Page 36 - Quick Reads News Today

By Daniel J. Chacón, Santa Fe New Mexican | March 9, 2021 A bill that would allow the state and certain local authorities to enact environmental protections more stringent than federal regulations stalled Monday when Republicans pulled a legislative maneuver that requires every member of the chamber to be physically present in the Roundhouse. “We’re gonna roll over this bill,” said Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe. “At this point, it doesn’t make sense to have us just ...

The big idea Indoor cannabis production is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, and the environmental effects vary significantly depending on where it is being grown, according to our new study. The lights used to grow weed indoors use a lot of electricity, but facilities require a lot of energy to maintain a comfortable environment for the plants. That means air conditioners or heaters to maintain proper temperatures. Producers also pump carbon dioxide inside to increase plant growth. T...

“But a way forward on this issue so many in New Mexico care about,” Romero said. Rep. Linda Serrato, D-Santa Fe, who is the lead sponsor on HB 352, said the private prison population has “skyrocketed” since 2000, even as incarceration rates have declined. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, the numbers of those in local county jails has increased due to more people being arrested for minor crimes and the inability of people to make bail. Rep. Stefani Lord, R-Sandia Park, who vote...

The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted to advance U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland’s nomination to lead the Interior Department. The committee voted 11-9, with Republican Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voting along with Democrats, to send the nomination to the full Senate. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico was among the Democrats who […]

Tensions boiled over on the normally cordial Senate floor Monday after an Albuquerque Democrat used a legislative maneuver to stall a bill he opposes. Sen. Jacob Candelaria said his move prompted the typically mild-mannered majority leader Peter Wirth to drop an F-bomb. Wirth, a Santa Fe Democrat known for his easygoing demeanor, confronted Candelaria at […]

February 28, 2021 Legislation to reform hunting regulations and wildlife management in New Mexico stalled in the Senate Conservation Committee on Saturday. Senate Bill 312 appears doomed for this session after members tied 4-4 on a vote to reconsider debate and vote on the legislation in the absence of Sen. Joe Cervantes, a Las Cruces Democrat who serves on the committee.  A vote earlier in the week also resulted in a tie. “Right now it just seems like there is a stalemate in the committee,�...

pixabay The streak of days with 500 or fewer newly reported cases of COVID-19 was ended on Friday after nearly two weeks, when the state reported 659 new cases, along with 14 additional deaths. The new increase of cases came largely with 209 new cases in Bernalillo County and 191 at the Lea County Correctional Facility. Doña Ana County, with 58, was the only other county with even 30 newly reported cases. DOH has now found 184,736 cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic and repor...

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and state health official will held a press conference on Thursday to discuss COVID-19 efforts including on vaccinations and newly announced eased restrictions. Watch the full press conference below, via the governor’s Facebook page.

Pixabay A bill that would enable communities to subscribe to solar electricity without needing to install solar panels on their homes passed the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee Thursday. The bill would direct the Public Regulation Commission (PRC) to develop and adopt rules to implement a community solar program in the state.  Community solar refers to “large, local solar arrays” that are “shared by individual community members who receive credits on their electricity b...

By Robert Nott, Santa Fe New Mexican | February 24, 2021 Some three weeks after its introduction, a bill encompassing sweeping police reforms cleared its first committee hearing — but only after the sponsor made considerable changes.  Members of the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee voted 4-3 Wednesday to move Senate Bill 227 to the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Among other measures, the bill would restrict police officers’ use of physical force and require them to intercede and...