New Mexico governor lifts state's indoor mask mandate - Associated Press
Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham lifted the state's mask mandate for indoor public spaces on Thursday.
She made the surprise announcement at a news conference that followed the end of the 30-day legislative session.
Until now, New Mexico and Hawaii had been the only states that had yet to set a date for lifting their mandates. Washington's governor was expected to announce a date on when the indoor mandate would lift later Thursday.
As in other states, coronavirus infections in New Mexico have been declining.
The governor cited reduced COVID-19 risk and removed her mask.
Most of the Democratic governor's allies and cabinet members also took off their masks following the announcement, including Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. David Scrase.
Scrase said later that masks would still be required at hospitals and congregate care settings such as nursing homes.
In August, the governor reinstated New Mexico's mask mandate. At the time, she cited stagnant vaccination rates and an increase in infections. She also required more people to get vaccinated, including workers at hospitals, nursing homes and other places that the state deemed as high-risk.
It wasn't immediately clear if Lujan Grisham planned any other changes to the state's current public health order, which will expire in early March.
The governor, who is up for reelection in November, had been facing increasing pressure to reconsider the mask mandate for public spaces after several more states moved to lift their requirements earlier this month.
State Sen. David Gallegos, a Republican from southeastern New Mexico, was among those leading the charge against the mandate. In early February, he sent a letter to education officials saying New Mexico was one of the last holdouts to "accept the widespread conclusion" that there was little data to support the continued use of masks in schools.
"As a state, we must begin our transition to normalcy now, beginning with our kids who are most resilient to the virus and most impacted by masking and lockdowns," he wrote.
Whitney Holland, president of the American Federation of Teachers New Mexico, said Thursday that individual school districts will have the choice whether to maintain masking. She said the union has always maintained the best decision making happens at the local level.
"We see today's announcement as a sign of progress in our shared fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and we will continue our efforts to empower our members to make the decisions which are best for themselves, their students, and our communities," Holland said.
New Mexico lawmakers OK crime bill, $500M in tax rebates - By Morgan Lee And Cedar Attanasio Associated Press
New Mexico legislators approved about $500 million in tax rebates and a broad suite of crime-fighting initiatives Thursday at the end of the 30-day legislative session — as the state grapples with the economic whiplash of the coronavirus pandemic and concerns about the violent crime surge in Albuquerque and beyond.
Final votes responded to calls by Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for economic relief and a hardline response to frustrations with crime as she campaigns for reelection in November. The state House worked through the night and into daylight before adjourning at noon.
New Mexico state government is awash in cash linked to a surge in oil production and an infusion of federal pandemic funding, allowing lawmakers to provide individual income tax rebates of $250 — and more for parents. State legislators also approved unprecedented new investments in public schools, Medicaid, public safety initiatives and an array of grants, loans and tax breaks to private industry.
The Democratic-led Legislature on Wednesday approved a record-setting $1 billion annual budget increase that provides for $8.48 billion in general fund spending during the fiscal year starting on July 1 — a 14% increase over current-year spending. Lujan Grisham supports major provisions and can veto any part of the spending plan.
Salary increases of at least 7% are scheduled for school district and state government staff across the state, with a minimum hourly wage of $15 for public employees and higher base salaries for teachers.
Annual spending on K-12 public education would increase to $3.87 billion, a 12% boost. Annual Medicaid spending would increase by about $240 million to $1.3 billion as the federal government winds down pandemic-related subsidies to the program that gives free health care to the impoverished.
Legislators assembled the crime bill amid a record-setting spate of homicides in Albuquerque.
It would expand surveillance of criminal defendants as they await trial with 24-hour monitoring of ankle-bracelet tracking devices. Legislators balked at proposals from the governor and prosecutors to ban pretrial release for people accused of certain violent and sexual crimes.
Democratic Sen. Joseph Cervantes of Las Cruces said the bill should have quick and long-lasting effects on policing and crime rates.
