Sen. Ben Ray Luján: 'Absolute honor to be back' after stroke - Associated Press
Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico returned to Congress on Thursday for the first time since he had a stroke, which kept him away from Washington for weeks and temporarily weakened Democrat's hold on power in the equally divided Senate.
Luján received a standing ovation as he entered a morning hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and was greeted with hugs and fist-bumps from senators later as he stood on the Senate floor during votes.
Teary-eyed, he thanked colleagues at the morning hearing for their support and told them: "It's an absolute honor to be back."
"Every one of you that sent me notes, that sent videos, and all the prayers -- it worked," Luján said.
Luján, 49, began experiencing dizziness and fatigue on Jan. 27 and checked himself into a hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico, his office said. He was diagnosed as having had a stroke in the cerebellum and he had surgery to ease swelling in his brain.
His sudden absence had put new strain on Democrats' fragile 50-50 majority in the Senate, leaving them without full day-to-day control of the chamber and putting President Joe Biden's legislative agenda and Supreme Court nomination in doubt. But Luján, in a video message in February, vowed to return after a few weeks of recovery at inpatient rehabilitation facility.
The senator is expected to resume a fairly normal Senate schedule, participating in hearings and floor votes, as he returns to work.
In a 50-50 Senate, Luján's vote could prove critical if Democrats have to confirm Supreme Court nominee Kentanji Brown Jackson without the help of Republicans. His return could also help jump-start work on other legislation and nominations that Republicans oppose.
As Democratic colleagues including Judiciary Chairman Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., stopped by to welcome Lujan back during an afternoon vote in the chamber, so too did Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.
Elected to the Senate in 2020, Luján is a quiet but well-known lawmaker on Capitol Hill who helped lead Democrats to the House majority with its record-breaking class of freshmen recruits heading the campaign committee during the 2018 election year. Senators of both parties had been pulling for his recovery.
"We love you Ben Ray and we're glad you're with us here today," Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said at the hearing.
New Mexico to offer equal pay to Native American teachers - By Cedar Attanasio Associated Press / Report For America
New Mexico will begin to offer equal pay to dozens of Indigenous language teachers as part of a new law aimed at improving K-12 education for Native American students and preserving their languages and cultures.
A bill signed into law Thursday counts educators who are certified in the Indigenous languages taught in public schools and spoken by New Mexico's 23 tribes and pueblos as entry-level teachers eligible for the state's minimum salaries.
Earlier this week, the state raised the minimum teacher salary to $50,000 for a nine-month contract, up from $40,000. Together, the new measures will ensure that some 155 Indigenous language certificate holders will be paid at least that much if they have a teaching contract. Paid as "teaching assistants," some had been earned as little as $14,000.
"The teachers who carry on this integral piece of the culture and history of so many in our state deserve to be paid as the educational professionals they are," said Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
The bill signing comes as Lujan Grisham's administration fights a decade-old lawsuit brought by parents of underserved students, including Native Americans.
A plan to address the lawsuit, which ruled against her in 2018, hasn't been released. Tribal leaders said in October that they hadn't been consulted as promised.
Around 11% of New Mexico students are Native American. Public and tribal schools in New Mexico teach eight native languages, including Zuni and Navajo, with language teachers certified through a process run by tribal authorities.
Those tribal language certificate holders are qualified to track in K-12 schools but haven't been eligible for minimum salary protections enjoyed by traditional teachers who complete a four-year university degree in subjects like English or Spanish. Universities don't offer degree programs for most tribal languages.
While at least one school district in New Mexico voluntarily paid the language teachers equitably, there was no minimum salary, and some made as little as $14,000 per year as teaching assistants despite performing the work of a teacher, like planning lessons, developing curriculum and leading classrooms.
"This is a watershed moment for Native language teachers," said Rose Chavez, a Keres teacher at Bernalillo High School and a member of nearby Kewa Pueblo. "I feel very honored and praised."
Chavez' boss at the high school started offering her equal pay in recent years and spoke publicly in support of the changes this year.
Native American leaders welcome the new law but say the governor has more work to do.
"I can appreciate her signing the bill, but I wish that the administration would be much more of a contributor," said Rep. Derrick Lente, of Sandia Pueblo, who sponsored the legislation. "Our students will be able to be taught their native tongue by the experts within our own communities."
