Latest news with #EddieMoore
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
NM Gov declares state of emergency for ongoing drought, fire risk
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, pictured during a March news conference, announced Thursday she issued a state of emergency due to ongoing drought in New Mexico. She also called on counties to ban fireworks. (Eddie Moore / Albuquerque Journal) New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is urging counties across the state to ban fireworks and has ordered a task force to come up with short-term emergency measures to address the ongoing drought and mounting wildfire risk, her office announced on Wednesday. The governor issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency last Thursday, which unlocks funds to help address the drought. It also directed the New Mexico Drought Task Force to meet, which it did Wednesday, to come up with ways to coordinate response efforts across more than 10 state agencies, according to a news release. New Mexico is currently experiencing some of the worst drought conditions ever recorded amid long-term predictions that the state could lose 25% of its water supply over the next 50 years. Snowpack, particularly in the southwestern part of the state, is at record lows, and about 87% of the state is experiencing drought conditions. Meanwhile, local, state, federal and tribal governments across New Mexico have imposed various levels of wildfire restrictions, citing the ongoing wildfire risk. A New Mexico State Forestry website compilation of those restrictions lists 38 jurisdictions that ban fireworks, campfires or impose other measures. 'It's bad': How drought, lack of snowpack and federal cuts could spell wildfire disaster in NM 'Despite some spring precipitation, almost all of New Mexico remains in conditions that threaten water supplies and elevate fire danger,' Lujan Grisham said in a news release. 'The State Forester has enacted fire restrictions for high-risk areas, but we can't stop there. This executive order ensures that we act decisively to conserve water and lessen our exposure to wildfire risk.' In its Wednesday meeting, the Drought Task Force, led by New Mexico State Engineer Elizabeth Anderson, began coming up with a list of short-term measures to reduce fire risk and help those affected by the drought, which it needs to have in place by July 31, according to the governor's office. The task force also is tasked with compiling and sharing emergency and other funding sources to help families and governments respond to the drought. 'New Mexico's river basins have seen below average precipitation this year, and our reservoir levels are among the lowest on record,' Anderson said in a news release. 'These conditions clearly justify emergency action.' As July 4 approaches, the governor wrote that she urges 'New Mexico's counties, municipalities and local governments to consider implementing firework bans pursuant to the Fireworks Safety and Licensing Act…as well as any other appropriate fire prevention measures that they may legally enact.'
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
NM Gov declares state of emergency for ongoing drought, fire risk
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, pictured during a March news conference, announced Thursday she issued a state of emergency due to ongoing drought in New Mexico. She also called on counties to ban fireworks. (Eddie Moore / Albuquerque Journal) New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is urging counties across the state to ban fireworks and has ordered a task force to come up with short-term emergency measures to address the ongoing drought and mounting wildfire risk, her office announced on Wednesday. The governor issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency last Thursday, which unlocks funds to help address the drought. It also directed the New Mexico Drought Task Force to meet, which it did Wednesday, to come up with ways to coordinate response efforts across more than 10 state agencies, according to a news release. New Mexico is currently experiencing some of the worst drought conditions ever recorded amid long-term predictions that the state could lose 25% of its water supply over the next 50 years. Snowpack, particularly in the southwestern part of the state, is at record lows, and about 87% of the state is experiencing drought conditions. Meanwhile, local, state, federal and tribal governments across New Mexico have imposed various levels of wildfire restrictions, citing the ongoing wildfire risk. A New Mexico State Forestry website compilation of those restrictions lists 38 jurisdictions that ban fireworks, campfires or impose other measures. 'It's bad': How drought, lack of snowpack and federal cuts could spell wildfire disaster in NM 'Despite some spring precipitation, almost all of New Mexico remains in conditions that threaten water supplies and elevate fire danger,' Lujan Grisham said in a news release. 'The State Forester has enacted fire restrictions for high-risk areas, but we can't stop there. This executive order ensures that we act decisively to conserve water and lessen our exposure to wildfire risk.' In its Wednesday meeting, the Drought Task Force, led by New Mexico State Engineer Elizabeth Anderson, began coming up with a list of short-term measures to reduce fire risk and help those affected by the drought, which it needs to have in place by July 31, according to the governor's office. The task force also is tasked with compiling and sharing emergency and other funding sources to help families and governments respond to the drought. 'New Mexico's river basins have seen below average precipitation this year, and our reservoir levels are among the lowest on record,' Anderson said in a news release. 'These conditions clearly justify emergency action.' As July 4 approaches, the governor wrote that she urges 'New Mexico's counties, municipalities and local governments to consider implementing firework bans pursuant to the Fireworks Safety and Licensing Act…as well as any other appropriate fire prevention measures that they may legally enact.'
