NMiF Senior Producer Lou DiVizio introduces two recent interviews about public transit in Albuquerque, specifically the city bus system.

First, Christopher Ramírez and Althea Atherton with Together for Brothers talk with Laura Paskus about the City of Albuquerque’s Zero Fares Pilot Program and why transit equity doesn’t just benefit those who need to take advantage of free fares on the city’s buses. 

Then, Gene Grant speaks with ABQ Ride Deputy Director Bobby Sisneros and Principal Planner Andrew De Garmo about proposed changes to Albuquerque's transit line, including route adjustments that took effect late last month.

Host: Lou DiVizio

Correspondents: Laura Paskus & Gene Grant

Guests:

Christopher Ramírez, Executive Director, Together for Brothers  

Althea Atherton, Bus Rider Organizer, Together for Brothers 

Andrew De Garmo, principal planner, ABQ Ride

Megan Holcomb, spokesperson, City of Albuquerque

For More Information:

New Mexico in Focus Senior Producer Lou DiVizio runs through some of the major stories from around the state, including a decision from the New Mexico Supreme Court that temporarily blocks a handful of local anti-abortion ordinances.

Then, the Panel discusses the relationship between our state government and the oil and gas industry as the EPA fines two producers for continued violations of the clean air act.

Finally, as a citizens’ commission votes on a proposal to increase pay for Albuquerque’s city councilors and mayor. Gene and the Panel debate the merits of increasing salaries for elected officials at various levels of government. 

Host: Lou DiVizio

Line Host: Gene Grant 

The Line Opinion Panelists: 

Dede Feldman, fmr. NM State Senator 

Merritt Allen, Vox Optima Public Relations 

Andy Lyman, reporter, Santa Fe Reporter 

For More Information:

Lawmakers Water Down Alcohol Proposals Amid Public Health Crisis – New Mexico in Depth 

Independent Journalist Ted Alcorn Explains NM Alcohol Tax Saga – New Mexico in Focus 

Steak dinners and ski passes: As lobbyists spend to influence New Mexico Legislature, 2 lawmakers seek more transparency – Albuquerque Journal 

Professional lobbyist gives an inside look into New Mexico politics – KRQE 

NM legislators fail to pass ethical conduct bill as lobbyists fear unsafe working conditions – Source NM 

Watered-down alcohol proposals – a win for lobbyists? – New Mexico In Depth 

Despite Rules, New Mexico Oil and Gas Producers Keep Polluting – Capital and Main 

Failed climate bills disappoint conservationists – Santa Fe New Mexican 

Can New Mexico hold oil and gas accountable? Some fear State budget lacking – Carlsbad Current Argus 

'Legend' David Abbey to retire after decades as LFC director – Santa Fe New Mexican 

Albuquerque City Councilors Make $33,660 A Year. That Could Soon Change – Albuquerque Journal 

Commission In Charge of Salaries – City of Albuquerque 

Citizens' Independent Salary Commission Meeting Agenda for March 29, 2023 – City of Albuquerque 

Annual Report from Judicial Compensation Commission – New Mexico State Courts 

New Mexico in Focus Political Correspondent Gwyneth Doland catches up with a group of up-and-coming New Mexico journalists to talk about their experience covering the Roundhouse during the 2023 legislative session.   

Host: Lou DiVizio

Correspondent:  

Gwyneth Doland 

Guests: 

Bella Davis, author, New Mexico in Depth  
Jeanette DeDios, reporter, KUNM-FM  
Megan Gleason, author, Source New Mexico 

For More Information: 

Indigenous Women’s Day celebrates female leadership and resilience while spotlighting ongoing struggles – New Mexico In Depth 

Legislature passes bill for Native American early childhood education – KUNM  

NM legislators fail to pass ethical conduct bill as lobbyists fear unsafe working conditions – Source NM 

New Mexico in Focus Senior Producer Lou DiVizio opens the show with updates on several stories from around the state.

Gene Grant sits down with Martha Burk, political psychologist, author and host of the podcast, ‘Real Time with Martha Burk.’ Gene asks about a series of issues in the 2023 legislature that will impact women and families, including new a reproductive rights law and the failure of paid family leave. 

Then, Gene Grant and the Line Opinion Panel recap the 2023 legislative session, breaking down the crime bills that gained approval, and discussing the newly passed House Bill 7, which codifies abortion rights in New Mexico. 

Finally, Gene and the Line discuss the many bills that failed to reach the governor’s desk, including crime bills that fell short despite calls for improved public safety, and failed efforts to modernize the state’s legislature. 

