Latest news with #SourceNM
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
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Former NM Democratic Party official wants a Hispanic person to replace her
Julie Rochman. (Courtesy photo) It remained unclear on Friday who will become the treasurer for New Mexico's ruling political party, following the previous treasurer's resignation after just one month on the job. Julie Rochman, of Albuquerque, resigned as treasurer for the Democratic Party of New Mexico on Wednesday, in a resignation letter addressed to all of the party's members, who elected her and the rest of its leadership on April 26. Rochman wrote she is concerned DPNM's officers don't reflect New Mexico's diversity. Including herself, three of the four officers are not originally from New Mexico, two are older white women, one comes from a rural area and none speak Spanish, she wrote. 'Most distressing to me, in our minority-majority Hispanic state, is DPNM's lack of a single Hispanic executive,' Rochman wrote. 'This is a glaring deficit and strategic negligence.' Rochman wrote the party should replace her with 'someone who represents the very people we've overlooked for too long — ideally a Hispanic leader rooted in a rural space.' DPNM spokesperson Daniel Garcia told Source NM on Friday party rules do not determine a timeline for replacing its treasurer, however, 'DPNM wants to move expeditiously in finding a replacement to fulfill the position's work without interruption.' The new treasurer will be selected by the party's officers, Garcia said, including Chair Sara Attleson, Vice Chair Cam Crawford, Secretary Brenda Hoskie and the three congressional district vice chairs. 'Right now there are not specific individuals under consideration, but the process will be conducted in a thorough, transparent process,' Garcia said. Rochman wrote that Attleson and Crawford 'have squashed efforts for all officers to work together as a team' and 'intentionally excluded' her. 'They don't inform or engage with me,' Rochman wrote. 'In short, they've made clear that my expertise and input are unwelcome.' In a statement, Attleson denied Rochman's allegations that she wasn't welcome in the party, and defended its leaders' diversity. 'Contrary to her letter, we welcomed Julie to be a part of the movement we're building,' Attleson said. 'Unfortunately, shortly after the election, she decided this team wasn't an ideal fit for her.' Attleson pointed to the majority of New Mexico's statewide and federal elected leaders being Hispanic, including Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, along with several of the congressional district vice chairs. Rochman told Source NM it is great that so many elected officials in New Mexico are Hispanic, 'but it doesn't excuse the fact that the party doesn't look like the state.' Attleson also pointed to Crawford's background as a young Black man, and Hoskie's membership in the Navajo Nation and fluency in Diné. 'New Mexico Democrats proudly draw our strength from our diversity, which is apparent in our leadership,' Attleson said. 'At a time when billionaires are dictating public policy and Donald Trump is eliminating essential services, we have to stay focused on fighting for working class New Mexicans, not turning on each other.' Rochman wrote that she received a nondisclosure agreement in late May after weeks of no communication about ongoing party affairs and strategic planning. Rochman told Source NM in an interview that Sean Ward, the party's executive director, asked her to sign it. A copy of the unsigned NDA shows it would have barred Rochman from saying or doing anything that would damage the reputation of any of the party's officers, staff or volunteers. Rochman wrote in her letter that the NDA is inconsistent with her values and undermines her right to free speech and her obligation to speak truth to power. 'Essentially, it would be a gag order for the rest of my life,' she wrote. Rochman told Source NM that she feels the document's non-disparagement language 'was very targeted' at her because she doesn't get along with Attleson. 'It seemed very Trumpian to me,' Rochman said. 'There had been some other things that were rather Trumpian, and I just didn't want to be associated with an administration that was going to govern that way.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
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Confusion reigns in New Mexico's militarized border zone
A cattleguard leading into the new military base along the New Mexico border with Mexico. On the right is a sign warning in English and Spanish: 'Restricted Area: This Department of Defense Property has been declared a restricted area by authority of the commander.' (Photo by Patrick Lohmann / Source NM) Late last week, acting United States Attorney for New Mexico Ryan Ellison dismissed misdemeanor charges his office had previously brought against at least three people accused of illegally entering a newly created military zone across New Mexico's southern border. Ellison explained the turnabout in a filing in which he said the arrested people had been found in an area his office thought was part of the new National Defense Area. It wasn't. As a result, three people arrested in recent weeks won't face newly created criminal charges for trespassing on a military base, punishable by up to a year in jail. The dropped charges point to the ongoing confusion the new 400-square-mile military zone has created across branches of government and the courts since the U.S. Interior Department transferred the land to the Army in April. 