Native American advocates have described recent efforts by the state to address Native American students as a piecemeal approach. They welcome increased teacher pay, as well as changes to the social studies curriculum.
But Indigenous students still lag behind their peers in internet and technology access and are more likely to attend schools that have lacked equal access to funding for buildings for decades.
"The tribal folks push but a lot of their efforts fall to the wayside," Lente said.
Lujan Grisham also signed a law codifying federal protections for Native American children in foster care. The law gives tribes the right to intervene on behalf of their members and prioritizes adoptions with fellow tribal members. The federal protections are being challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Ex-firefighter was 2nd driver killed in crash during pursuit - Associated Press
A retired New Mexico firefighter was the other person killed along with a Santa Fe police officer in fatal car crashes during a pursuit of a carjacked vehicle, authorities said Thursday.
Las Vegas resident Frank Lovato, a 62-year-old retired firefighter for the northern New Mexico city, died Wednesday at the scene on Interstate 25 in the Santa Fe area, a New Mexico State Police statement said.
Lovato was not involved with the pursuit, the statement said.
The other person killed in the crashes was previously identified as Robert Duran, 43, a senior officer assigned to the Santa Fe Police Department's patrol section.
The suspect fled after the crash and remained at large Thursday, the statement said.
Authorities have not released the identity of the suspect or the carjacking victim, a woman who was injured in the crashes.
Police responding to the reported carjacking tried to stop the stolen vehicle but were unsuccessful, and the crashes occurred after the vehicle drove south toward Albuquerque in northbound lanes.
A total of four vehicles, including two police patrol units, were involved in the crash along with the carjacked vehicle and Lovato's vehicle.
Members of Congress highlight missing minority women, girls - By Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press
Members of a congressional panel focused on civil rights and liberties shared sobering statistics Thursday on the disproportionate number of Indigenous, Black and other minority women and girls who are missing in the United States, saying more needs to be done to tackle the problem.
About 40% of the 250,000 women and girls listed as missing as of 2020 were people of color, despite them making up just 16% of the overall population, according to the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
The panel's chairman, U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, called it a "crisis hiding in plain sight." He said he was hopeful Thursday's hearing would shine more light on a problem that has shattered countless families, exposed jurisdictional challenges for law enforcement and highlighted the importance of media attention.
The cases span the country, from South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana to Louisiana, South Carolina and New York. Of the more than 700 Indigenous people that have gone missing in Wyoming over nearly a decade, for example, less than 1 in 5 received any media coverage, Raskin noted, citing a recent report from the state.
The full scope of the problem is impossible to measure due to the lack of comprehensive and consistent data, committee members said during a hearing in Washington that included in-person and remote testimony.
Raskin also said that tribal communities often are hamstrung in their responses given jurisdictional issues, limited law enforcement resources and an inability to prosecute non-Native individuals who commit crimes on tribal land.
"The core function of government is to protect the safety and the security of the people," Raskin said. "That's the essence of the social contract. We have to secure and fortify the social contract for women of color all across America."
The hearing comes as the grassroots movement among Native Americans to bring attention to the cases of their missing and slain relatives puts more pressure on state and federal officials. In New Mexico, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham recently signed legislation to dedicate more resources to the investigation of such cases and improve coordination among law enforcement.
Other states, including California, Oregon and Washington, have approved studies of the problem or allocated more funding for tribes.
The panel heard Thursday from Pamela Foster, the mother of 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike, who was abducted along with her brother on May 2, 2016, and left to die in a remote spot on the Navajo Nation in northwestern New Mexico. Foster's 9-year-old son was found alive by an elderly couple along a road after he fled the kidnapper.
Foster said she had to resort to social media to get word out about the abduction. Authorities didn't issue an Amber Alert for several hours.
"I endured the longest hours of my life — waiting, hoping and praying for my children, for their safe return," she said.
It wasn't enough to save her daughter, but Foster has been working ever since to ensure Ashlynne's death was not in vain by pushing for legislation to expand the Amber Alert system to tribal communities.
Some of the panelists also talked about disparities related to how law enforcement and the media perceive victims when they are people of color.
Natalie Wilson, founder of the Black and Missing Foundation, told lawmakers that advocates understand not every missing persons case will get national attention but noted that cases involving people of color get a very small percentage of national media coverage.
