Officials in New Mexico are advancing new workplace safety rules that would require employers to protect workers from heat-related illnesses as temperatures continue to rise.

Danielle Prokop reports for Source New Mexico.

In short:

• The New Mexico Environment Department has proposed heat safety rules that would require employers to provide rest breaks, shade, drinking water, emergency care access, and training for indoor and outdoor workers when temperatures climb.
• The rule would apply when the heat index exceeds 80°F, with stricter measures required above 95°F; it excludes teleworkers, emergency personnel, and workplaces kept consistently below the threshold.
• Without federal heat safety standards — paused under the Trump administration — New Mexico joins six other states taking independent action amid rising ER visits for heat stress.

Key quote:

“When we look at the data, especially the New Mexico specific data, the overwhelming number of people that experienced heat-related illness are people of working age, which we know really points to the risk people face and their jobs.”

— Nathaniel Matthews-Trigg, founding board member of Healthy Climate New Mexico

Why this matters:

The health consequences go far beyond temporary discomfort: Heat stress can lead to health conditions like kidney failure, cognitive impairments, cardiovascular strain, and, in some cases, death. Emergency rooms are seeing the toll firsthand, with increasing visits linked to heat-related illnesses, especially among low-wage workers who lack the power or protection to push back. With no binding federal heat standards in place, the burden is shifting to states, where the policy response is fragmented at best.

Trump administration halts federal workplace heat protections

New Mexico GOP Chairwoman Amy Barela called out Democrats’ inflammatory rhetoric Monday after an alleged arsonist targeted the state Republican Party’s headquarters over the weekend.

Her comments came after New Mexico Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández encouraged Democrats to “respond” to the Trump administration’s changes with a “three-prong project” during a “Republican Ripoff” town hall.

“Legislate. Litigate. Agitate. And you guys are part of the agitate party, so don’t feel like we are hopeless or helpless when we express our outrage,” Leger Fernández told an audience in Santa Fe on Saturday, one day before the attack. 

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She brought down the temperature in an X post after the attack on Sunday, calling political violence “unacceptable,” and adding that perpetrators must be “held accountable” so every American can “freely and safely participate” in democracy. 

“At my town hall yesterday, I spoke about love in action – about the importance of showing respect and listening. That is what we need right now,” she added.

Barela was quick to point out the timeliness of the attack, however, pointing to the “agitate” remark as a potential inciter.

“I believe that she changed her statement as soon as I came out to the media and was calling her out on those statements. You’re holding a town hall to discuss about the love of the community, and you use the words ‘agitate.’ I think it’s contradictory,” she said on “Fox & Friends.” 

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The Albuquerque Fire Department was called to an alleged arson attempt at the Republican Party of New Mexico’s headquarters in Albuquerque early Sunday morning.  (Albuquerque Fire Department Facebook)

Though the incident is still under investigation, Barela said an incendiary device was planted outside the GOP headquarters’ doorway around 1 a.m. Sunday and was ignited around 5 a.m.

Graffiti reading “ICE = KKK” was spray-painted on the side of the building as well.

Though no one was inside at the time, Barela said she fears for the “safety of [her] staff” in light of a wave of violent protests sweeping the nation.

She called on Democrats to “come to the table and work together” to fix New Mexico’s crime problems instead of “calling out for violence and destruction.”

Authorities are now investigating the incident as a hate crime, though officials have yet to determine an exact cause or motive, local outlet KOAT-TV in Albuquerque reported.

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Leger Fernández said in a statement to the outlet, “Political violence of any sort is unacceptable, including this attack. The perpetrators must be held accountable. Every American should be able to freely and safely participate in our democracy.”

The Democratic congresswoman condemned the act of violence again, telling the Santa Fe New Mexican her town hall emphasized “the importance of showing respect and listening.”

“It is a ludicrous leap to twist encouraging democratic participation, calling your representatives and showing up at town halls into an insinuation of violence,” she said, per the outlet.

“The Republican Party’s accusations are themselves dangerous and the ultimate disrespect to our political process. They distract from the real work of bringing people together to build a better future,” she added.

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — Federal authorities are investigating a fire early Sunday that damaged the entryway to the headquarters of the Republican Party of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

Agents working with local authorities recovered unspecified “incendiary materials” at the scene, said Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokesperson Cody Monday. He declined to say what the materials were or to share further details.

The fire follows numerous acts of vandalism in recent weeks directed against Tesla, the electric-car company whose owner, Elon Musk, has led Republican President Donald Trump’s effort to slash the federal workforce. Several of those cases involved Molotov cocktails that were used to start fires at dealerships. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has called it a “wave of domestic terrorism.”

Attacks on property carrying the logo of Elon Musk’s electric-car company are cropping up across the U.S. and overseas. While no injuries have been reported, Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations and privately owned cars have been targeted.

Firefighters responded to the fire just before 6 a.m. and brought it under control within about five minutes, according to Lt. Jason Fejer with Albuquerque Fire Rescue.

The building was unoccupied and no one was injured. But the blaze badly burned the entrance and caused extensive smoke damage throughout the office, where three people work full time, according to Fejer and Republican party representatives.

A photo provided by GOP representatives showed the charred entrance of the building with wood and pieces of burned insulation scattered on the ground. A broken and burned door was set to one side.

The GOP office’s security system detected the fire, said New Mexico Republican Party Chair Amy Barela. She credited firefighters with quickly extinguishing the flames and preventing the fire from spreading.

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller called arson a cowardly act.

“Politically motivated crimes of any kind are unacceptable, and I am grateful to our fire department for their swift response,” the mayor, a Democrat, said in a statement Sunday afternoon. “This incident is being investigated at the federal level, and I urge anyone with information to report it immediately.”

Barela said GOP representatives also found spray paint on the side of the building about 50 feet from the entrance, saying “ICE=KKK.” Monday, the ATF spokesperson, declined to comment on the graffiti.

Agents from the FBI also were on the scene investigating, according to Fejer. FBI representatives could not be reached immediately for comment.