"When we add ankle-bracelet monitoring 24-hours, seven days a week statewide — those are going to have immediate effects," he said. "The long-term perspective is (that) violence prevention grants, law enforcement training, law enforcement retention — those are going to take a great deal of time."
The crime bill would expand the ranks of state district judges, boost retention pay for municipal police and sheriff's deputies and bestow million-dollar death benefits for relatives of police killed in the line of duty.
It sets out requirements for crime reduction grants that pursue alternatives to traditional prosecution and incarceration and expands intervention programs to rein in gun violence.
Police would receive more training to cope with stress, interactions with the homeless and techniques for de-escalating confrontations involving police. And the legislation would revamps oversight of police misconduct investigations.
Criminal penalties are enhanced for threatening judges, possession of firearms by serious violent felons, brandishing a weapon in the commission of an illegal drug transaction and aggravated fleeing from law enforcement under certain circumstances.
Separately, initiatives to expand voting access were thwarted by Republicans in the legislative minority who used procedural maneuvers to block a crucial Senate floor debate. Republicans said many of the changes would have undermined precautions against election cheating and public confidence in election results.
The governor, secretary of state and leading legislators pushed to expand ballot access as a counterpoint to new voting restrictions in Republican-led states since the 2020 election.
The failed legislation would have expanded access to mail-in ballots, declared Election Day as a state holiday with same-day voter registration and offered registration to convicted felons as they exit prison.
At least 19 states have enacted new voting restrictions, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. The national GOP campaign to tighten voting laws has been partly driven by former President Donald Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
Republican and Democratic legislators came together to approve tax rebates of $250 for individuals who filed taxes or $500 for joint filers and an additional credit or rebate to parents of up to $175 per child.
That initiative also would eliminate state taxes on Social Security income for middle-income earners. Individuals earning more than $100,000 or joint filers earning more than $150,000 would continue to pay taxes on income from Social Security.
The tax relief bill also would give $1,000 credits to full-time local hospital nurses for the 2022 tax year and slightly reduce the state gross receipts tax on retail sales and business services in two stages to about 4.9%. Combined state and optional local gross receipts taxes can reach a combined rate of nearly 9%.
House Speaker Brian Egolf, a Santa Fe Democrat, also announced at the end of the session that he would not be seeking reelection.
"I realize that almost everything I'd ever hoped to achieve in this office has been accomplished," Egolf said. "We have absolutely put the people in New Mexico first and made our state a better place for everyone."
Solar project delays create hurdles for New Mexico utility - By Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press
A utility in sun-drenched New Mexico is struggling to get enough solar-generated electricity as it prepares to shut down a coal-fired power plant amid supply chain disruptions, one of the problems threatening to delay or cancel projects around the world as pressure mounts to reduce carbon emissions and tackle climate change.
New Mexico law requires publicly owned utilities and cooperatives to roll into their portfolios more renewable sources and eliminate carbon emissions over the next two decades.
As part of that push, the San Juan Generating Station — a coal-fired power plant that has produced electricity for millions of customers in the Southwest for decades — was slated to close in June.
Public Service Co. of New Mexico initially proposed replacing the lost capacity with a mix of natural gas, solar and battery storage. The Public Regulation Commission instead opted for solar and storage to make up some of the difference after environmentalists pushed back on gas.
But utility executives have acknowledged bumps in the renewable energy road, citing a perfect storm of regulatory challenges, lengthier periods of unseasonably hot weather that affect demand and the supply chain issues.
Soaring material and shipping costs are being felt across a wide range of industries. When it comes to worldwide utility-scale solar projects planned for 2022, analysts with the independent research company Rystad Energy predicted in the fall that 56% of projects risked delay or cancelation due to the factors.
In New Mexico, utility executives on Thursday submitted a plan to state regulators aimed at ensuring adequate supplies to avoid rolling blackouts during peak demands this summer. One unit of the coal-fired plant would keep running through September.
The utility says state regulators would need to sign off within weeks to have enough coal to feed the plant for an extra three months.
After that? The ability to fill the gap left by taking more around-the-clock generation offline before renewable sources are ready remains uncertain.