'It is concerning that even the Acting United States Attorney is confused by the boundaries of this new National Defense Area,' a spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) said in an emailed statement Thursday after Source New Mexico alerted his office to the dismissals. Heinrich has criticized the new NDA and called on the Defense Department to explain what it means for recreators and others. On April 15, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced the transfer of land from the Bureau of Land Management to the military, effectively making the 180-mile border New Mexico shares with Mexico into an extended military base tied to Fort Huachuca in Arizona. Along with increasing Army patrols and empowering the 'military [to] take a more direct role in securing our southern border,' as President Donald Trump said, creating the zone also enabled federal prosecutors to impose misdemeanor charges on those caught in the new National Defense Area. Confusion about where that area falls exists not just among federal agencies tasked with enforcing the NDA, but also among residents who live, work and attend school along the border, including ranchers with BLM cattle leases and dual citizens who cross the border daily. Source NM spent the weekend in the area and talked with residents who described whiplash from a transfer, seemingly overnight, of federal public lands into an extended military base. The land includes parcels of private property surrounded by federal lands; the Diocese of El Paso, which owns nearby pilgrimage site Mount Cristo Rey; and the State of New Mexico, which has miles of trust land. The land also traverses the Continental Divide Trail, and hosts both hikers on multi-state sojourns and hunters hoping to nab a rare Mearns quail, among heartier fare that hide among the creosote dotting the borderlands separating New Mexico from Mexico. Recently, the Defense Department issued a statement telling hikers and hunters they were prohibited from entering the NDA. That incensed Angel Peña, director of Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project, a Las Cruces-based nonprofit that tries to help marginalized communities experience and conserve public lands. 'You're really now affecting livelihoods,' Peña told Source New Mexico during a drive Memorial Day Weekend along the northern edge of the NDA. 'You're affecting dinner on the table. You're affecting recreation. You're affecting the traditional uses of this land that help families make memories and tell stories and grow ever closer.' Between April 15 and May 29, the federal government charged more than 550 people with unauthorized entry into the new National Defense Area, according to a review of federal records. Federal prosecutors dropped charges for three of them based on the errant arrests dropped May 22, per Ellison's filings. According to court records, Ellison's office learned 'on or about May 15' that portions of the border area 'previously understood as encompassed' by the newly created New Mexico National Defense Area 'were not, in fact, transferred to the jurisdiction of the Army.' The dismissed cases come amid ongoing legal challenges, with federal public defenders contesting the charges on a variety of fronts. Two weeks ago, a federal judge dismissed more than 100 charges against the defendants, largely because he was not convinced those arrested knew they were entering a restricted area. The circumstances of the recent dismissals regarding errant arrests are not clear. AUSA spokesperson Tessa Duberry declined to comment on where the defendants were arrested, saying the office can't comment beyond what was filed publicly. She also declined to say how many total cases the office has dismissed on those grounds or would dismiss, saying compiling that information would impose a 'significant burden' on staff. Duberry referred comment about arrests to the Army, which told Source in a statement Friday morning that it would not speculate on charges that are awaiting adjudication,' said Joint Task Force Southern Border spokesperson Jordan Beagle. Beagle also noted that only the Border Patrol makes arrests, though the Army will temporarily detain people to hand over to the Border Patrol. 'The Joint Task Force Southern Border remains laser focused on our mission to achieve 100% operational control of the border, in this case maintaining security within the National Defense Areas,' he said, 'which includes detection, temporary detainment, and apprehension of those who trespass within the National Defense Areas.' The Border Patrol did not respond to a request for comment from Source on Thursday. According to court filings, two of the three people feds dropped charges againt were arrested April 26 about 'four miles east of the Santa Teresa Port of Entry.' Outside of the 60-foot buffer zone along the border, that's roughly a mile from Mount Cristo Rey and other privately owned land. Source's calls to the Diocese this week were not returned. The third arrest occurred April 27, according to court filings, 'about eight miles west of the Santa Teresa Port of Entry.' Federal judge dismisses trespass charges against migrants caught in NM military zone All three criminal complaints note, as part of the justification for charges, that signs were posted in English and Spanish that 'this is a restricted area and that unauthorized entry is prohibited.' The impact of those dismissals on prosecutors' cases remains unclear. Even though prosecutors dismissed the trio's charges for unauthorized NDA entry, each appears to still be held in detention on related misdemeanors, including charges like 'illegal entry by an alien' into the United States, 'illegal entry without inspection' or entering military property, according to court records. Amanda Skinner, assistant federal public defender, declined to comment on how many of her office's clients might have been affected by the dismissals, or whether she is expecting there to be any more. Heinrich, through his spokesperson, said he remains concerned about what the military takeover of the New Mexico border will mean for due process, for citizens and non-citizens alike. 