr. basically after he was born, after his dad passed away, we kept in touch with each other,” Jacob Sanchez said.
“People would see him, and he was so easy to get along with. For me, it was easy, because we were related, but I could see him relate to other people, and there was almost an immediate bond. I was very impressed by that all the time, and just had that ability to become close to people, complete strangers,” Sanchez said.
His relatives said that even with his fame, he never lost sight of who he was.
“Just his ability to have an impact on people, he was so humble, and he had this million dollar smile,” Sanchez said.
Will the music continue?
His family said his legacy will live on through his relatives and the music they continue to perform.
“It’ll continue on, because he still has a brother, Jerry D, Jerry Dean, and him and his sons are starting to come out too so that’s whats going to keep it alive, them and sparks is going to keep it alive,” Antonio Lucero said.
“I will always remember him. He’ll always.. there will not be a day in his years that no one will ever forget them, no. I guarantee you that so far,” Lucero said.
His family said he died at the age of 66 from a heart attack.
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