Host:  Lou DiVizio

Line Host: Gene Grant  

Guest:

Martha Burk, political psychologist, author & host of the podcast, ‘Real Time with Martha Burk’  

The Line Opinion Panel:  

Dan McKay, staff writer, Albuquerque Journal  

Inez Russell Gomez, editorial page editor, the Santa Fe New Mexican  

Shaun Griswold, editor, Source New Mexico  

For More Information:

APD Reviewed Every 2022 Police Shooting. Here are the Proposed Reforms – Albuquerque Journal 

New Mexico passed laws protecting access to abortion. Opponents ready for legal fight - even to U.S. Supreme Court – Albuquerque Journal 

Committee tables Paid Family and Medical Leave bill, likely ending bill’s hopes this year – NM Political Report  

Gov. signs safe gun storage bill into law – NM Political Report 

Bill targeting organized retail crime in New Mexico sent to governor – Albuquerque Journal 

Legislature approved two major reproductive, gender-affirming care bills – NM Political Report 

New Mexico voting rights bill heads to governor for signature - CNN 

Governor on crime legislation: `I’m going to keep trying’ - Santa Fe New Mexican  

Bill to let unaffiliated voters participate in primaries clears Senate – NM Political Report 

Finance chair: Lawmaker pay unlikely to pass – Santa Fe New Mexican 

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New Mexico in Focus Senior Producer Lou DiVizio runs through some of the biggest items to come out of the 2023 legislative session, including a record-setting $9.6 billion budget plan and a wide-ranging tax package that went through some last-minute tweaks. Among those tweaks came another change to a proposed alcohol tax increase, amounting to about a penny per drink. Read more from Trip Jennings and Marjorie Childress at New Mexico in Depth.

New Mexico in Focus Political Correspondent Gwyneth Doland heads back to the Roundhouse to talk about sunshine week, and transparency in that record-setting budget.

Secondly, the Line reacts to new legal threats from an anti-abortion activist who promises a lawsuit over the new reproductive rights bill is signed by the Governor.

Finally, the panelists also discuss a new report from ProPublica revealing the state lost track of nearly two dozen people who had been sentenced to life without parole as children.  

Host: Lou DiVizio

Political Correspondent: Gwyneth Doland

Line Host: Gene Grant

Guests:

Dan Boyd, Albuquerque Journal Capitol Bureau Chief 

Rob Black, president & CEO, New Mexico Chamber of Commerce 

St. Sen. George Muñoz, (D) NM District 4 - Gallup, chair of the Senate Finance Committee 

Dan Foley, fmr. NM State Representative 

Sophie Martin, attorney 

Rebecca Latham, CEO, Girl Scouts of New Mexico 

For More Information:

Legislative Roundup: What Passed & What Didn’t – The Albuquerque Journal 

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New Mexico in Focus Senior Producer Lou DiVizio kicks off the show with an update on several key pieces of legislation moving through the Roundhouse. That includes the $9.6B budget package passed by the state Senate Sunday. HB 2 would increase spending by nearly 14%, which works out to more than $1B.

The Governor held a press conference in her office Tuesday morning to announce a bipartisan agreement on emergency legislation revising New Mexico’s medical malpractice law. According to reporting from the Albuquerque Journal’s Dan McKay, SB 523 would make sure independently owned outpatient clinics can remain open next year.

New Mexico in Focus Political Correspondent Gwyneth Doland speaks with three people in the Roundhouse about HB 547, the omnibus tax bill that would address a wide range of items, including the Gross Receipts Tax and individual tax reimbursements of $500. 

Then, Gene Grant talks to independent Journalist Ted Alcorn about the miniscule increase in alcohol taxes included in that tax plan. Gene also asks about the now-tabled HB 230, which would have increased taxes on alcohol by a much more substantial amount. 

Finally, Gene speaks with the Santa Fe Reporter’s Andrew Oxford, who's been covering the recent developments around a rebuild plan for the Santa Fe Obelisk. 

Host: Lou DiVizio

Correspondent: Gwyneth Doland

Guests: 

St. Rep. Derrick Lente, (D) NM District 65 – Sandia Pueblo

Camilla Feibelman, director, Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter

Richard Anklam, executive director, New Mexico Tax Research Institute

Correspondent: Gene Grant

Guests: 

Ted Alcorn, independent journalist

Andrew Oxford, reporter, Santa Fe Reporter

For More Information: 

New Mexico Bill Finder - NM State Legislature

In New Mexico, wildlife belong to the people but are managed by the state. New Mexico Wildlife Federation Executive Director Jesse Deubel discusses hunting authorizations, wildlife management models, food security, the New Mexico Game Commission’s “dysfunction,” and more.

Want to see more environmental coverage from NMPBS?

Visit the NMPBS App: https://portal.knme.org/show/our-land-new-mexicos-environmental-past-present-and-future/

Subscribe to Our Land Weekly: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/woyxJ21/ourland

New Mexico in Focus Senior Producer kicks off the show with updates on several pieces of legislation moving through the Capitol in Santa Fe. That includes the possibility of a slight increase on alcohol included in an omnibus tax bill, HB 547, which passed the House Taxation and Revenue Committee Monday morning. This is something we've been covering for months, mainly due to the work of Journalist Ted Alcorn and New Mexico in Depth. You can read a recent story by Marjorie Childress and Trip Jennings on the influence of alcohol lobbyists here: Powerhouse Lobbyists on Tap for Alcohol Industry.