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Republicans balk at Gov's $10M request for Northern NM reproductive health care clinic
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham holds a news conference to announce a 50 year plan for water use in New Mexico. The news conference was held in the Governor's office, Tuesday, January 30, 2024. (Photo by Eddie Moore / Albuquerque Journal) In a last minute addition to capital outlay projects, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham added a $10 million request for the construction of a reproductive health clinic in Northern New Mexico. Representatives on Wednesday afternoon debated House Bill 450, which outlines $1.2 billion in capital outlay projects across the state. According to the bill, the clinic funds would be allocated to the University of New Mexico as the fiscal agent. Republican lawmakers quickly jumped on the additional line item, questioning whether the project is 'shovel-ready' with a location chosen and construction ready to begin. Bill sponsor Rep. Derrick Lente (D-Sandia Pueblo) said as far as he knows, a location has yet to be chosen. 'How do we know the money is actually going to get spent?' Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo) asked on the House floor. 'We always talk about fiscal responsibility, we always talk about wanting to spend money that we've appropriated, so how can we ensure that this money will indeed be given out for [this] purpose.' Rep. Rebecca Dow (R-Truth or Consequences) told the floor she has heard that Raton is a possible location, situated to serve Northern New Mexicans as well as people coming across the border from Colorado. However, Jodi McGinnis Porter, deputy director of communications for the governor's office, told Source NM that a location has not been identified and a project timeline is not available. 'Gov. Lujan Grisham believes access to reproductive healthcare is a fundamental human right. Ensuring access to safe reproductive healthcare prevents life-threatening risks such as untreated ectopic pregnancies,' McGinnis Porter told Source in an emailed statement. 'The $10 million investment in the Center for Reproductive Health in Northern New Mexico will help meet the need following the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, which has sharply increased demand for reproductive services. The clinic will provide comprehensive care including medication and procedural abortion, contraception options, miscarriage management, and preventative care services.' The Northern New Mexico project is similar to one currently underway in Las Cruces' East mesa, which also received $10 million in state funds for construction in 2023. Details of this project were limited more than a year following the appropriation, before organizers announced the location in Las Cruces in late summer. State and local officials broke ground in September 2024 and, at the time, Michael Richards, interim executive vice president of UNM Health Sciences and CEO of the UNM Health System, said organizers would finalize building plans in the weeks following the groundbreaking and choose a contractor. He said construction would take about 18 months once started. State breaks ground on Doña Ana County reproductive health center The Las Cruces project is a collaboration between UNM's Health Sciences Center and advocacy organizations Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, Bold Futures and Strong Families New Mexico. McGinnis Porter told Source NM that she could not confirm that the same group was involved in the Northern New Mexico health center. Christopher Ramirez, spokesperson for UNM Health Sciences Center, told Source in an emailed statement that the university does not generally comment on 'funding matters' until they are signed by the governor. 'UNM is appreciative of the thoughtful work done by both the Executive and Legislature to ensure that we are able to fulfill our mission to provide exceptional health care and health outcomes for all New Mexicans,' Ramirez told Source in an email. 'As with all items relating to UNM, this capital outlay funding will be thoroughly analyzed, and our teams will continue working with the Legislature and the Executive to understand UNM's role.' McGinnis Porter also told Source that Gina DeBlassie, secretary of the Department of Health, noted that the proposed Northern New Mexico center will also provide pregnancy loss support and management, lactation support, women's preventative care, sexually transmitted infection screenings, cancer screenings, adoption education and resources, doula support and limited primary care, including pap smears and checkups for sexual health care. Rep. Rod Montoya (R-Farmington) introduced a floor amendment to HB450, eliminating the $10 million request, calling it a 'pill too hard to swallow.' Members of the House eventually voted to table the amendment. Lente told Montoya that the amendment was unfriendly because it set a bad precedent to veto one specific item. 