Page 8 - Peter Wirth News Today

New Mexico Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend. Wirth is currently self-isolating at home per state and CDC COVID-19 guidelines. Wirth may continue participating in the legislative floor sessions and committee meetings remotely, per senate rules. “Thankfully, I am experiencing only mild symptoms after being fully vaccinated […]

A bill prohibiting firearms at polling places passed the Senate and now heads to the House for consideration. SB 44 was passed on a 28-9 vote Wednesday. “(SB 44) prohibits the carrying of a firearm within 100 feet of a polling place during an election, with an exception for peace officers,” bill co-sponsor Sen. Peter […]

The state Senate passed a bill on a 33-7 vote on Tuesday that would create a dedicated funding stream for land, water and cultural conservation projects. SB 6, sponsored by Sen. Steve Neville, R-Farmington, and Sen. Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, received bipartisan support. It would create the Conservation Legacy Permanent Fund as well as the […]

From the Editorial Board: A University of New Mexico study cautions professional legislatures produce election advantages for incumbents, greater focus on reelection than legislation, more expensive campaigns and partisan voting

By Daniel J. Chacón, The Santa Fe New Mexican Paper or plastic? Not if Sen. Jeff Steinborn has his way. The Las Cruces Democrat is pushing a proposal that would prohibit grocery and liquor stores, restaurants, pharmacies and other retail establishments across New Mexico from providing their customers single-use plastic bags. Steinborn described his proposed […]

The Senate passed two bills on Thursday related to the environment. The first bill would ban prescribed burning during red flag conditions and the second would enable small mutual domestic water systems to come together to form regional water authorities without needing separate legislation for each partnership. Both bills now head to the House of […]

A bill that originally would’ve banned prescribed burns in the spring has morphed into legislation that would prohibit planned fires anytime the National Weather Service puts out a warning that extreme weather conditions could lead to risky fire danger.

A bill intended to make it easier for water utilities to create regional entities heads to the Senate floor after passing the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday. SB 1 is intended to increase water resiliency within New Mexico by helping small water systems reach economies of scale that will allow them to address issues with […]

A bill that would provide rebates to tax filers in 2023 passed its first Senate committee on a 10-0 vote on Thursday. SB 10, Additional 2021 Tax Rebates, faced no opposition in the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee from the public or in committee vote. State Sen. Benny Shendo Jr., D-Jemez Pueblo, is the […]

A bill that would appropriate $25 million for the state to acquire water rights to help meet interstate compact and endangered species requirements passed the Senate Conservation Committee on an 8-0 vote on Thursday. This comes after last year’s allocation of $15 million to the state strategic water reserve was fully spent, Sen. Liz Stefanics, […]