Latest news with #AmericanIndianDay
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NM Legislature recap Feb. 7: Sovereignty and cooperation
The Roundhouse in Santa Fe welcomed dignitaries from New Mexico's sovereign tribal nations on Friday for American Indian Day. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and Jicarilla Apache Nation President Adrian Notsinneh addressed a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives, as did Chairman for the All Pueblo Council of Governors James Mountain. 'Our state of New Mexico is unique because of our different Pueblos, tribes and Native nations, and our individual sovereign rights,' said Rep. Wonda Johnson (D-Rehoboth), who is a member of the Navajo Nation and presided over the joint session. 'Today, we are also facing issues and challenges that demand our communication, coordination and collaboration.' Mountain outlined legislation the APCG wants to see written into law, including Jemez Democrat Sen. Benny Shendo's Senate Bill 13, which would allow tribes to work with the state to establish language- and culture-based schools. He asked lawmakers to pass Senate Bill 163, sponsored by Shendo and Johnson, which would allow public school students who are enrolled in a federally recognized tribe to wear their tribal regalia at graduation ceremonies or public school events. Mountain also endorsed House Bill 137, a controversial proposition to eventually treat hard-to-access deep aquifer water and oil and gas wastewater for proposed end uses such as hydrogen fuel or manufacturing solar or wind components. He implored lawmakers to turn the promise of the Yazzie-Martinez education equity ruling into reality. 'It's not just about Indian education, it's about New Mexico children and students,' Mountain said. 'It's about our school system that needs to be improved, and we have to figure out a way to come together.' Excluding House resolutions to name certain days at the Legislature, the 'feed bill' to fund the session has been the only bill to cross the governor's desk. Next week, we expect to see some legislation hit chamber floors for debate. The House Judiciary Committee on Friday afternoon agreed to delay jumping into one of the more contested issues in the governor's public safety agenda: rewriting the state's Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code to give prosecutors more options to involuntarily commit people into a locked psychiatric facility if they are found to be dangerous and unable to stand trial. The committee 'rolled' Los Alamos Democrat Rep. Christine Chandler's House Bill 4 to next week, in order to give the panel more time to hear other public safety bills and vote on them as one package, House Speaker Javier Martínez (D-Albuquerque) said. 'I'm grateful and I'm proud, and I can't wait to see this play out in practice, and the restorative impact it will have on all of our communities,' Martínez said of HB 4. 'This is what legislating for the people looks like. We're not legislating to score political points, or legislating out of chaos. This is how it should be done. I can't wait to get this on the floor and over to the other chamber.' Meanwhile, the Senate is working on a complementary package of bills meant to rebuild the state's behavioral health treatment system, Martínez said, 'that will be a part of the system we're creating together.' The Senate Education Committee passed the Advancing the Science of Reading Act, Senate Bill 242, this morning by a unanimous 7-0 vote. The bill, sponsored by President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque), proposes changes to the public school code and course requirements for teacher licensure to include more training on the 'science of literature.' It heads to the Senate Finance Committee next. Sen. Bill Soules (D-Las Cruces) briefly introduced Senate Bill 235, which proposes the creation of a statewide plan for addressing low math scores in the state, including professional learning plans. However, the bill was rolled to the committee's next Wednesday meeting. On Monday afternoon, advocates for criminal legal reform and voting rights will rally to demand lawmakers expand New Mexicans' voting rights. During 'End Mass Incarceration Day,' Millions for Prisoners New Mexico and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico will push for bills to address disparities in the criminal legal system, including House Joint Resolution 10, which would ask voters to amend the state Constitution to eliminate the state's practice of taking away people's right to vote for being convicted of a felony. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Expect both longer days and longer weeks at the Roundhouse, as Saturday committee sessions get into full swing. Here's what's happening in committees this weekend: The House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee has six public safety bills on the agenda brought by Rep. Andrea Reeb (R-Clovis), including House Bill 104,which addresses the definitions of crimes against peace officers; House Bill 107, which proposes stricter penalties for drug trafficking resulting in a death; and House Bill 136, which would define fentanyl exposure of a minor as child abuse. The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to discuss penalties for vehicle thefts; expanding the state law on ticket scalping to state and nonprofit events; and changes to worker's compensation. Among the six bills the House Energy, Environment and Natural Resource Committee will discuss is House Bill 212, the Per- & Poly-Flouroalkyl Protection Act. Two PFAS bills scheduled for Saturday House Energy and Natural Resources committee On the Senate side, only the Senate Conservation Committee is meeting at 9 a.m. with eight bills on the agenda, according to Chair Sen. Liz Stefanics (D-Cerrillos). 'We're going to try and power through them, because we're not moving very fast in committee,' Stefanics said Friday on the Senate floor. Those bills include Senate Bill 48 and Senate Bill 49, both from Senate Pro Tem Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque), which establishes a $340 million grant fund for communities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and provides the funds for state agencies, respectively. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NM Legislature recap Feb. 7: Sovereignty and cooperation
The Roundhouse in Santa Fe welcomed dignitaries from New Mexico's sovereign tribal nations on Friday for American Indian Day. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and Jicarilla Apache Nation President Adrian Notsinneh addressed a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives, as did Chairman for the All Pueblo Council of Governors James Mountain. 'Our state of New Mexico is unique because of our different Pueblos, tribes and Native nations, and our individual sovereign rights,' said Rep. Wonda Johnson (D-Rehoboth), who is a member of the Navajo Nation and presided over the joint session. 'Today, we are also facing issues and challenges that demand our communication, coordination and collaboration.' Mountain outlined legislation the APCG wants to see written into law, including Jemez Democrat Sen. Benny Shendo's Senate Bill 13, which would allow tribes to work with the state to establish language- and culture-based schools. He asked lawmakers to pass Senate Bill 163, sponsored by Shendo and Johnson, which would allow public school students who are enrolled in a federally recognized tribe to wear their tribal regalia at graduation ceremonies or public school events. Mountain also endorsed House Bill 137, a controversial proposition to eventually treat hard-to-access deep aquifer water and oil and gas wastewater for proposed end uses such as hydrogen fuel or manufacturing solar or wind components. He implored lawmakers to turn the promise of the Yazzie-Martinez education equity ruling into reality. 'It's not just about Indian education, it's about New Mexico children and students,' Mountain said. 'It's about our school system that needs to be improved, and we have to figure out a way to come together.' Excluding House resolutions to name certain days at the Legislature, the 'feed bill' to fund the session has been the only bill to cross the governor's desk. Next week, we expect to see some legislation hit chamber floors for debate. The House Judiciary Committee on Friday afternoon agreed to delay jumping into one of the more contested issues in the governor's public safety agenda: rewriting the state's Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code to give prosecutors more options to involuntarily commit people into a locked psychiatric facility if they are found to be dangerous and unable to stand trial. The committee 'rolled' Los Alamos Democrat Rep. Christine Chandler's House Bill 4 to next week, in order to give the panel more time to hear other public safety bills and vote on them as one package, House Speaker Javier Martínez (D-Albuquerque) said. 'I'm grateful and I'm proud, and I can't wait to see this play out in practice, and the restorative impact it will have on all of our communities,' Martínez said of HB 4. 'This is what legislating for the people looks like. We're not legislating to score political points, or legislating out of chaos. This is how it should be done. I can't wait to get this on the floor and over to the other chamber.' Meanwhile, the Senate is working on a complementary package of bills meant to rebuild the state's behavioral health treatment system, Martínez said, 'that will be a part of the system we're creating together.' The Senate Education Committee passed the Advancing the Science of Reading Act, Senate Bill 242, this morning by a unanimous 7-0 vote. The bill, sponsored by President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque), proposes changes to the public school code and course requirements for teacher licensure to include more training on the 'science of literature.' It heads to the Senate Finance Committee next. Sen. Bill Soules (D-Las Cruces) briefly introduced Senate Bill 235, which proposes the creation of a statewide plan for addressing low math scores in the state, including professional learning plans. However, the bill was rolled to the committee's next Wednesday meeting. On Monday afternoon, advocates for criminal legal reform and voting rights will rally to demand lawmakers expand New Mexicans' voting rights. During 'End Mass Incarceration Day,' Millions for Prisoners New Mexico and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico will push for bills to address disparities in the criminal legal system, including House Joint Resolution 10, which would ask voters to amend the state Constitution to eliminate the state's practice of taking away people's right to vote for being convicted of a felony. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Expect both longer days and longer weeks at the Roundhouse, as Saturday committee sessions get into full swing. Here's what's happening in committees this weekend: The House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee has six public safety bills on the agenda brought by Rep. Andrea Reeb (R-Clovis), including House Bill 104,which addresses the definitions of crimes against peace officers; House Bill 107, which proposes stricter penalties for drug trafficking resulting in a death; and House Bill 136, which would define fentanyl exposure of a minor as child abuse. The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to discuss penalties for vehicle thefts; expanding the state law on ticket scalping to state and nonprofit events; and changes to worker's compensation. Among the six bills the House Energy, Environment and Natural Resource Committee will discuss is House Bill 212, the Per- & Poly-Flouroalkyl Protection Act. Two PFAS bills scheduled for Saturday House Energy and Natural Resources committee On the Senate side, only the Senate Conservation Committee is meeting at 9 a.m. with eight bills on the agenda, according to Chair Sen. Liz Stefanics (D-Cerrillos). 'We're going to try and power through them, because we're not moving very fast in committee,' Stefanics said Friday on the Senate floor. Those bills include Senate Bill 48 and Senate Bill 49, both from Senate Pro Tem Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque), which establishes a $340 million grant fund for communities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and provides the funds for state agencies, respectively. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New Mexico Health Care Authority marks 50 years of child support program
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – The New Mexico Health Care Authority is celebrating a half-century of its child support program and they're inviting the community out to learn more. Five events are happening over the next 30 days starting with a Public Health Day celebration at the capitol building Wednesday at noon. All events will highlight the services provided, including establishing parentage, court-ordered financial and medical support, and other services. The events include: 10th Annual Public Health Day, Feb. 5, 2025, 9 a.m. to noon, 490 Old Santa Fe Trail. Santa Fe, NM 87501 American Indian Day, Feb. 7, 2025, 9 a.m. to noon, 490 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501 Valentine's Open House & Resource Fair, Feb. 13, 2025, 5 to 8 p.m., 118 S. Main Street, Las Cruces, NM 88001 Behavioral Health Day, Feb. 26, 2025, 9 a.m. to noon, 490 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501 Navigation Open House, March 3, 2025, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.,118 S. Main Street, Las Cruces, NM 88001 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NM HCA launches child-support outreach events
On Feb. 4, New Mexico's Health Care Authority announced a year-long program to highlight child-support services. (Getty Images) To mark 50 years of child-support programs, the New Mexico Health Care Authority on Tuesday announced a year-long program of outreach events highlighting the agency's resources and services. Those services include: locating the other parent when needed; establishing parentage; establishing financial and medical support ordered by courts; enforcing court orders as it relates to support; and providing parents with employment-related resources. According to a news release, New Mexico has approximately 50,000 active child support cases and collected $119.2 million last year, 98% of which went to families. 'Our free services help parents navigate the child support process and connect paying parents with employment services,' Child Support Services Division Director Betina Gonzales McCracken said in a statement. 'This family-centered approach ensures New Mexico's children receive the support they need to thrive.' 9 a.m. to noon, Feb. 5 10th Annual Public Health Day New Mexico State Capitol Rotunda Feb. 7, 2025, 9 a.m. to noon, Feb. 7 American Indian Day New Mexico State Capitol Rotunda 5 to 8 pm, Feb. 13, 2025 FYI + Family Success Center 118 S. Main Street, Las Cruces 9 am to noon, Feb. 26 Behavioral Health Day New Mexico State Capitol Rotunda = 10 am to 1 pm, March 3 FYI+ Family Success Center Family Benefits Navigation Open House 118 S. Main Street, Las Cruces