'We were able to identify projects that were important…in our respective districts. The governor had that same capability,' he said. 'And if this is important to her administration, I have no place to say that I want to strike it, the same way that I expect that when this bill hopefully passes and we can get these projects funded, she would not touch any one of our projects…with her veto power.' Speaker of the House Javier Martínez (D-Albuquerque) had to frequently ask House Republicans to keep their questions and comments on the bill, rather than the topic of abortion. The bill itself does not mention abortion. House Republicans said their biggest objection to the clinic was for the potential for its doctors to provide abortion services, and they did not want 'their state funds' going toward an abortion clinic. 'It's not as if abortion is not available in New Mexico. It's not as if abortion, completely unrestricted, hasn't been available in New Mexico since the early 2000s,' Montoya said. Rep. Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos) called Montoya's reading of the original bill 'narrow' because reproductive health also includes pap screening, screening for sexually transmitted infections and more. Rep. Susan Herrera (D-Embudo) added that the debate over abortion is something that comes up every session and people continue to disagree. 'I've told families in my district: It's not about my decision, it's not about my beliefs. It's about really families being able to make their own healthcare decisions, and I think that's the most important thing,' she said. At about 5:30 p.m., Rep. Randall Pettigrew (R-Lovington) introduced another amendment to HB450 to remove the appropriation for the reproductive health center. Lente said the amendment was trying to accomplish the same thing, and was therefore unfriendly. As of press time, lawmakers were still debating the amendment. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Advancing the Science of Reading Act' gains unanimous support in Senate Education Committee
Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, introduced a bill to the Senate Education Committee further promote literacy standards in New Mexico. (Photo by Eddie Moore / Albuquerque Journal) President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque) found support from the full Senate Education Committee Friday for her bill to further promote literacy standards in New Mexico. Senate Bill 242, the Advancing the Science of Reading Act, directs colleges of education at New Mexico universities to teach structured literacy to aspiring teachers. It creates new standards for teacher preparation programs to incorporate structured literacy and requires that these programs be monitored for compliance. Structured literacy is a method of teaching students how to read by using phonics, vocabulary and comprehension to create a foundation for children to build from. It contrasts with balanced literacy, which uses context clues and 'guesswork.' 'You've all heard about the Mississippi miracle. The Mississippi miracle on the (National Assessment of Educational Progress) scores, they always fought with us for last. Well, we are now thoroughly last and Mississippi is in the middle of the pack. And how did they do that,' Stewart asked the committee. 'In 2014 they passed a law like this in front of you today.' The committee passed the bill unanimously; it now heads to the Senate Finance Committee. Think New Mexico and NewMexicoKidsCAN representatives spoke in favor of the bill, as did a teacher and parents from the May Center for Learning in Santa Fe. Caitlin Trujillo, elementary lead teacher at the May Center, shared her experience of only gaining instruction on structured literacy when she arrived at the Santa Fe school, not during her years of training at New Mexico Highlands University. 'I was fortunate that when I started working at the May Center, I received a lot of information about the science of reading, and I pretty much earned another degree while I was working there,' Trujillo said to the committee. 'Teacher preparation programs should provide this since it's the most fundamental thing that we as teachers are asked to do. If we want to improve the education in New Mexico, we have to have teacher preparation programs that provide teachers with the skills and tools that they need to teach and be successful.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