'The Trump Administration is bypassing due process for individuals who either intentionally or unintentionally enter this newly restricted area, including U.S. citizens who may be stopped and detained by U.S. Army soldiers for trespassing on an unmarked military base,' his spokesperson said. One group affected by the NDA — ranchers — has apparently reached a slightly uneasy, informal arrangement with the Army, according to ranchers along the border and the New Mexico Cattlegrowers Association. In the last two weeks, Army and Border Patrol officials have collected the names, photographs, phone numbers, license plates and other details of ranchers who enter the NDA to round up their livestock or check on water tanks, ranchers told Source New Mexico. The collection is an effort, they said, to make sure the Army does not mistake ranchers, who often carry firearms, for those who might be trespassing on a military base. 'Everybody around here in this part of the country is armed,' said Nancy Clopton, a longtime Hachita rancher with 80 square miles of leased pasture in and around the NDA. 'I don't want to be drug out of my pickup and then, you know, 'Oh, she's armed.'' The agreement allows ranchers to drive along access roads and county roads criss-crossing the NDA. Each time, they drive over cattleguards with new signs on either side that begin with, in English and Spanish: 'Restricted Area: This Department of Defense Property has been declared a restricted area by authority of the commander.' About a dozen such signs are posted on cattleguards off Highway 9 between Sunland Park and Hachita, according to Source's count Sunday. Those are the same signs prosecutors use to justify criminal charges against the 550 defendants facing the unauthorized entry charges so far. In response to questions from Source, Luis Soriano, Heinrich's spokesperson, noted that Ellison and Hegseth have both publicly said there will be 'no exceptions' for criminal trespassing in the area, and so Heinrich doesn't consider an 'informal, handshake deal sufficient to ensure the safety' of ranchers, sportsmen, hikers or others. 'For decades, ranchers and hunters alike have been accustomed to carrying firearms on what were their public lands until the transfer to the Department of Defense on April 15th,' Soriano said in a statement. 'That history, combined with the complete lack of clarity from the Administration, is a recipe for a very dangerous situation for our local residents, Army soldiers and Border Patrol agents.' Beagle, with the Army, told Source in a statement to Friday that the army is continuing to work on a formal 'memorandum of understanding' with various groups to 'support the interests of the local community and the military mission within the New Mexico National Defense Area (NDA).' 'The MOU process for commercial and recreational activities, such as hunting, mining, and ranching, is complex,' he said 'and necessitates careful coordination with multiple organizations to ensure that proposed activities do not compromise public safety and border security operations.' Beagle also said the Army would release more information to the community as it becomes available. He also noted the land order that enabled the transfer was 'subject to valid existing rights,' so he said the private 'property owners' with land adjacent to the NDA would not be affected. But he did not immediately respond to a request for comment about how that applies to ranchers who lease, not own, land in the area. Bronson Corn, president of the NM Cattlegrowers Association, defended the arrangement in an interview with Source on Thursday. He disagrees with the idea that ranchers might be skirting the law, saying, albeit informal, the agreement allows ranchers to keep their cattle alive and maintain their leases with the BLM, while also allowing the Army to harden the border. 'They have not had any conflicts with the military when it comes to being able to continue on with their day-to-day operations,' he said. 'There is some concern, there's no doubt about it, that they can't get to certain areas of their ranch due to the fact of that militarized zone.' In addition to concerns about firearms, Clopton said she is concerned an influx of army personnel, potentially from out-of-state, won't be careful to close cattle gates behind them, which is a long-standing gripe she and other ranchers have with the Border Patrol. But she is withholding judgment, for now. 'We'll see how it works out,' she said. 'It depends on the individuals on the ground, those individual soldiers, how they treat us, how we see them. It's an experiment.' Did border patrol or military officials detain or question you inside or outside of the new National Defense area? Reach out to reporter Patrick Lohmann at PLohmann@ or securely via Signal at PLohmann.61.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NM doulas will be eligible for Medicaid reimbursement under new state law
Closeup of a doula assisting a pregnant woman by placing a belly band while she's sitting on a fitness ball, providing support and comfort during pregnancy. () In a step intended to improve maternal and childhood outcomes in New Mexico, doulas will soon be able to enroll as Medicaid providers in the state. The Doula Credentialing Act, passed during the recent legislative session and signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on March 21, goes into effect on July 1. The act requires the Department of Health create a voluntary credentialing process for doulas, which will make the birthworkers eligible to receive Medicaid reimbursement. As defined under the law, doula means 'a trained, nonmedical professional who provides services, including health education, advocacy or physical, emotional or social support, to a person during the pre-conception period, pregnancy, childbirth or the postpartum period to promote positive health outcomes.' HB214 also establishes a Doula Credentialing Advisory Council; requires hospitals and freestanding birth centers to create policies to allow doulas to accompany patients during particular services; and creates a Doula Fund to support the provisions of the bill. New Mexico Doula Association Executive Director Melissa Lopez-Sullivan told Source NM that the health department, the Health and Human Services Department, Medicaid, Managed Care Organizations and community-based organizations are currently all working together to finalize a 'provider toolkit' to help doulas navigate Medicaid processes. Several doulas have certified with NMDOH and some have already contracted with Medicaid Managed Care Organizations,' Lopez-Sullivan told Source in a written statement. 