Latest news with #BillSharer
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Governor's Office: Operation Zia Shield is different than situation in California
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The situation in California comes as the New Mexico National Guard looks to help Albuquerque police fight crime. A spokesperson for Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham sent this statement: In Albuquerque, the deployment of the National Guard represents a fundamentally different approach to public safety than what we're witnessing in California. New Mexico National Guard members are working collaboratively with local law enforcement at the direct request of the city's police chief, and the Guard is supporting, not replacing, law enforcement officers in their efforts to combat illegal drugs and violent crime. In California, President Trump disregarded Gov. Newsom's authority as commander-in-chief and deployed armed members of the National Guard to Los Angeles even though State and local law enforcement stated emphatically that they did not need the assistance. Gov. Lujan Grisham's measured approach in Albuquerque aims to strengthen public safety through cooperation and partnership, while helping to address real community needs. The president's deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles is inflaming social tensions rather than resolving them. Michael Coleman, Communications Director, Office of New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller echoed a similar sentiment, saying that, unlike Los Angeles, the National Guard here will be doing non-enforcement activities. But Republican state Senator Bill Sharer, of Farmington, disagreed, saying, 'The governor….has no business opposing similar actions taken by the president to improve public safety.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate OKs $2 billion trust fund to fight any federal Medicaid cuts
It's the most basic financial advice you can get: Always save for a rainy day. So amid concerns about cuts in Medicaid programs coming down from Washington in the coming years, the New Mexico Senate unanimously approved a measure to set aside billions of dollars in rainy-day money for the state Medicaid program. Senate Bill 88, which has earned bipartisan support from top Senate Democrats and Republicans, would over several years build up a $2 billion pot of money known as the Medicaid Trust Fund to then match federal dollars, especially if the state sees cuts. "This is a very prudent use of our resources here," said Sen. Bill Sharer, R-Farmington, one of the bill's sponsors. The money would be funded with certain earnings the state treasury receives through investments from other accounts and funds. In the coming fiscal year, nearly $280 million is expected to go into the fund. Money will flow into the Medicaid Trust Fund until it reaches $2 billion. In fiscal year 2029, the fund would begin making distributions into the State-Supported Medicaid Fund, which would also be created under SB 88. Those dollars would support the state Medicaid program and/or match federal Medicaid funding. Medicaid, which provides health coverage to low-income people, is administered at the state level and is partially funded by the state but relies heavily on federal dollars — the federal government pays for 70% to 90% of Medicaid costs in New Mexico, depending on the population, according to an analysis published last year by the Legislative Finance Committee. Under a budget resolution passed in the U.S. House of Representatives last week, Republicans called for the House Energy and Commerce committee, which handles health care spending, to find about $880 billion in savings over 10 years, including from programs like Medicaid. It's not clear yet how the state would be impacted by cuts to Medicaid on the federal level — the New Mexico Health Care Authority did not answer a question Wednesday about potential cuts. "Protecting New Mexicans' access to health care continues to be our top priority," Health Secretary Kari Armijo said in a statement. "We share the Legislature's concerns about potential federal funding cuts and appreciate their work to develop financing strategies that will continue to support the more than 873,000 New Mexicans covered by Medicaid." In the New Mexico Senate on Wednesday, SB 88 faced little opposition but saw lawmakers support the bill based on their concerns over potential federal Medicaid cuts. Sen. Pete Campos, D-Las Vegas, said the trust fund was a way for the state to continue caring for those who are most underserved. "If there are cuts in Medicaid, if there are cuts in other forms of funding, we need to have … the resources to help to take care of that," he said. The bill's passage in the Senate also comes after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham last week all but guaranteed she would call a special session of the Legislature to address federal funding cuts, noting possible Medicaid trimming was of particular concern. Sharer said he does not necessarily share the same concerns about cuts to federal Medicaid funding. Still, he pointed to a trigger mechanism in the bill that would allow the state to begin drawing money from the Medicaid Trust Fund sooner than 2029 should cuts in federal Medicaid dollars lead to losses in coverage or benefits in New Mexico. "I believe that federally, they're looking for fraud, waste and abuse, not to harm us," he said. "But this does have a trigger, just in case, and so I think that that's great."