Even if inflation eases, the Washington, D.C.-based Solar Energy Industries Association has said longer term solutions are needed. That would include diversifying the supply chain by expanding domestic manufacturing.
The New Mexico utility also is on the hook for finding enough renewable power to replace what will be lost starting in 2023 and again in 2024 when its leases for electricity from the Palo Verde nuclear plant in Arizona expire. Regulators have approved more solar and storage in that case as well.
PNM President and CEO Pat Vincent-Collawn said in a statement to The Associated Press that the utility has a responsibility to balance reliability, cost and the environment.
"This solution may impact the timing of our plans to close the San Juan plant, but it does not change our direction and goals for delivering clean energy to New Mexicans, and it keeps our commitments to provide a financially backed just transition," she said.
Bringing more renewable energy projects online fast is the immediate challenge in New Mexico and other states, including California, where officials who run the state's main power grid have urged regulators to order utilities to significantly boost capacity over the next few years to ensure there's enough electricity to meet demands.
Blackouts in August 2020 were the first in nearly 20 years because of an energy shortage, putting California's quest to have 100% of its energy come from renewable sources under more scrutiny. The electrical grid has seen some storage and transmission upgrades since then, but officials were still forced to call for voluntary energy conservation last summer.
In New Mexico, concerns first were raised in 2021 when it became clear that developers working on the solar and battery projects meant to replace the San Juan plant were defaulting. PNM said it analyzed numerous options and spent months securing firm electricity supplies from other utilities to help meet summer demands.
The other key is the continued operation of one unit at San Juan. Utility executives say the one-time temporary extension will keep the system reliable and helps control customer costs.
Without that option, PNM would have a negative 3.4% reserve margin. The historical reserve margin is 13%.
Having a healthy reserve is more important now with demands fluctuating amid extreme weather from climate change, the utility said.
Environmentalists also are acknowledging that keeping San Juan running through September may be necessary, but they stressed that the long-term solution needs to be ending the state's reliance on coal and gas plants and passing more legislation to address climate change.
Tom Fallgren, PNM vice president of generation, said New Mexico's energy transition law adopted in 2019 made for good policy and provided a clear direction for the state. However, he said reliability and cost issues arise when people try to push too fast.
"That has the opportunity to derail the whole path to carbon-free," he said. "Our caution when that bill was passed was 'Yes, we're all moving in the same direction, but let's do it responsibly so we all stay moving in the same direction.' And again, that voice has not been heard."
New Mexico social studies rule adds personal finance to K-12 - By Cedar Attanasio Associated Press / Report For America
The New Mexico Public Education Department has issued a final rule structuring the K-12 social studies curriculum, adding personal finance following a letter-writing campaign.
The new rule announced Wednesday will overhaul standards for history, economics and civics classes in New Mexico's public schools. The changes follow a 17-month process in which state officials considered drafts written by school teachers and public comments.
The revised, final standards preserve terms like "privilege or systemic inequity" and a focus on race and ethnicity that opponents equated to "critical race theory." Supporters of the new standards say they better represent New Mexico's diversity and will be more engaging to more students.
In a twist, the standards created new sections dedicated to personal finance after an education policy think tank got hundreds of people to write in support of the idea.
Spearheading the effort was Abenicio Baldonado, the education reform director for Think New Mexico. He called the changes "an important first step to tackling intergenerational poverty."
Local school districts are required to implement the new social studies standards starting in fall of 2023, though some will begin this year. The districts have broad authority over how lessons are structured and what books and educational materials are used.
Appeals court: Cowboys for Trump is a political committee - By Morgan Lee Associated Press
A federal appeals court has turned away a constitutional challenge by the support group Cowboys for Trump and co-founder Couy Griffin to New Mexico election laws and registration requirements for political groups.
In a written order obtained Wednesday, the Denver-based U.S. 10th District Court of Appeals declined to reverse a lower court ruling that upheld state registration requirements for Cowboys for Trump as a political organization.