"We can all name Gabby Petito, Natalee Holloway, Chandra Levy and many other white women who have gone missing. But can any of you name a person of color that has garnered national media coverage?" she asked. "We want our missing to be household names too."
For Shawn Wilkinson, it took a month for law enforcement in Baltimore to begin looking seriously into the 2017 disappearance of his pregnant daughter, Akia Eggleston. Family members knew something was wrong when the 22-year-old Black woman failed to show up to her own baby shower.
Authorities announced an arrest in the case just weeks ago. While Eggleston's body has not been recovered, prosecutors pointed to internet searches by the suspect that suggested her remains might be at a local landfill.
A Marine veteran who served three tours in Iraq, Wilkinson said he gave all to his country but stood broken and frustrated at not being able to get immediate help for his daughter when he needed it.
"The epidemic of missing persons of color is not a new topic but one that has been dismissed because society does not care about us," he said. "This is a trickle effect that has come down through this country's history. Only time has brought us to this point of actually acknowledging the disparities that exist."
New Mexico officer dies in chase of suspected kidnapper - By Cedar Attanasio And Walter Berry Associated Press / Report For America
Law enforcement agencies were searching the Santa Fe area for a suspected kidnapper whose flight from police into oncoming traffic led to fatal car crashes Wednesday, killing a police officer pursuing him as well as at least one motorist who had nothing to do with the chase.
Police on Wednesday night identified the officer killed as Robert Duran, a 43-year-old senior officer assigned to the department's patrol section.
They said Duran joined the department in January 2015. He leaves behind a wife and two teenage sons.
"Officer Duran was well respected and loved by his peers," Santa Fe interim Police Chief Paul Joye said. "We as a department and as individuals are still grieving and processing his loss."
Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber vowed to deliver justice to the fallen officer as police from multiple agencies continued the search.
"Let there be no doubt that the combined law enforcement officers who are now working on this will find the suspect. Justice will be done," Webber said in a statement.
The kidnapping was reported about 11 a.m. at an apartment complex where a man armed with a knife allegedly stole a vehicle occupied by a woman.
Officers unsuccessfully tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver got onto Interstate 25, police said. Heading into oncoming traffic, police said the suspect drove south toward Albuquerque in the northbound lane.
The chase soon led to a crash involving four vehicles: two driven by police, one by the suspect with the victim inside, and another vehicle, police said.
Police said Wednesday afternoon that two people died in the crash, including another motorist in the fourth car who wasn't involved in the chase.
"I am deeply saddened by the death of a Santa Fe police officer today while in the line of duty, as well as the tragic death of another motorist," Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement.
Police said the suspect managed to get away.
The kidnapping victim also managed to exit the vehicle and was taken to a hospital. Her name also wasn't immediately released.
Police were asking area residents to stay in their homes as they searched for the suspect, while cellphones buzzed across the county with an emergency alert warning people to avoid the interstate, now a sprawling crime scene.
Mikaela McCray, a hostess at a restaurant near the crash scene, said the highway was full of police vehicles including at least one helicopter overhead.
New Mexico increases focus on race in K-12 despite backlash - By Cedar Attanasio Associated Press / Report For America
New Mexico's K-12 students will see a greater focus on race and ethnicity, including Native American history, in their curriculum over the next two years under new standards aimed at making social studies teaching more culturally responsive.
The New Mexico Public Education Department recently finalized the changes following months of debate that included pushback from parents worried their kids would be labeled racist. The standards don't mandate specific lessons or textbooks but will require school districts to increase their focus on social identities and understanding the world through the lens of race, class and privilege.
New Mexico is the latest Democratic-led state to approve new public school standards amid a move toward more open discussion of race. As in Washington and New York, the standards require students to identify and articulate their cultural identity starting in elementary school. Ethnic studies will now be part of the high school curriculum, though not required for graduation as in California.
A dozen other states have passed laws to restrict topics related to race and gender over concerns, particularly among the GOP, about "critical race theory," which has become a catch-all term for identity politics in education. In Virginia, the governor is looking to root out all traces of "inherently divisive concepts" some parents believe could make children feel as if they are racist because of their skin color.
In New Mexico, hundreds of parents, teachers and grandparents weighed in for and against the proposed changes last fall. Officials heard public comments in thousands of letters and hundreds of appearances in an all-day Zoom forum.
