New Mexico in Focus (A Production of NMPBS)

This week on New Mexico in Focus, a closer look at Albuquerque’s plan for a public campaign finance voucher system, termed “Democracy Dollars.” Advocates say it’s a way to counteract the influence of money from a few wealthy donors who finance candidates for city elections. Detractors say it’s a misguided effort that would be applied too broadly and unfairly favor organizing committees who would snap up vouchers and give them to candidates.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel debate New Mexico Public Education Department’s choice of the SAT test to replace the PARCC test as the standardized test benchmark for juniors in the state’s public high schools. The Line also examines the recent decision by faculty of the University of New Mexico to unionize and a resurgence of organized labor in the news. Last on the Line’s agenda of topics is a look at New Mexico’s House and Senate primary races.  

NMiF also previews its upcoming interview with MALDEF President Thomas Saenz. Acting as general counsel for the group, Saenz has been deeply involved in the Yazzie/Martinez v. State of New Mexico lawsuit. In an excerpt of his interview with correspondent Russell Contreras, Saenz examines President Trump’s effort to woo Hispanic voters during his recent visit to New Mexico and in the 2020 election.

This week on New Mexico in Focus, correspondent Megan Kamerick sits down with Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller for an in-depth discussion on the eleven bonds and the quarter-cent gross receipts tax that will be on this November’s ballot, along with recent financial decisions that might impact how citizens vote.

In recognition of New Mexico’s first Indigenous Peoples’ Day (replacing Columbus Day), the New Mexico in Focus crew heads to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center to capture the sights and sounds of the celebration.

NMiF host Gene Grant looks into crime on urban college campuses like UNM – how police hope to track it and fight it, and whether a fence around campus or facial recognition software will help – in a conversation with Lt. Trace Peck of the University of New Mexico Police Department.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel debate the benefit of body cameras for law enforcement officers in New Mexico. The Line also discusses the use of restraint in public schools and how best to protect some students from themselves and others while still being transparent about the process. Lastly, The Line looks at allegations by a Rio Grande Sun reporter of police harassment and retaliation for her coverage of a now-fired Rio Arriba County sheriff’s deputy.

This week on New Mexico in Focus: The state’s first official Indigenous Peoples’ Day is right around the corner on Monday, October 13. Correspondent Antonia Gonzales speaks with three Native artists and activists about how they plan to celebrate, what the day can mean for Indigenous peoples, and how they pass their message and history to non-Natives who are curious about the past.

In this month’s installment of Our Land, correspondent Laura Paskus examines the recently ramped-up effort to clean jet fuel pollution from the water below Albuquerque. The massive project comes after decades passed with undiscovered jet fuel seeping into the ground beneath Kirtland Air Force Base. The Air Force says it’s made big strides, and community leaders are looking to verify that.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel debate the New Mexico Supreme Court’s decision to deny petitions related to decommissioning the San Juan Generating Station in light of the Energy Transition act, and putting all decisions back into the hands of the Public Regulation Commission (PRC). The Line panelists also discuss New Mexico’s Senate race, and the role campaign dollars will have in the primaries. Finally, the Line looks at the legislative actions a policy-reform think tank, Think New Mexico, is proposing to help senior citizens.

This week, New Mexico in Focus digs into how Americans perceive the impeachment inquiry into President Trump. Correspondent Gwyneth Doland sits down with UNM Political Science Professor Jessica Feezell to talk about the political messaging surrounding impeachment, as well as how to process news from different sources.

NMiF checks in on a contest designed to get students interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education by building a robot that can help linemen restore power in an emergency. PNM power company recently hosted a demonstration for students to better understand what electrical workers need to do their jobs safely and quickly when the power goes out.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel debate Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s decision to jump on the bandwagon with a group of states to emulate California’s auto emissions standards. The Line panelists also discuss the rollout of Albuquerque Mayor Tom Keller’s sports tourism bond package, and look at how a Rio Arriba deputy – fired for tasing a student – was even hired in the first place.

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta takes flight in just over a week. The event is one of the highlights of the year and a huge tourism draw for the state. But this year, the Fiesta will include some new additions like undercover officers and metal detectors. Host Gene Grant went live on Facebook this week with Balloon Fiesta officials to talk about the changes and what spectators need to know. We’ll share some of the key takeaways, and then The Line opinion panelists weigh in on what it will take for the increased security efforts to be a success.

Correspondent Russell Contreras sits down with one of the key figures in New Mexico’s rise to prominence in the mixed martial arts (MMA) world: Greg Jackson. One of the founders of The Jackson Wink Academy, Jackson has helped train the likes of title winners Jon “Bones” Jones and Holly Holm. The two talk about why MMA is so popular in our state, as well as how Jackson is working to improve his community outside the octagon.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel also spend time discussing a new report that outlines the true extent of the state’s behavioral health crisis, and what state leaders are doing to bridge the gap between patients and providers. They also offer insight on the impact to New Mexico’s congressional delegation now that the U.S. House of Representatives has decided to open an impeachment inquiry into President Trump.