Griffin, a Republican County commissioner from Tularosa in southern New Mexico, sued New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver in 2020 in response to mounting pressure on Cowboys for Trump to register as a political committee in New Mexico, and Griffin's concerns that might lead to other disclosure requirements about contributions and spending.
Chief Judge Timothy Tymkovich of the 10th Circuit cited several shortcomings in Griffin's legal appeal, while declining to reverse the lower court's dismissal.
Contacted Wednesday, Griffin said the latest court decision was unfair and that he is discussing how to respond with his attorney Sidney Powell, a former lawyer to the Trump reelection campaign.
"It's a tough decision and an unfair decision because all I've tried doing is supporting Trump and standing up for our freedoms," Griffin said in a text message.
The secretary of state's office prevailed in a June 2020 arbitration decision that ordered Cowboys for Trump to register, file expenditure and contribution reports and pay a fine of $7,800.
Griffin forged a group of rodeo acquaintances in 2019 into the promotional group called Cowboys for Trump that staged horseback parades to spread President Donald Trump's conservative message about gun rights, immigration controls and abortion restrictions.
Separately, Griffin is confronting misdemeanor criminal charges in the Jan. 6. insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, where he appeared on an outdoor terrace and tried to lead the crowd in prayer.
Griffin denies allegations that he knowingly entering barricaded areas of the Capitol grounds with the intent of disrupting government as Congress considered the 2020 Electoral College results, though he has openly ascribed to unsubstantiated claims of fraud in the 2020 election.
New Mexico regulators approve plan to replace nuclear power -Associated Press
New Mexico regulators on Wednesday approved a plan that calls for new solar generation to replace the capacity that will be lost when Public Service Co. of New Mexico stops buying electricity from the Palo Verde nuclear plant in Arizona.
The utility will lose 114 megawatts after its Palo Verde leases expire — one in 2023 and the other in 2024. Under the plan, PNM will develop more solar energy with backup battery storage.
A proposal was filed with the Public Regulation Commission last April to prepare for the transition, but it took months for the regulatory panel to sign off despite requests by the utility for expedited consideration.
Utility officials said that due to the delay, some of the contracts to build the solar facilities will have to be renegotiated with independent energy developers. It also means the solar power won't be available in time to help with peak summer demands in 2023.
PNM has cited the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on supply chains, noting that developers are having difficulty constructing projects and delivering replacement power on time.
Similar delays are happening with solar and battery projects meant to replace some of the lost capacity that will come from the upcoming closure of the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station in northwestern New Mexico.
PNM is expected to submit its plan this week for meeting demands during peak summer months, saying a quick decision by regulators is imperative.
The commission contends it followed regulatory rules and timelines for evaluating the Palo Verde case.
Hearing examiner Cristopher Ryan said the process was time-consuming due to the complexity of replacing firm, around-the-clock nuclear power with intermittent solar energy. Some parties also questioned the adequacy of the utility's bidding process.
New Mexico legislators approve $1B state spending increase - By Morgan Lee And Cedar Attanasio Associated Press
New Mexico's Legislature approved a record-setting $1 billion annual budget increase Wednesday to bolster spending on public schools, Medicaid, public safety initiatives and an array of grants, loans and tax breaks to private industry.
The Senate approved the bill by voice vote with no indication of opposition to endorse a roughly $8.48 billion general fund spending plan for the fiscal year starting on July 1 — a 14% increase over current-year spending.
The spending plan now moves to the desk of Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who supports major provisions and can veto any part of the spending plan.
Separately, the state Senate advanced a half-billion package of tax rebates, cuts and credits to a decisive House floor debate, along with package of crime-fighting initiatives. The Legislature has until noon Thursday to approve legislation before adjourning.
The budget builds on a windfall in state government income from surging oil production and federal pandemic aid.
Salary increases of at least 7% are slated for school district and state government staff across the state, with a minimum hourly wage of $15 for public employees and higher base salaries for teachers.
Annual spending on K-12 public education would increase by $425 million to $3.87 billion, a 12% boost. Annual Medicaid spending would increase by roughly $240 million to $1.3 billion as the federal government winds down pandemic-related subsidies to the program that gives free health care to the impoverished.