Next, Political Correspondent Gwyneth Doland speaks with two doctors and a lawmaker about several healthcare bills circulating in the Roundhouse. Ophthalmologist Dr. Angie Braxton and pediatrician Dr. Nancy Wright share their perspective on the state’s growing problem of attracting and retaining doctors, and St. Rep. Elizabeth Thomson, (D) Albuquerque, gives some insight on several other healthcare bills she’s supporting.

Then, Gene Grant and the Line Opinion Panel discuss a possible statewide expansion of Medicaid coverage, and the Governor's decision to pause the state's provider procurement process. 

Gene and the Panel also explore some of the developments in New Mexico’s efforts to pull itself up from dead last in literacy including a new training program for elementary school teachers. 

Finally, Gene speaks with University of New Mexico Law Professor Sonia Gipson Rankin about her career, and her work. Professor Gipson Rankin comments on some of the systemic issues in our criminal justice system that contribute to racially disproportionate incarceration rates, and how the growing use of artificial intelligence factors into that equation. 

Host: Lou DiVizio

Political Correspondent: Gwyneth Doland

Line Host: Gene Grant

Guests: 

Dr. Angie Braxton, ophthalmologist

Dr. Nancy Wright, pediatrician

St. Rep. Elizabeth Thomson, (D) NM District 24 - Albuquerque

Sonia Gipson Rankin, J.D., University of New Mexico School of Law

Line Panelists: 

Martha Burk, political psychologist and author

Edmund Perea, attorney and public safety analyst

Tom Garrity, founder & president, the Garrity Group Public Relations

For More Information: 

Proposed Legislation Would Expand Medicaid Eligibility, Create Low-Cost Plans Through Program - Albuquerque Journal

Bill Overhauling NM High School Graduation Requirements Approved by House - Albuquerque Journal

Professor Sonia Gipson Rankin - Twitter

Seven states and two countries share the Colorado River, where demand outpaces supply, especially in a warming world. Recently, Our Land’s Laura Paskus spoke with Estevan López, Upper Colorado River Compact Commissioner for New Mexico, about the current situation on the Colorado and what New Mexicans who rely upon its waters need to consider for the future.

Here on the podcast, we share the longer conversation with listeners who are interested in water and politics in both the Upper and Lower Basins on the Colorado River.

Topics in the extended conversation include: climate change, the reality of tossing out the Colorado River Compact and starting from scratch, tribes in the Upper Basin, politics in the Lower Basin, and the similarities and differences between the Rio Grande and the Colorado.

Want to see more environmental coverage from NMPBS?

Visit the NMPBS App: https://portal.knme.org/show/our-land-new-mexicos-environmental-past-present-and-future/

Subscribe to Our Land Weekly: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/woyxJ21/ourland

New Mexico in Focus Senior Producer Lou DiVizio opens the show with updates on several pieces of legislation moving through the Roundhouse:

SB 73 would open primary elections to all voters in the state if passed. Right now only party-affiliated voters can participate. The bill passed the Senate last week and now moves on to the House. 

HB 7 would guarantee access to reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare to anyone in the state is passed. It was voted through the House last week. 

HB 4 would reform elections in several ways – by expanding automatic voter registration, allowing convicted felons to vote, creating a voluntary, permanent absentee voter list, and enacting the Native American voting rights act. It moves on to the Senate after passing the House last week. 

Also last week, the House Taxation and Revenue Committee voted to table HB 230, which would increase alcohol taxes by 25-cents per drink. The chair of the committee, State Representative Derrick Lente says they’ll have to wait and see if a compromise can be reached.

SB 418 would modernize the state’s Oil and Gas Act by considering the impacts on the environment and disadvantaged communities. It will go before the Senate Conservation Committee this week. 

After that, New Mexico in Focus Political Correspondent Gwyneth Doland catches up with three lawmakers to ask about some good governance legislation, including two HJR 2 and HJR 8, which would modernize the state legislature. 

Then, Gene Grant and the Line Opinion Panel talk through those good governance bills, and debate their potential effectiveness. 

Gene and the Panel also discuss a SJR 1 which would recreate a state board of education, making that the authoritative body on education, instead of the current system of a single Public Education Secretary. 

Finally, New Mexico in Focus Correspondent Antonia Gonzales speaks with newly-elected Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren about his first month in office, and his priorities for the tribe through the remainder of his term. 

Host: Lou DiVizio

Correspondents: Gwyneth Doland, Antonia Gonzales

Line Host: Gene Grant

Guests: 

St. Rep. Natalie Figueroa, (D) NM District 30 – Albuquerque

St. Sen. Gregg Schmedes, (R) NM District 19 – Tijeras

St. Sen. Bill O’Neill, (D) NM District 13 – Los Ranchos de Albuquerque

Dr. Buu Nygren, Navajo Nation President

Line Opinion Panelists: 

Dave Mulryan, president, Mulryan-Nash Advertising

Andy Lyman, reporter, Santa Fe Reporter

Merritt Allen, Vox Optima Public Relations

For More Information: 

NM Legislation Listings