'These are major milestones — because of them, Medicaid beneficiaries in some areas now have access to doula services as a covered benefit, many for the first time.' She added that the doula association and its partners will soon offer 'technical assistance and enrollment support,' as well as 'culturally grounded training,' to further assist doulas in their work in New Mexico communities. Rep. Doreen Gallegos (D-Las Cruces), lead sponsor of HB214, told Source NM that the overall goal with the bill has always been to 'serve a larger number' of patients in the state and that care will start right away in July. 'A doula can help in so many ways,' Gallegos told Source. 'It's hard to sometimes make decisions when you're under that kind of stress and having somebody that's there with you, that can help walk through the process, that maybe is familiar with the doctors at the facility that you're at, or if you're doing a home birth, if things start to go sideways, that you have somebody to consult with.' She added that healthcare access is limited in New Mexico, particularly in the more rural communities, and expanding the reach of doulas will help meet the needs of more pregnant people. 'Sometimes you just have questions and sometimes medical professionals are so busy because they're in such demand right now, that they don't get to answer all those questions,' Gallegos said. 'Or if you have something in the middle of the night that you're not sure about and you have this relationship with this doula, it can really [help].' Lopez Sullivan told Source that the bill formally acknowledges the work doulas, particularly community-based doulas, do in the state and provides a path 'toward economic sustainability.' 'Many doulas have been doing this work—quietly and powerfully—for decades, without compensation or institutional support. This legislation acknowledges their expertise and makes space for them to lead within maternal health systems,' she wrote. 'For patients, especially Black, Indigenous, rural, and LGBTQIA+ families, this law opens new access to care that centers their identities, values, and choices…In a state where Black and Indigenous birthing people face the greatest maternal mortality, HB214 represents a necessary shift toward equity and dignity.' N.M. 'far above the national rate' even as maternal deaths increase across the country According to a 2023 report released by the March of Dimes, a national nonprofit organization that advocates for maternal and baby health, a third of New Mexico counties are described as maternity care deserts, where access to medical care is limited or nonexistent. The report also notes that about 18% of New Mexico women do not live within 30 minutes of a birthing hospital, compared to the national average of 9.7%, and 23.3% of birthing people received little or no prenatal care compared to 14.8% nationally. Gallegos described doula care as a 'wraparound of services' as well, because these providers not only assist patients before a child is born, but after as well, as parents settle into life with a new baby. 'I think that's problematic for New Mexico that we are losing doctors, and so we've got to have an environment that helps keep doctors in New Mexico so they can practice. And we also open it up to different types of holistic type of help that people can choose,' Gallegos said. 'We'd better give people options to what fits their lifestyle and what makes them the most comfortable and making sure that they can make decisions that are best for themselves and for their families.' Maternal death reviews get political as state officials intrude Lopez-Sullivan said she believes HB214 sets a good foundation for care in New Mexico, but the state needs to continue to invest in 'community-rooted care' and providers; ensure the systems HB214 create actually work in favor of doulas; establish long-term support for the doula workforce, including training and fair compensation; and expand midwifery and other community birth options. 'Improving maternal outcomes also means supporting midwives and community birth centers—especially in rural and Indigenous communities. These models offer holistic, accessible, and culturally resonant care that families trust,' Lopez-Sullivan wrote. 'By investing in midwifery and Indigenous-led care, we can further reduce preventable harm and build the systems our communities deserve.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Santa Fe County clerk discusses her bid to be New Mexico's next secretary of state
Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark, a Democrat, is one of two candidates who has announced a campaign for New Mexico Secretary of State. (Courtesy of Katharine Clark) Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark recently announced her 2026 campaign to lead New Mexico's highest election office. The New Mexico Secretary of State oversees elections, enforces ethics rules, keeps the official records for state government and lies third in succession, behind the lieutenant governor and governor. Current Democratic Secretary of State Maggie Tolouse Oliver cannot run for the seat again, having served two consecutive terms. So far, Clark faces Doña Ana County Clerk Amanda López Askin in the June 2, 2026 Democratic primary. Currently, no Republicans have announced a run for the seat. Voters reelected Clark, a Democrat, for her second term in the Santa Fe County Clerk's office in November 2024. She says will remain in her current position and limit campaigning to weekends and evenings. In a call with Source NM, Clark cited the Trump Administration's cuts to federal cybersecurity election protections in her decision to run. She has served on the national committee for election security called Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center since December 2024. 