In a state with high rates of poverty, the proposal extends free college tuition to most New Mexico residents pursuing two- and four-year degrees, and it fully funds home-based care for thousands of people who have had severe disabilities since childhood.
Amid a record-setting spate of homicides in Albuquerque, the budget would underwrite new intervention programs aimed at curbing gun violence and boost salaries for state police by nearly 16% — with even higher increases for judges.
Legislators extended pregnancy-related Medicaid coverage for a year after births, up from two months, by spending $14 million. Most births in New Mexico are covered by Medicaid.
The budget bill funds an initiative from the governor to establish a training academy for the film industry run by a consortium of existing state colleges and universities. It also provides $650,000 to found a climate change bureau as the state expands the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.
Senate lawmakers endorsed a tax relief package Thursday on a 39-0 vote that would offer a personal income tax rebate of $250 for individuals or $500 for joint filers, at a cost of more than $300 million.
Democratic state Rep. Christine Chandler of Los Alamos, a proponent of modest tax relief, warned that those rebates could contribute to inflationary trends.
"This amount ... pumped into the economy at this point in time could easily add to the inflationary trends that we are in right now, in one fell swoop," she told a lead Senate budget committee.
The tax relief package would slightly reduce gross receipts taxes on sales and services, eliminate taxes on Social Security income for individuals earning $100,000 or less, and provide a per-child tax credit of up to $175 to parents.
A package of crime-fighting initiatives received Senate approval late Wednesday night on a 41-0 vote, sending the bill to the House for consideration.
The initiative includes efforts to expand police training and oversight, with funding for alternatives to traditional prosecution and incarceration. New Mexico would overhaul police training and oversight, hire more state district judges, and enhance criminal penalties for threatening a judge and for certain felons in possession of a firearm.
Legislators have balked at proposals to ban pretrial release for people accused of some serious crimes. The crime bill instead expands surveillance of criminal defendants as they await trial, with 24-hour monitoring of ankle-bracelet tracking devices.
On teacher pay, legislators approved a measure to allow Indigenous language teachers to be paid at the same rate as their peers, even if they don't have an undergraduate degree. Bills sent to the governor earlier this week would increase teacher pay between 7% and 22%. For Native American language teachers paid as teaching assistants in many districts, their salaries could triple.
Lujan Grisham is expected to sign all of the teacher pay measures.
House members also gave final approval in a 51-17 vote to send a free college bill to the governor. It would allocate $75 million to the "opportunity scholarship" program, providing free tuition and fees for New Mexico residents.
Unlike the existing lottery scholarship, it would be open to adults long after high school graduation and could be used for part-time course loads.
In consumer protection efforts, legislators sent a bill to governor's desk Wednesday that caps annual interest rates on storefront loans at 36%, down from 175%.
In a concession to profitability, a fee of 5% can be charged on loans of up to $500, and the maximum size of an installment loan is doubled to $10,000.
Marijuana bill spurs water rights debate in arid New Mexico
Hispanic farmers and rural residents in New Mexico are concerned legislation that would allow small cannabis producers to significantly boost their plant counts lacks a provision to ensure the producers have valid water rights.
An organization that represents traditional irrigation systems across the state, Latino and Native American agriculture groups and environmentalists are calling on lawmakers to restore what they say is critical language aimed at protecting limited water resources.
A House committee is scheduled to consider the bill Wednesday. The push comes in the waning hours of the legislative session that ends at midday Thursday.
The arid state already is struggling to meet its water demands. Experts have warned lawmakers throughout the session that supplies are expected to dwindle even more in the coming years as drought and warmer temperatures linked to climate change persist across the West.
Supporters of the legislation have described the water rights requirement as "red tape" that is keeping micro businesses from entering the recreational marijuana industry.
However, critics worry that without the requirement, the illegal use of water could go unchecked as the industry takes off in New Mexico. They point to problems elsewhere, including California where water theft by illegal marijuana growers has helped to suck dry local aquifers, leaving legitimate users without water.
