MLG joins other Dem governors to decry proposed Medicaid cuts in nation’s most-reliant state- Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Wednesday called on Congress to halt its effort to cut Medicaid, joining a handful of other Democratic governors to decry the cuts as a giveaway to the ultra-wealthy on the backs of the working poor.
As Lujan Grisham noted in the call with the Democratic Governors of America, 840,000 New Mexicans are on Medicaid, which is more than 40% of the state. That’s the highest per capita rate of Medicaid coverage in the country, according to recent estimates.
In addition to people losing their healthcare, she predicted the cuts would spell the closure of several hundred hospitals nationwide. In New Mexico, which already faces healthcare shortages particularly in rural areas, that will result in less access to care, she said.
“That means you’re driving not one hour or two hours for care,” she said. “It means that you’re likely driving four or five hours for care.”
According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, more than 10 million people would lose Medicaid coverage by 2030 under the current version of the spending bill making its way through Congress.
The bill also would impose work requirements for those receiving Medicaid. The other Democratic governors on the call, including Jared Polis of Colorado, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Laura Kelly of Kansas, had slightly different takes on what the work requirements could mean.
Polis, for example, said the American people would be fortunate if Medicaid work requirements emerged as the worst thing to come out of Congress, so long as states had flexibility in how to administer it.
Lujan Grisham spoke up after Polis’ comment, saying that Medicaid work requirements are “tried, not true,” and would ultimately impose a heavy administrative burden on states without spurring an increase in employment.
“You have many working poor people on minimum wage in any of our states, whether that’s a state minimum wage or the federal wage, it’s not enough to afford health insurance,” she said. “This notion that you’ve got all these folks who aren’t working, who willingly choose that, is also a false narrative.”
The governors expressed alarm at the proposed cuts, and said their states can’t afford them. A recent state estimate said New Mexico received nearly $9 billion for Medicaid in 2024. That’s equal to more than 80% of the state’s newly passed, record operational budget of $10.8 billion.
“We want every American to understand what this really means, and not let Congress off the hook in the dark of night to cut a backroom deal with this president on the backs of working American families, on the backs of New Mexico working families,” Lujan Grisham said. “Let’s tell Congress what we think of these outrageous cuts to basic necessities for everyday, hardworking families.”
Money race heats up in NM's open contest for governor- Dan Boyd Albuquerque Journal
While the first votes in New Mexico’s open contest for governor won’t be cast for nearly a year, the money race is already in full swing.
Democrat Sam Bregman recently announced he had raised more than $1 million in campaign contributions in the five weeks since launching his campaign on April 10.
His Democratic primary rival, former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, said she has received nearly $3.7 million in donations since announcing her campaign in mid-February.
The hefty early fundraising hauls indicate next year’s gubernatorial race will, as expected, be an expensive one, following on the heels of the 2022 race between Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Republican Mark Ronchetti.
In that year’s race, Lujan Grisham spent roughly $13 million on her successful re-election campaign, while Ronchetti spent more than $9 million. Those figures do not include hefty spending on the race by outside groups.
Bregman, who is currently the Bernalillo County district attorney, said his fundraising figure shows he has built momentum in the race.
“For too long, the status quo has left too many behind,” he said in a statement. “Now, people across the state are stepping up because they’re ready for change.”
The $1 million-plus in contributions does not include any personal loans from Bregman to his campaign or any contributions from his son Alex Bregman, an All-Star third baseman with the Boston Red Sox, said Bregman campaign spokeswoman Joanie Griffin.
She also said the Bregman campaign has about $850,000 in its account, with some spending on digital advertising.
For her part, Haaland said her campaign has received contributions from roughly 51,000 people, with an average donation of about $72 per donor.
Her campaign had a balance of about $1.7 million in its account as of last month, according to a report filed with Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver’s office.
“We’re running a grassroots campaign to fight for hardworking New Mexicans,” Haaland said in a statement. “This campaign is going to be funded by the people, and that’s the way it should be.”
Bregman and Haaland will soon be joined in the Democratic primary race by former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima, who plans to launch his campaign officially next week after previously setting up an exploratory committee. Lt. Gov. Howie Morales is also considering entering the race.