'I am uniquely positioned to make sure we are able to get by and that we have national policy protecting our elections' cybersecurity,' Clark said. 'We really need a secretary of state who's going to make sure we have those protections in place and have the relationships and strategic mindset and proactiveness to get it done.' Trump signs broad elections order requiring proof of citizenship A generally positive report earlier this month from independent, nonpartisan election observers on New Mexico's 2024 general election said requests for for same-day registration overwhelmed the system, and cited one Santa Fe County location where same-day voter registration stopped for 90 minutes. Clark noted that same-day registration delays were statewide and said the county clerk's office worked to restore access and offered provisional ballots, which voters use as a failsafe when their registration status can't be determined. 'We did explain to voters 'here's your options,' and some opted to wait, but others wanted provisional ballots and did those,' she said. The report also notes one location in Santa Fe County, where Observe New Mexico's 'watcher reported that the presiding judge tried to provide provisional ballots to voters experiencing long lines to same-day-register but concluded that the location had not been provided with any means of producing a provisional ballot.' Clark told Source NM those specific provisional ballot findings in the report 'were in dispute,' and attributed the problems at that site to a new presiding judge who did not know all the options for issuing provisional ballots, which she said was rectified by the office later that day. 'The presiding judge, I think, thought it had to be the envelope way and was not utilizing the ballot-on-demand system — something we did explain to them,' she said. Clark said she would bring a mindset of 'radical transparency' to the office and would continue work to innovate elections, pointing to efforts at Santa Fe County to educate people and candidates on the elections process. 'Not only do we want someone who is pro-voter, but I'm making sure I'm strategic and meeting the moment and ensuring that I'm being proactive to prevent misinformation from the beginning,' she said. According to campaign finance documents, Clark entered the race with $14,215.50 on hand, which was transferred from her campaign for Santa Fe county clerk. Clark is listed as 'non compliant' in the Secretary of State's campaign finance system. Clark shared emails with Source NM dating back to May 6, in which secretary of state staff say the issue is 'taken care of,' and noting that Clark is compliant in the system. 'They keep charging me $50 per day, even though my report is compliant,' Clark said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
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From the Roundhouse to the White House: An interview with NM Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in her office on the fourth floor of the state Capitol in May, 2025 (Julia Goldberg/Source NM) New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham still uses coffee left over from Gov. Susana Martinez's administration, which she describes in less-than-flattering terms before offering some at the outset of this interview (we declined). She drank from a mug festooned with the New Mexico flag and noted that her staff had been mocking her all day for wearing metallic pants. Source's extended interview, however, did not touch on fashion—of which we know zilch—but, instead, focused on the governor's executive order deploying the National Guard to Albuquerque to help manage that city's crime problems; threats to New Mexico's Medicaid from the proposed budget recently approved by U.S. House Republicans; and governing during the Trump administration(s). Lujan Grisham began her second term as governor in 2023, and previously served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the state's 1st Congressional District, and as the state's health secretary under former Gov. Bill Richardson. The governor's Chief of Staff Daniel Schlegel and Communications Director Michael Coleman sat in the room during this interview, which has been edited for concision and clarity. Source NM: Your front desk just received a call from someone who wants you to . Are you getting mixed reviews on that? MLG: I don't feel like we've gotten mixed reviews. I do think people are confused about what it is and maybe we can do a better job explaining it. We've previously sent the state police into Albuquerque in a number of ways and strategies, but I'm running out of state police to cover all of that additional work in areas where we've got growing risk. The Guard can do all of these administrative police activities [such as] dispatch. Some of them are a little more frontward facing: driving arrestees if they need medical attention, meeting them at the hospital so they can provide security. They can do security at the shelters, where we've got [the Albuquerque Police Department] and the [Bernalillo County Sheriff's] office doing court security. All of that will be managed and directed by Guardsmen and women who were trained military police already, who were retrained about how APD and how the sheriff's office handles those efforts. And then you have more police on the ground in the areas that need them. All [people are] going to see in a neighborhood is a sheriff's vehicle with deputies and an APD vehicle [and] APD on cycles the way you would normally see that. I don't think people quite understand that a tank and people in uniforms like soldiers are not coming into your neighborhoods under this administration. That's not what we have ever proposed and it's not something I'm interested in. Has your stance on public safety changed during your tenure as governor? The , more than once, that your positions have put you in conflict with some other Democrats. I think