Paula Garcia, head of the New Mexico Acequia Association, said it's a matter of equity. She said Native American and senior water rights holders in New Mexico are from historically underserved and marginalized communities and they stand to be put at greater risk of having their rights impaired.
"New Mexico is now in an era of long-term aridification, where we need more careful stewardship of our limited water resources and cultural integrity," she said in a letter sent Tuesday to members of the House. "By removing the water protections, rural entities — such as mutual domestics and acequias who are entrusted with managing water at the local level — will bear the burden of enforcement. This would put our precious water resources at risk."
The water rights requirement had been a key component of last year's debate in New Mexico to legalize the production, sale and use of recreational cannabis for adults. Retail sales are scheduled to begin April 1.
Over the last five months, state water officials have reviewed around 40 cannabis business proposals for verification of water rights. Fewer than 15% of the proposals had valid water rights configured correctly for the intended use.
Under the legislation, a license could be revoked if the grower uses water to which they do not have a legal right. The Office of the State Engineer also would be required to develop a guide regarding water rights and the legal use of water.
Critics have argued that due diligence should be done before a license is granted, not after someone is found to be illegally using water.
State water managers also have noted that increasing production limits from no more than 200 total mature cannabis plants to 1,000 plants at any one time could increase a producer's consumptive water use by fivefold.
Farmers and others have suggested that New Mexico collect at least two years of data on water use by the industry before legislators propose any changes to the water protection requirements within the cannabis act.
National Guard deploys for new emergency: Teacher shortages - By Cedar Attanasio Associated Press / Report For America
On past deployments Army National Guard Spc. Michael Stockwell surveilled a desolate section of the U.S.-Mexico border during a migrant surge, and guarded a ring of checkpoints and fences around New Mexico's state Capitol after the January 2021 insurrection in Washington.
On his current mission, Stockwell helps students with assignments as a substitute science teacher at Alamogordo High School.
"You can't act Army with these kids. You can't speak the same way you would with another soldier with these kids. You can't treat them the same way. You have to be careful with corrective actions," he said with a laugh.
Dozens of National Guard Army and Air Force troops in New Mexico have been stepping in for an emergency unlike others they have responded to before: the shortage of teachers and school staff members that has tested the ability of schools nationwide to continue operating during the coronavirus pandemic.
While many other states and school districts issued pleas for substitute teachers amid omicron-driven surges in infections, New Mexico has been alone in calling out its National Guard members. In 36 of the state's 89 school districts, guard members have traded in mission briefs for lesson plans to work for school systems.
When Stockwell first walked into the freshman science class, wearing camouflage fatigues and combat boots, some students thought he was just visiting, like a recruiter. Then he took a seat in the teacher's chair.
"When he started taking attendance, I was like, 'whoa,'" said Lilli Terrazas, 15, of Alamogordo. "I was kind of nervous because, like, you know — a man in a uniform. But it was cool. He helped me."
Roughly 80 service members have volunteered to work in schools. The troops have gone through background checks and taken brief courses required for substitute teachers. As substitutes, they don't have to learn much about curriculum, but they need to be attentive to students.
Stockwell has been filling in since late January when his students' teacher moved to an administrative role in another school. One recent day, he shuffled through the rows of school desks, kneeling to meet students’ eye-to-eye as he helped them with assignments calculating the depth of the earth's crust, and other layers of the planet.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, called out the guard to help with the acute shortages in a state that like several others has struggled to find enough educators. At least 100 schools had reported closing down for at least one day this school year.
New Mexico saw a surge of teacher retirements last fall, and there are currently around 1,000 open teaching positions in a state with about 20,000 teachers. Grisham stressed the guard deployment is a temporary measure and state officials are working to bolster the teaching force and school staff through increased pay and other strategies.
In Alamogordo, the teacher shortage peaked on Jan. 13, when 30 teachers, about a third of the teaching staff, were out due to illness, professional training, or family emergencies.