This week, New Mexico in Focus heads to the rally for President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign. Trump made his first visit to New Mexico since becoming president, bringing an overflow crowd of supporters to Rio Rancho. NMiF speaks to supporters and excerpts the president’s speech, as well as to protesters and Democrats who rallied against the president.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel also spend time talking about the president’s effort to flip New Mexico, which has voted for a Republican presidential candidate just once in the past seven elections. The president spent much of his speech trying to woo Hispanic voters, seen as key to his chances in the state and, potentially, as he tries to win other states in 2020.

Ahead of the planned Sept. 20 Global Climate Strike, environmental correspondent Laura Paskus speaks with three students who will walk out of school to raise awareness of human-caused climate change. The conversation is part of the Covering Climate Now Initiative, through which more than 250 media outlets worldwide are concentrating climate change coverage ahead of the United Nations Climate Summit on September 23.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel also talk about the city of Albuquerque’s proposal to boost public financing for mayoral and city council races. Two ideas on the ballot in November would boost financing by 75 percent for candidates. One of those proposals would also implement the controversial Democracy Dollars plan. And the opinion panelists also look at the governor’s effort to provide free tuition at all state colleges and universities.

This week, art imitates life on New Mexico in Focus. Correspondent Antonia Gonzales sits down with attorney and playwright Mary Kathryn Nagle. Santa Fe’s Lensic Performing Arts Center recently hosted a stage reading of her play, “Sovereignty.” The production is set in both the 1800s and in modern times and tells the story behind a landmark jurisdiction case won before the the U.S. Supreme Court by the Cherokee Nation. Nagle explains how her career as an attorney affects her storytelling style. She also explores the continuing struggles in the theater world for accurate representations of Indigenous people and issues.

In this month’s installment of Our Land, correspondent Laura Paskus investigates the recent outbreak of blue-green algae blooms at some New Mexico lakes. Those blooms have caused some closures later this summer because of the health risks to people and pets. Experts help explain more about the risks from exposure to the blooms and what is being done to try and keep the problem from spreading.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel discuss President Trump’s plan to divert more than $100 million earmarked for New Mexico military projects to fund a border wall. The Line panelists also debate an idea to create a new permanent fund for early childhood education, and go inside the state’s struggles to move from coal to renewable energy sources.

This week, New Mexico in Focus looks at the health problems associated with e-cigarettes. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned against vaping, especially by children, teens and other vulnerable parts of the population. Senior producer Matt Grubs interviews public health consultant Shelley Mann-Lev and Dr. Shawn Sidhu, a child and adolescent psychiatrist who runs the University of New Mexico’s Health Sciences Center fellowship program in child psychiatry.

Matt Grubs continues the conversation on vaping as he sits down with David Tompkins, manager for community health initiatives with the New Mexico Department of Health.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel discuss the abundance of lawsuits filed by Carlsbad Medical Center against its patients – an aggressive practice highlighted by The New York Times. The Line panelists also debate new medical cannabis guidelines and rulings affecting public schools and out-of-state patients. The Line also marks the passing of former New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Charles Daniels, as the panelists reflect on his legacy.

This week on New Mexico in Focus, host Gene Grant talks with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) advocate Terri O’Hare about what it’s like to navigate Albuquerque as a person with a disability.

Jim Linnell, UNM Theatre Professor Emeritus, is the author of “Take It Lying Down: Finding My Feet After a Spinal Cord Injury.” Linnell was six months from retirement as the dean of UNM’s College of Fine Arts when he suffered a freak accident that left him almost totally paralyzed. In his book, and in his frank discussion with correspondent Megan Kamerick, he chronicles his struggle to regain independence as he looks back over his life and ponders his future.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel discuss Bernalillo County’s passage of a new paid leave law and the Albuquerque City Council’s look into whether a similar “leave for any reason” law would work for the city. The Line panelists also talk state spending, as New Mexico predicts another whopping surplus headed into the next fiscal year. The Line’s final topic is the GOP’s hope of flipping New Mexico from a blue to a red state in 2020.

This week on New Mexico in Focus, correspondent Antonia Gonzales goes to Sandia Pueblo for an interview with Sec. Lynn Trujillo of the New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs. Trujillo talks about tribal priorities on the state level, including big changes to education.

Correspondent Laura Paskus sits down with New Mexico Environment Department Sec. James Kenney to talk about PFAS, or toxic, human-made chemicals that have been found at U.S. military bases nationwide and around the world. Here in New Mexico, these chemicals have contaminated groundwater around Cannon and Holloman Air Force bases. Sec. Kenney discusses the danger of such contamination and what’s being done about it.

Gene Grant and the Line opinion panel discuss the growing concern over a man who, while legally carrying a gun on his hip, has been harassing vendors and others on the Santa Fe Plaza, including asking them for proof of citizenship. The Line also looks at the return of men’s soccer and men’s and women’s ski teams to UNM – but only as club sports. Gene Grant and panelists also talks about the push in New Mexico to legalize recreational cannabis, and how such legalization might affect patients who rely on medical cannabis.