maybe because it's become such a lightning rod favorably to Republicans. But remember, I put 50 state police into the International District primarily, but all along that central corridor, in 2019. I have consistently moved them around and, I would argue, made them a little short staffed for the [Interstate 25] corridor, and then that [Interstate 40] intersection, because there are not enough police. [According to the governor's office, the state police currently has 100 vacancies.] We're an interesting state for crime in a number of ways. High poverty states usually have more difficulties. We didn't have any behavioral health [due to the dismantling of behavioral health services during Martinez's administration]. Drug addiction is rampant, though that's being, I think, attenuated. We've got some really good outcomes there, but it's not gone by any stretch of the imagination. And that I-25/ I-40 connection is just not good for stopping crime. It's where it moves. All those trucking stops. It's one of the reasons Albuquerque gets hit so hard. So, I think I've been very consistent. I just have not gotten enough attention. And I think you can hear it in my voice. I think what they're seeing shift is I'm a bit more frustrated about, 'My gosh, how many more victims do we need?' You said at the end of the legislative session you to address crime, juvenile crime in particular. Is that still a possibility? It is still a possibility. We've been meeting with leadership staff. There's more movement to be in a more productive place for a special session. But we're not where we need to be and there's no reason to call them and not have any effort. Plus, I don't want to do three or four or five or six special sessions, as we see what rolls out from the feds, particularly in the next couple of days [this interview took place on May 21, prior to the U.S. House May 22 passage of the GOP budget bill]. And I think there's widespread agreement by the Democratic leadership that we should adjust our priorities and our budgets to reflect whatever we need to do and can do in the short term to protect New Mexicans. Do you have an ideal scenario of how the state would make up Medicaid funding shortfalls? I think that the fact that we've got money in reserves…there are things that we can do. My pitch to the Legislature today—and of course, I haven't seen what's coming, although I have a pretty good idea—is we should try to sustain to the degree that we can for a year. And it's really two [years] between now and when [the 2026 midterm elections] would take hold in Congress, but see if you can stem the closures of rural hospitals and healthcare clinics, and that we don't lose any movement to hold onto OBGYNs, which is precarious. That's my perspective today. It's still a lot of money and we'd have to game it out. It could be as little as $1 billion that we'd have to come up with in healthcare. It could be as much as $3 billion and that's before you get to education and the [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program]. Would the strategy for addressing SNAP cuts be similar to Medicaid? Yes, because you've got $1 billion that we get into the state for SNAP. They're not eradicating it. These are radical cuts. It's a little bit different and I don't think people quite understand the nuance of it, but we could be on the hook for up to $300 million if the cuts, as we know them, were voted on today. I don't think that's going to happen, and I'm going to fight hard to prevent that from happening. I think I might be doing a call shortly to encourage voters of every persuasion all across the country: These cuts will change your communities as you know them, and people will get hurt and they will die. And when we have food prices as high as they are, and with all the tariff complications, then you have your food budget goes not nearly as far. So, we'd have to figure out SNAP. I'm not as worried, believe it or not, about education, but there are education cuts. There are impacts everywhere. We haven't had much success getting anything more than boiler plate out of the Public Education Department as it relates to the to avoid funding cuts. That makes me happy. And the reason it does is: We don't discriminate in New Mexico. We're also a minority-majority state. We think that when they do a blanket search for inclusion or equity or equality, they forget that that's how we define rural investments. So, we've just provided that boilerplate language that we think meets the federal effort at changing what they believe are reverse-discrimination rules. I work hard to not tip the scales against New Mexicans. That department and others are going to respond to the feds as they're required to, but we have been a little vanilla about, 'We don't violate any of those rules right now. Thank you so much for reminding us that there's no discrimination allowed.' But in my mind, what the federal government is after is different, right? They want to discriminate against people who have racial differences, gender differences, sexual orientation differences, religious differences. This is a state that's proud about its inclusion and diversity, but we don't discriminate, and we just have been saying so. And we're going to continue to do that and continue to provide Attorney General [Raúl Torrez] with information that we think is harmful and illegal in the way in which the feds might approach any of these issues and see where they go in the courts. All of this is being tested, as you know, in the courts, and we're doing well in terms of preliminary injunctions. But who knows where it goes? The bigger risk isn't with these executive orders. The bigger risk is Congress's action right now. Do you support against the Trump administration? California or New York, collectively, have thousands of lawyers who can just pay attention to the federal lawsuits. [Torrez] doesn't have that luxury, so he has to be—pardon the pun—judicious, and we certainly understand that. I totally respect that he makes decisions about which places