"Everybody was enjoying their holiday and things like that, and then they came back and were sick," said Raeh Burns, one of two Alamogordo High School secretaries tasked with filling teaching slots each morning. "I know I'm going to have Mr. Stockwell every morning and that he's OK to go where I need him to go."
In some communities, there have been concerns raised about soldiers going into classrooms. In Santa Fe, the school district was asked if soldiers would wear uniforms and carry guns, school district spokesperson Cody Dynarski said. Guns were always out of the question. The district decided that soldiers would wear civilian clothing.
Ultimately, Santa Fe and Albuquerque, two of the largest urban school districts, did not receive any soldiers despite their requests as the deployments have prioritized smaller and more rural school districts.
Elsewhere, when given the choice, some soldiers have opted for military fatigues over civilian clothes to command respect in the classroom, particularly if they're not much older than their students.
"I think I look like an 18-year-old out of uniform," said Cassandra Sierra, 22, of Roswell, N.M., who has served as a substitute teacher in a high school in Hobbs.
Sierra already works with kids in her day job as a student coordinator at a military boarding school in Roswell, which has given her an edge as a substitute.
"Kids just need patience," she said. "I think I just have a lot of patience."
At a middle school on Alamogordo's Holloman Air Force Base, students are used to seeing people in uniform, but not in classrooms.
"I was like, 'Oh, we have somebody in the uniform that's going to teach us. That's kinda awkward.' It was weird," said Andrew George, 12, of his computer classes led by a woman trained in combat and with experience leading a platoon overseas. "Once she introduced herself I was like 'Oh yeah, this is going to be fun.'"
The substitute, Lt. Amanda Zollo, works in the 911 dispatch center in Albuquerque when she's not training or serving with the guard. She kept students on task during a lesson about cybersecurity, as they created and then attempted to break each other's passwords.
She was subbing for a teacher who was having trouble finding childcare. The principal, Whitney Anderson, said that having Zollo's services meant that for the first time that week she didn't have to take over a classroom herself.
Zollo doesn't talk about her work as an infantry officer with her students, which, after a nervous laugh, she describes as "engaging with and destroying the enemies of the U.S. in close-quarter combat."
Santa Fe Police release video of lawmaker's DWI arrest - By Cedar Attanasio Associated Press / Report For America
Video released by police Wednesday shows that a New Mexico lawmaker told the officer who stopped her that she had been drinking, and then told him she was tired because of her work at the Legislature, presenting credentials of her status as a member of the state House.
The video of Rep. Georgene Louis, an Albuquerque Democrat, was captured starting Sunday around 11:30 p.m. from a camera worn by a Santa Fe Police officer. It reveals details not recorded in an initial police report, including her letting the officer know she was a lawmaker.
When the officer approaches the car, he tells Louis he's pulling her over for speeding. She searches her glovebox for her license and registration, ultimately telling him, "I don't think I have it."
The officer tells her he smells alcohol on her, and she says she had two beers at a "halftime show." She lets him look at her eyes, which he says are "a little bit watery."
Louis tells him she hasn't "had much sleep" because "I'm a legislator," and she shows him a special red license plate assigned to New Mexico lawmakers.
The officer tells her, "To me, you're just another citizen, another driver on the road."
After a field sobriety test, the officer arrests Louis. According to the police report, she later blew a .17 blood alcohol content, more than twice the legal limit of .08.
Louis' attorney Kitren Fischer declined to comment on the video.
National Guard deploys for new emergency: Teacher shortages - By Cedar Attanasio Associated Press / Report For America
On past deployments Army National Guard Spc. Michael Stockwell surveilled a desolate section of the U.S.-Mexico border during a migrant surge, and guarded a ring of checkpoints and fences around New Mexico's state Capitol after the January 2021 insurrection in Washington.
On his current mission, Stockwell helps students with assignments as a substitute science teacher at Alamogordo High School.
"You can't act Army with these kids. You can't speak the same way you would with another soldier with these kids. You can't treat them the same way. You have to be careful with corrective actions," he said with a laugh.