Supporters backed a closer look at the history of Indigenous communities in the state and more discussion of race and identity at an earlier age.
The final rule, published Feb. 16, rebutted some criticisms about identity and integrated a plea for including personal finance in the curriculum changes.
School districts can begin implementing the new standards next year and will be expected to do so in the fall of 2023.
It's the state's first overhaul of social studies standards since 2009, expanding sections in history, geography, civics, and economics.
The new standards change the way Native American histories are taught. In the coming years, students are more likely to study the state's 23 tribes on their own terms and more in depth. In the past, that history was cursory and focused on comparing and contrasting with European conquerors.
State education officials are also under pressure to make the K-12 school system more relevant to the 11% of students who are Native American, owing in part to an ongoing lawsuit. A court ruled in 2018 that the state isn't meeting the educational needs of Indigenous kids, and the education department has yet to release a plan to address the issues laid out by the court, and faces further litigation.
Alisa Diehl, an education attorney at the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty representing the plaintiffs, calls changes to the social studies standards a "first step toward providing a public education system that takes students' cultures, languages and life experiences into account as required by our statutes and constitution."
Opponents of the new approach expressed fears that children would be labeled as victims or oppressors based on their race.
Some commenters color-coded the entire proposed rule, identifying language that they saw as echoes of critical race theory, including phrases like "unequal power relations," "privilege or systemic inequity," and requirements that students identify their "group identity" starting in kindergarten.
The agency decided to keep that language, and even increased the instances of those terms in an effort to make the language consistent across different sections of the final rule.
The response to those criticisms stated that: "Critical race theory is suited for graduate school-level discussions, and is not contained in the standards."
At the heart of the debate is whether discussing differences in the classroom hardens social divisions or softens them.
Earlier this month, Republicans in the New Mexico Legislature proposed banning critical race theory. They also proposed replacing leadership at the education department, currently appointed by the governor, with an elected board. Both measures failed.
In a letter to state education officials last week, released Wednesday, Republican leaders said they would advocate for districts to use wiggle room in the curriculum requirements to keep conservative textbooks and lesson plans. They said education officials ignored public opposition.
The department "had no real intention of making significant changes to the proposed standards which were clearly outside of the mainstream of New Mexico's values and traditions," the letter said.
The letter was signed by House Republican leaders including Rebecca Dow, of Truth or Consequences. Dow is one of three members of her party fighting in a primary to take on the sitting governor, a Democrat.
"Whether they fit all the definitions of 'critical race theory' or not, the new standards appear designed to divide New Mexicans by race, ethnicity and economic status," said Paul Gessing, president of the libertarian think tank Rio Grande Foundation.
Authors of the changes say identity has become a more important and more visible aspect of society and needs to be studied.
"It's more like a deep exploration that there are identity differences that exist, and that everybody is not always going to think the same. But the level of respect for everybody's varying opinions is what we want to bring out in the classroom," said Irene Barry, an English teacher in Aztec, New Mexico.
Barry says the biggest changes in the social studies standards are an incremental introduction to social identity from K-12, and the expansion of civics and geography into high school. The previous standards didn't focus on identity and wrapped up geography and civics in middle school.
Education department leaders said removing the language advocated by Barry and other teachers would devalue their work, despite the many objections from the public voiced in comments.
"You want to be respectful of them and their voice and the role they played in creating these (education standards)," said Gwen Perea Warniment, deputy secretary of teaching, learning and assessment for the education department.
In economics, the agency responded to public comments with sweeping changes, adding an entirely new section on personal finance, following a letter campaign backed by a local education policy think tank.
By fifth grade, students can be learning how to track spending and savings. In high school, standards include sections on understanding credit scores, the consequences of credit cards, and ways to build wealth with tools such as stocks, savings and real estate.
"New Mexico now joins the 45 other states that include personal finance in their K-12 education standards, which is an important first step to tackling intergenerational poverty," said Abenicio Baldonado, education reform director for Think New Mexico, which promoted the letter campaign.
Baldonado is advocating for personal finance to be required for high school graduation.
Election official warns residents about door-to-door canvas - By Morgan Lee Associated Press
New Mexico's top election regulator and prosecutor are warning residents of Otero County to be wary of intrusive questions and potential intimidation by door-to-door canvassers linked to a review of the 2020 election that was authorized by the Republican-led county commission through a private company.
Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, a Democrat, said Wednesday that many Otero County residents have been caught off guard when approached by canvassers affiliated with the group New Mexico Audit Force — that claim in some instances to be employees of Otero County.
"The information that we've received is that ... they say they're from the county," said Toulouse Oliver, describing complaints from resident that have been reviewed by her office. "So really one big concern is, 'Who are these people? How did they get my personal information? Why are they asking me questions not only about how I voted but about things like my marital status?'"
On Wednesday, she and Attorney General Hector Balderas issued a written advisory that encouraged residents to report voter harassment or intimidation.
"You are not required to participate in this so-called 'audit' or provide any information unless you choose to do so," the notice states.
The Otero County commission in January authorized a $49,750 contract for a countywide review of election records and voter registration information linked to the 2020 general election. They accepted a proposal from EchoMail — one of the contractors hired by Arizona's Republican controlled state Senate to review election results in Maricopa County.
EchoMail's "forensic audit" proposal in Otero County called for volunteer canvassers from New Mexico Audit Force to go door to door to review voter registration data.
Toulouse Oliver said complaints of misrepresentation and intrusive questions by canvassers are concerning because of the potential to undermine public confidence in the security of voter information and discourage participation in elections. She said that a TikTok video about about an encounter with canvassers led to a deluge of calls to state authorities with questions and complaints.
"You know, it has folks just very concerned about how protected their personal information is," Toulouse Oliver said.
Nearly a year and a half after the 2020 election, the U.S. continues to grapple with false claims surrounding President Joe Biden's win.
Ballot reviews have been conducted across the country, from Arizona's Maricopa County to Fulton County, Pennsylvania. A former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice examining the 2020 election in that battleground state laid out his interim findings this week and recommended that legislators should consider decertifying the state's presidential result — a move attorneys have said is illegal.
Proponents like to call the reviews a "forensic audit," but they differ markedly from audits that follow standard procedures and are conducted by experienced professionals.
Otero County Attorney R. B. Nichols cautioned commissioners against the election review because it was unlikely to provide "taxpayer value," could overburden local election officials with records requests in an election year, and could lead to costly civil rights lawsuits against the county.
EchoMail was among the contractors hired by Arizona's Republican controlled state Senate to review the 2020 election in Maricopa County and provide a report on ballot envelope images, Nichols said. The Maricopa County election department found that nearly every finding by the contractors included faulty analysis, inaccurate claims, misleading conclusions and a lack of understanding of federal and state election laws.
The Otero County election review was pitched to the commission by Las Cruces-based engineer Erin Clements and her husband, David, a former public prosecutor and conservative public speaker who bills himself as a traveling salesman for forensic election audits.
Though Trump won nearly 62% of the vote in Otero County in 2020, county commissioners say they are not satisfied with assurances of an accurate mid-term election in 2022 by their county clerk or results of the state's risk-limiting audit.
"Nationwide I think we got screwed," Commissioner Vickie Marquardt said at a discussion of the audit contract. "To me personally, I think it's worth looking into."
Supporters of the review include Commissioner Couy Griffin, the Republican cofounder of the support group Cowboys for Trump who is facing misdemeanor criminal charges stemming from the Jan. 6. insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Griffin appeared on an outdoor terrace of the Capitol and tried to lead the crowd in prayer and denies allegations that he knowingly entered barricaded areas of the Capitol grounds with the intent of disrupting government as Congress certified the 2020 Electoral College results.
Contacted Wednesday, Griffin said by text that state authorities are pushing back against an audit that "threatens the very foundation of the BIGGEST LIE of our lifetime. That is the presidency of Joe Biden."
Toulouse Oliver called the review a "vigilante" audit. She raised concerns that contractors might have access to and compromise vote tabulation machines, which would compel state election regulators to decertify and dispose of the equipment.
Toulouse Oliver said that authorities are probing whether the contractor improperly obtained bulk voter records through a third part.
Official: New Mexico to remain vigilant amid virus respite - Associated Press
New Mexico's top health official said Wednesday that the state is transitioning into a new phase of the coronavirus pandemic but that it will remain vigilant in case of another surge.
Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. David Scrase told reporters during a virtual briefing that there has been a precipitous drop in cases and hospitalizations over recent weeks and that hospitals are seeing relief. He pointed to more available beds but noted that the state still needs to do more to build up its nursing workforce.
Scrase said part of the state's focus has been on ensuring that residents have the tools they need — from testing options to access to early treatments — so they can weather future outbreaks and avoid hospitalization.
"I'm hoping that we can find a way to empower every New Mexican to do this so that mandates won't be necessary," he said.
While New Mexico recently ended its mask mandate for most indoor spaces, public health requirements imposed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham early on in the pandemic spurred much criticism from the parents of schoolchildren, business owners and others. The mandates also prompted numerous legal challenges, but state officials have defended their handling of the pandemic.
Scrase said New Mexico supports the latest guidance from the federal government that outlines community risk levels based on factors such as how many people have been admitted to local hospitals in the last week and how many new COVID-19 cases a county has had in the last week.
The latest map shows 10 of New Mexico's counties at the high level, with the remaining 23 classified as either low or medium risk.
Bill would prohibit US funds for spent nuclear fuel storage - By Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press
U.S. senators from New Mexico and Texas are proposing legislation that could affect efforts by private companies to build temporary storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel from commercial power plants around the U.S. as the federal government has yet identify a permanent solution for the radioactive material.
Democrat Martin Heinrich and Republican Ted Cruz on Wednesday introduced legislation to prohibit federal funds from being used to carry out any activities at private interim storage sites.
Federal regulators already granted a license for one facility in West Texas, and New Jersey-based Holtec International is seeking approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build a separate multibillion-dollar facility near the state line in southeastern New Mexico.
Heinrich, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and others have been vocal about their opposition to interim storage, saying their states stand to become a permanent dumping ground.
"That is not something my state is signed up for," Heinrich said in a statement.
Cruz said that while nuclear power is a reliable way to help meet growing energy demands, communities in Texas have concerns.
Until a permanent repository is built, the federal government will continue to be responsible for the costs incurred by the owners of commercial reactors for storing the spent fuel at sites around the country. That liability has been estimated by independent federal auditors at more than $30 billion.
The Government Accountability Office in its report issued last fall stated that congressional action was needed to break an impasse and develop a permanent solution for spent nuclear fuel.
The auditors reported that about 86,000 metric tons of spent fuel is stored at 75 operating or shutdown nuclear power plants in 33 states and that the amount grows by about 2,000 metric tons each year.
The legislation would require the U.S. Energy Department to submit a report on possible locations or a description of a possible siting process for future federal interim storage facilities and repositories.
A companion bill also was being introduced in the U.S. House by Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico and August Pfluger of Texas.
Some nuclear watchdogs have argued that it would be safer to keep the material at the reactor sites rather than shipping it cross-country for temporary storage and then transporting it again if and when a permanent disposal site is created.
Officials with Holtec have argued that the operation would be safe, noting that multilayered transportation casks made of steel and lead would hold the spent fuel and they would be guarded.
The company did not immediately respond to questions about the proposed legislation.
New Mexico lowers cap in interest rates for storefront loans - Associated Press
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed legislation aimed at underwriting loans to local start-up companies with taxpayer dollars and a consumer protection bill that lowers the maximum interest rate on storefront installment loans of $10,000 or less.
The governor on Tuesday signed legislation that allows the state to dedicate $50 million to future investments in New Mexico-based venture capital projects that can be risky for investors but have the potential for above-average returns.
The bill from Democratic legislators including Reps. Javier Martínez of Albuquerque and Linda Serrato of Santa Fe responds to concerns about the New Mexico's ability to retain and attract businesses in early stages of development.
The governor also signed legislation that lowers the maximum interest rate on storefront loans from to 36%, down from 175%, with some exceptions for loans of $500 or less.
The bill from legislators including Democratic Rep. Susan Herrera of Embudo also doubles the maximum size of storefront installment loans to $10,000.
Supporters say new restrictions are needed to ensure borrowers don't fall into vicious cycles of debt that contribute to poverty in New Mexico. The new loan restrictions take effect Jan. 1, 2023.
Lujan Grisham, a Democrat seeking reelection in November, has until March 9 to sign legislation including a proposed $8.5 billion state general fund spending plan for the fiscal year starting July 1. Leftover bills are automatically vetoed.