where he's out front more. But we're participating robustly, and I have no doubt that he is identified as one of the leaders. We are one of the states with the most to lose, given our federal footprint here, and he's out there doing it. You're going to see New York and California and Illinois —the bigger states—get a lot of attention. But I know that our AG is robustly engaged, and I'm glad. I need him to be and he is. You have not been particularly outspoken or making public speeches about the Trump administration. Because I don't know what it does. I don't need New Mexicans to be targeted when I may not have all the things I need to protect you adequately. I mean, these people at Homeland Security are terrifying. The abandonment of our constitutional rights and due process is terrifying. Now, I don't want New Mexicans to think that I'm not tough. You know you got to be tough to roll up like a burrito and sneak into the White House. I took on Trump in a very public phone call during [COVID-19], and basically said, 'You are not telling the truth. You never tell the truth, and I will not let you create a situation where New Mexicans aren't protected.' Right after that, we got on as the last tiered state for [Personal Protective Equipment] and COVID vaccines and testing supplies. Now I got that reversed, but what if I hadn't gotten that reversed and we couldn't get any testing kits? That's a big problem, and so I know what the risks are. But Trump [in his first term] was navigating. Trump [in his second term] has people who will do whatever he asks them to do. This is a whole different agenda. They'll have to come through me to get to you, but I'm not going to invite them to drive over here and get into a boxing match, particularly when the courts are doing, I think, fairly well in terms of saying, 'wait a minute, this doesn't seem right. You don't have the authority.' I'm more worried about the cuts than anything. But let's talk about the stuff that we have done. We have really strong privacy laws. They're not getting access to our data. We aren't providing any of that legally protected information and we aren't going to do it. They ask for it all the time. You can expect a whole lot more in the 30-day session. You've seen us really strengthen reproductive laws. We'll probably do a state [Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act] EMTALA statutory protection, [in case] the feds take that away for reproductive health. I don't need New Mexicans to be targeted when I may not have all the things I need to protect you adequately. – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham New Mexico plays an important role in the Trump administration's immigration and deportation agenda, partly because there's a new so-called on the state's border. What is your take on that? I don't like it for the number of risks it introduces to an area that needs more security and support, not more risk. I'm also worried because now I don't have direct access in that militarized zone either. We would do sometimes…well more than 100 humanitarian rescues in that part of the desert. New Mexico is very dangerous to cross, and they will leave you out there, those coyotes, to die. But I'm more worried about [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] [and] anything that begins to interfere with due process, rights and constitutional protections. Believe it or not, I invited any of the feds in Homeland Security: 'You want to go after bad actors through the Organized Crime Commission? I'm in. By the book. By the law. Due process.' No, they're not interested. What they want is for me to authorize or support them in convincing local police, including the state police, to do ICE enforcement and I'm not doing that because I think it's unconstitutional. The Times also about [Michigan Gov.] Gretchen Whitmer and other Democratic governors trying to cultivate some kind of relationship with the Trump administration. Is that what you're doing? I wouldn't call it cultivating a relationship, but part of your job as a governor, you get what you get at the federal level. In the Biden administration, you might imagine that I had some very challenging conversations with [former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack], who kept burning down stuff here without…providing notice or following the rules. In any administration, I have very terse, aggressive stances, conversations, debates and lawsuits against the federal government. I also have great relationships with certain departments on certain issues, and I think you have to do that. I do think, frankly, if you can get in to see the president, you can actually get him to be more reasonable. He likes you to propose a deal. I have asked to meet with the White House recently about a number of issues, not the least of which is, they owe me money for [the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant] for the roads. I need them to be serious about public safety. They rejected what we thought was an easy proposal: If you know where someone is on a felony warrant, let's go, let's do it together. You're involved in a in a big fentanyl drug bust? Let's do it together. I got sort of squarely rejected because their priority is massive deportations. And I said, 'No, thank you.' That's not a deal I'm willing to be engaged in. We had another big issue I was trying to navigate with them…[which was Liquified Natural Gas]. I was just in Japan and Singapore, and we're pitching clean LNG. We reduce the world's carbon footprint if we're using our LNG, and they can't produce geothermal and solar and wind in Japan and Singapore. So, they're going to be using LNG. So, I wanted to talk to the White House about that because they're not pushing the western states [for energy projects]. They're pushing one state, and I'll bet you can guess which one. [Reporter feebly offers incorrect guess] No, Alaska. So, I'm going to Alaska next week because: Don't have a conversation about my energy without me at the table. I couldn't get in to see the president. I got in to see some very nice liaisons. We're working on economic development, on introducing the states [to] green energy [and] to a number of other countries. Some of the best methane detection companies are in Japan, so I want them locating here. You don't need a foe who says, [the energy economy is] only in Alaska. Gretchen and other [Democratic state governors] are doing their jobs. I'm not looking to curry favor with any president. I'm looking to represent New Mexico effectively. I'm not looking to curry favor with any president. I'm looking to represent New Mexico effectively. – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham , many attendees seemed to want a stronger response from Democrats. Some of them wanted Sen. Luján to go on the road with [Vermont Sen.] Bernie Sanders and [New York U.S. Rep.] Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. You've been in politics a long time: Are you critical of how Democrats are handling this current moment? I don't know that I'm critical. For me, the politics here don't solve the fact that I have to figure out how to keep a rural hospital open. I'm going to tell you how I answered a question recently. A person said, I think, that they didn't vote for Trump, but they're Republican —this wasn't in New Mexico —and they said, 'I just can't support this president. What do I tell my kids?' As people were talking about it, somebody else said, 'Well, but there's two sides to Trump.' And they talked about the nice sides. And I said, 'No, there are not two sides.' I have to do my job to get the federal government to apply its resources here…but I'm not going to stand up and support a person who openly lies, is vile and abhorrent and doesn't seem to understand or care that he creates real risk and people are harmed. I respect the office of presidency. I respect the federal government. I respect all the branches, but I can't accept that behavior by any person, and I won't excuse it. So, I get that people are really pissed. I do. That's the word. I'm really pissed about it my own self. These tours, I hope, are aimed more at getting Democrats to realize they have real choices. But in those real choices, be careful that you don't actually create the opposite, which is that we are electing extremists on either side of the political spectrum. Congress can't run like that. It isn't running like that. Congress is broken. And when Congress is broken, you have sweeping changes. You can't govern. You need a little bit of everything. You need a body that can govern and deliver. We have to be very clear about what we need in [the 2026 midterm elections]. We can never allow people who lie to us, who aim to hurt us and punish us, who use the office for retribution, elected into any office ever again. And we need to be open minded. Don't let what you think is the perfect solution be the enemy of good overall. I am going to go to some of these town halls with our delegation because I think people want to know, 'what do you think, and what are you doing?' And I do have an opinion, and I am doing stuff, and I think that could be helpful because people deserve elected leaders to have a conversation about where we find ourselves today. I have to do my job to get the federal government to apply its resources here…but I'm not going to stand up and support a person who openly lies, is vile and abhorrent and doesn't seem to understand or care that he creates real risk and people are harmed. – NM Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Are you sorry you're ending your tenure as governor in this particular federal climate? I am sorry about that, because I don't think the world deserves someone as reckless as the current president. You know, it's very nice to have a president or a president-elect ask you to think about being a cabinet secretary, and to ask you to be thought about as a vice president. That's very flattering, but I think people made assumptions that I was really interested in pushing that, and these two [gestures at Schlegel and Coleman] can tell you unequivocally: I wasn't leaving. I like this job, and I don't feel like I'm done. I feel like I need six more years. And I tease that I lost three with COVID-19 and fires. But I'm also really proud: No state in the nation has our cradle to career system. We did far better economically than anyone thought we could. I've always believed that we could punch above our weight class. I think COVID really stalled out a lot of our educational potential progress [but] I think we're going to get there. What about the Children, Youth and Families Department? CYFD is one of those really hard ones. We need to do more. We have had some missteps. There's no question about that, but nobody wants to work there. And the more that you try to take it over, the less that's the case. We have some ideas that didn't get over the finish line that we can implement anyway, and we're going to do what the Legislature told us to do in a robust and cooperative manner. I wish it was an easier road to hoe. Maybe on a happier note, at CYFD, 200 or 300 foster kids and families were at the residence on Saturday, and a lot of them have suggestions about what we need to do better, which is great, and we're doing it. We are going to do a massive adoption effort and get lots of families all ready to go, and that's really good news and exciting for these families and kids. Your term doesn't end for more than a year and a half, but do you know what you're doing next? I don't quite know. I do want to work, and I think folks are expecting me to look at healthcare some more and look at energy. We really are a powerhouse, and we have the ability to do a lot more transition and green work, not just in the country, but around the world. I'm excited about that. [New Mexico is hosting the Western Governors Association in June] and we're going to have a robust conversation. You cannot power the eastern United States without the western states. We'll make a pitch. New Mexico can do a lot of different things.