On the Republican side, Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull confirmed his plans to run for governor last month after reporting more than $200,000 in campaign contributions. He’s expected to announce his campaign formally next month.
Cannabis entrepreneur and former state Cabinet secretary Duke Rodriguez is also weighing a GOP bid for governor, with a final decision expected by this summer. Other candidates could also join the race in the coming months.
New Mexico’s 2026 race for governor is an open contest, since Lujan Grisham is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term.
The state’s primary election is scheduled for June 2026, with the general election then set for Nov. 3.
Heinrich Calls for end to blockade of food, aid to Gaza- Kevin Hendricks nm.news
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) has joined Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) in introducing a resolution urging the Trump Administration to employ all diplomatic means to end the blockade of food and humanitarian aid to Gaza. The resolution expresses significant concern over the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including the risk of widespread starvation among children.
The resolution highlights that since March 2, the Israeli Government has blocked food and emergency aid from reaching Palestinian civilians in Gaza. This blockade includes essential supplies such as medicine, infant formula and fuel. The impact has been severe, with the closure of all 25 World Food Program-supported bakeries in Gaza, depletion of wheat flour and cooking fuel, and the running out of food parcels meant to last families two weeks. The United Nations reports that approximately 10,000 children have been identified as suffering from acute malnutrition since January 2025.
“We must deliver critically needed food and medicine to innocent civilians in Gaza facing extreme hunger, death, disease and widespread destruction,” Heinrich said. “While Israel has the right to defend itself, it must follow U.S. and international humanitarian law. Unfortunately, Israel has been and continues to act in direct violation of the requirements mandated under the Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act.”
Heinrich also said a long-term, post-war plan is vital for lasting peace in the region.
“As we continue to pursue pathways to achieve a two-state solution, which remains crucial both for Palestinians’ sovereignty and self-determination and for Israel’s security in the region, we must work toward a long-term, post-war plan that can achieve lasting peace in the region,” Heinrich said.
The resolution is co-sponsored by several other senators, including Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.).
Sandia Labs tops DOE facilities in supply chain savings- Albuquerque Journal
Sandia National Laboratories has reduced supply chain costs more than any other U.S. Department of Energy site over the past 12 years.
Totaling $439 million in savings, Sandia is responsible for nearly a quarter of the $2 billion in cost reductions from DOE’s Supply Chain Management Center since 2013 — when Sandia joined the program — according to a May news release from the lab.
The cost savings align with President Trump’s recent goals to cut back on spending though the DOE work has spanned multiple administrations.
And, it’s an especially important time to save money amid economic uncertainty happening on a federal level, caused by global tariffs the Trump administration has threatened, implemented or plans to implement, said local trade expert Jerry Pacheco.
“One of the hardest jobs in the world right now would have to be supply chain manager and trying to save money here and there, because you could be subject to tariffs, either exporting your goods or importing to the United States,” said Pacheco, executive director of the Border Industrial Association.
Sandia’s savings are a result of establishing purchase agreements that multiple DOE sites can share, according to Sandia’s news release. There are 117 contractor agreements across the entire Supply Chain Management Center.
“Collaboration is key,” said Scott Bissen, senior director of the DOE’s Supply Chain Management Center, in a statement. “This achievement is proof of what happens when prime contractors work together for the benefit of the enterprise.”
University of New Mexico Economics Professor Matías Fontenla agreed that a centralized supply chain has clear benefits, adding that it comes with consistency and less paperwork on top of savings.
“As long as it allows for some flexibility to deal with specific issues, the transparency and cost efficiencies win out,” he said.
Government supply chains tend to be centralized, according to Julie Niederhoff, associate professor of supply chain management in the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University.
“Decisions are made for a larger geographic area or across several locations or product lines,” she said. “With this bigger perspective, a company can get volume discounts and make sure products and services are price competitive, at a consistent quality and generally consistent across the network.”
Pacheco said every company involved in global supply chains needs to think about their business positions, applauding how Sandia is doing it.
“This is the kind of innovative thinking I think we need right now to mitigate risk and to bring a little more certainty to industry,” he said.