in the news

Federal lawmakers say they’ve killed a plan by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to shutter four VA clinics in New Mexico. The Gallup, Las Vegas, Raton and Española clinics would have been closed under recommendations released in March. A 2018 law passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump requires VA plans to go to...

Albuquerque — Sometimes, the underdogs win. Monday was one of those days. Thought to be on the chopping block for months after a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs commission called for their closure, veterans health clinics in Española; Raton; Las Vegas, N.M.; and Gallup have been saved. In what U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich called a...

ALBUQUERQUE — Sometimes, the underdogs win — and Monday was one of those days. Thought to be on the chopping block for months after a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs commission called for their closure, veterans health clinics in Española; Raton; Las Vegas, N.M.; and Gallup have been saved. In what Sen. Martin Heinrich called...

Taking care of two children alone – and during the COVID-19 pandemic, no less – is no small task. That’s why Melissa Martinez, a single mother of a 3-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter, says more support for early childhood education is important. “It’s very hard to raise children alone. It takes a village, it...

Four Veterans Affairs clinics in rural New Mexico are no longer at risk of closing, which would have forced veterans to travel hundreds of miles to seek care. The Department of Veterans Affairs had recommended that VA community-based outpatient clinics in Las Vegas, Raton, Española and Gallup be closed, in part, because of a decline in...

The local Veteran Affairs clinic is no longer in danger of being shut down, New Mexico’s U.S. Senators announced Monday afternoon. The Department of Veterans Affairs in March recommended the closure of 174 VA clinics across all 50 states, including four in New Mexico – in Las Vegas, Española, Gallup and Raton. If the...

An effort led by New Mexico’s senior U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich to unlock federal funding to help recover endangered species in the state and across the country passed the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday and now awaits a vote on the Senate Floor. After passing both chambers of Congress, the Restoring America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA)...

Compromise can be unpopular, but in a country where political differences are deep and often bitter, it is necessary. That’s why the announcement of a bipartisan agreement on federal legislation to pass gun safety laws is welcome. And yet, at the same time, it is unsatisfactory. On Sunday, the group of 10 Republican and 10 Democratic senators...

Support for states to enforce crisis intervention orders, an enhanced review process for gun buyers under 21 and funding for school safety measures are some of the provisions included in a compromise on gun-control measures reached between Democratic and Republican senators. The proposals were ironed out in negotiations that included Sen. Martin...

New Mexico's senior U.S. Senator, Martin Heinrich, praised a bipartisan agreement on new gun safety legislation during a news conference Monday afternoon, presenting the compromise as a crucial first step toward reducing gun violence in America. Heinrich was among 10 Democrats who reached a deal with 10 Republicans in the Senate on a package he...

During this graduation season, I am proud to recognize all the students in New Mexico, and their families, who have worked so hard to earn their diplomas. The financial rewards of finishing college are well documented. On average, students who complete a bachelor’s degree earn a million more dollars over the course of their lifetimes than...

Solar power in New Mexico continued to grow this year, supported by public and state policy seeking to diversify energy production throughout the state while addressing concerns for pollution. A Tuesday report from the Solar Energy Industries Association for the second quarter of 2022, showed New Mexico rising to 21st in the nation for solar power...

Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., told local reporters last week that even though Democrats won’t be able to get their wish list on gun control legislation in the wake of several recent and horrific mass shootings, they may be able to find common ground with Republicans on some issues. Heinrich is part of a bipartisan group of senators who have...

A bipartisan agreement has been announced in Congress that will deliver health care benefits to veterans exposed to dangerous toxins while in service of their country. The agreement was announced Tuesday in Washington. The bill is named the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our PACT Act of 2022. It’s named in honor of a veteran who...

The White House announced Monday morning that no new tariffs will be imposed on solar imports for at least two years, bringing immediate relief to solar developers in New Mexico and elsewhere. Domestic industry was thrown into crisis in April, after the U.S. Commerce Department began investigating solar manufacturing operations in some Asian...

LAS CRUCES - New Mexico’s ZiaMet MesoNet Weather Monitoring Network will be expanding significantly over the next year as $1.8 million in federal funds have recently been appropriated toward the effort. U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) was in Las Cruces Thursday at the Fabian Garcia Research Center following his support of the Fiscal Year...

A planned $15 million upgrade will allow a Forest Service facility at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque to serve the largest tanker aircraft used to fight U.S. wildfires. The larger tankers can hold about 5000 gallons of retardant, about three times as much as the aircraft that currently use the Cibola National Forest Air Tanker Base at...

LAS CRUCES - Tucked into a closet-sized room deep inside the Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office is one expensive piece of technology. With a new appropriation from the federal government, the sheriff said Thursday that the technology is now ready for action. The machine, just bigger than a shoebox, is a rapid DNA testing device. The product is...

Bigger air tankers could become a more regular tool in the fight against New Mexico wildfires. The Cibola National Forest Air Tanker Base, located on Kirtland Air Force Base, is to receive $15.5 million for upgrades so the base can serve Very Large Air Tankers, or VLATS. That type of aircraft can hold about 9,000 gallons of fire retardant, about...

Engineering company BlueHalo has been awarded a $1.4 billion government contract from the U.S. Space Force for the satellite communication augmentation resource (SCAR) program. According to the Space Force, the SCAR program "will address the critical U.S. Space Command requirement to rapidly, responsively and affordably augment satellite control...