Dozens of National Guard Army and Air Force troops in New Mexico have been stepping in for an emergency unlike others they have responded to before: the shortage of teachers and school staff members that has tested the ability of schools nationwide to continue operating during the coronavirus pandemic.
While many other states and school districts issued pleas for substitute teachers amid omicron-driven surges in infections, New Mexico has been alone in calling out its National Guard members. In 36 of the state's 89 school districts, guard members have traded in mission briefs for lesson plans to work for school systems.
When Stockwell first walked into the freshman science class, wearing camouflage fatigues and combat boots, some students thought he was just visiting, like a recruiter. Then he took a seat in the teacher's chair.
"When he started taking attendance, I was like, 'whoa,'" said Lilli Terrazas, 15, of Alamogordo. "I was kind of nervous because, like, you know — a man in a uniform. But it was cool. He helped me."
Roughly 80 service members have volunteered to work in schools. The troops have gone through background checks and taken brief courses required for substitute teachers. As substitutes, they don't have to learn much about curriculum, but they need to be attentive to students.
Stockwell has been filling in since late January when his students' teacher moved to an administrative role in another school. One recent day, he shuffled through the rows of school desks, kneeling to meet students eye-to-eye as he helped them with assignments calculating the depth of the earth's crust, and other layers of the planet.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, called out the guard to help with the acute shortages in a state that like several others has struggled to find enough educators. At least 100 schools had reported closing down for at least one day this school year.
New Mexico saw a surge of teacher retirements last fall, and there are currently around 1,000 open teaching positions in a state with about 20,000 teachers. Grisham stressed the guard deployment is a temporary measure and state officials are working to bolster the teaching force and school staff through increased pay and other strategies.
At Alamogordo High School, the teacher shortage peaked on Jan. 13, when 30 teachers, about a third of the teaching staff, were out due to illness, professional training, or family emergencies.
"Everybody was enjoying their holiday and things like that, and then they came back and were sick," said Raeh Burns, one of two Alamogordo High School secretaries tasked with filling teaching slots each morning. "I know I'm going to have Mr. Stockwell every morning and that he's OK to go where I need him to go."
In some communities, there have been concerns raised about soldiers going in classrooms. In Santa Fe, the school district was asked if soldiers would wear uniforms and carry guns, school district spokesperson Cody Dynarski said. Guns were always out of the question. The district decided that soldiers would wear civilian clothing.
Ultimately, Santa Fe and Albuquerque, two of the largest urban school districts, did not receive any soldiers despite their requests as the deployments have prioritized smaller and more rural school districts.
Elsewhere, when given the choice, some soldiers have opted for military fatigues over civilian clothes to command respect in the classroom, particularly if they're not much older than their students.
"I think I look like an 18-year-old out of uniform," said Cassandra Sierra, 22, of Roswell, N.M., who has served as a substitute teacher in a high school in Hobbs.
Sierra already works with kids in her day job as a student coordinator at a military boarding school in Roswell, which has given her an edge as a substitute.
"Kids just need patience," she said. "I think I just have a lot of patience."
At a middle school on Alamogordo's Holloman Air Force Base, students are used to seeing people in uniform, but not in classrooms.
"I was like, 'Oh, we have somebody in the uniform that's going to teach us. That's kinda awkward.' It was weird," said Andrew George, 12, of his computer classes led by a woman trained in combat and with experience leading a platoon overseas. "Once she introduced herself I was like 'Oh yeah, this is going to be fun.'"
The substitute, Lt. Amanda Zollo, works in the 911 dispatch center in Albuquerque when she's not training or serving with the guard. She kept students on task during a lesson about cybersecurity, as they created and then attempted to break each other's passwords.
She was subbing for a teacher who was having trouble finding childcare. The principal, Whitney Anderson, said that having Zollo's services meant that for the first time that week she didn't have to take over a classroom herself.
Zollo doesn't talk about her work as an infantry officer with her students, which, after a nervous laugh, she describes as "engaging with and destroying the enemies of the U.S. in close-quarter combat."
This story has been corrected to reflect that it was the high school missing a third of teachers, not the entire district.