‘A huge victory’: Vasquez touts nixing of public lands sell-off in Congressional bill– Patrick Lohman, Source NM
The Republican reconciliation bill that cleared the United States House of Representatives by a narrow margin this week no longer authorizes the sale of thousands acres of public land in Utah and Nevada.
U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM), who co-founded the Bipartisan Public Lands Caucus earlier this year, said the removal of that provision represents a “huge victory” for all Americans concerned about public lands being sold to the highest bidder. Vasquez said in a statement he started the caucus with U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, a Montana Republican, to beat back these attacks on public lands.
“We committed to working across party lines to sit down and ensure the integrity of our land management system. We’ve worked together across the aisle to prevent this unprecedented public lands sell-off,” Vasquez said. “We will continue to work together to ensure our lands are public, accessible and well managed.”
The provision would have gutted protections for 500,000 acres of land near Zion National Park, along with critical habitat for threatened desert tortoises and other areas designated by Congress for conservation, according to New Mexico Wild, a conservation advocacy group. That could have meant the lands were turned into “golf courses, luxury resorts or strip malls,” the group said in a statement Thursday.
Environmental groups nationally have applauded the removal of the provision, which Reps. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah) and Mark Amodei (R-Nevada) sponsored. New Mexico Wild’s executive director Mark Allison said the bipartisan pushback was a factor in maintaining the land’s protections, but he warned that this is the first of many fights in coming days to stave off efforts to privatize public lands.
“The fact that House Republicans were forced to retreat shows that when we unite to defend our birthright, politicians listen,” he said in a statement. “But make no mistake — this fight is far from over. The same forces that tried to sneak this land grab through would love nothing more than to come after New Mexico’s public lands next time.”
The reconciliation bill now heads to the Senate.
New Mexico Republican party praises ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ – Kevin Hendricks, nm.news
While all three of New Mexico’s representatives, all Democrats, voted against President Donald Trump’s domestic policy megabill, dubbed the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” local Republicans were showing support for the reform package that “puts Americans first.”
U.S. Representatives Melanie Stansbury, Teresa Leger Fernández, Gabe Vasquez and every other House Democrat voted against the bill. Stansbury voted “hell no,” but it still narrowly passed the House with a 215-214 vote early Thursday after 29 straight hours of debate.
Amy Barela, Chairwoman of the Republican Party of New Mexico, said the passage of the legislation is “a historic package of reforms.”
“This is a great day for the American people and a shameful one for the Democrat politicians who turned their backs on the very people they claim to represent,” Barela said. “The Republican-led House just passed the most transformative legislation in a generation — tax cuts, wage increases, border security, military support, energy independence, and historic savings for taxpayers. And not a single Democrat Legislator stood with us — including those from New Mexico.”
Stansbury called the bill a “shameful package” that will “strip millions of veterans, working families, and children of access to healthcare and food assistance to provide permanent tax breaks to billionaires.”
The proposed legislation would extend the 2017 tax cuts, increase military spending and border security funding, and allocate funds for mass deportations. It also aims to eliminate taxes on tips and overtime pay, fulfilling campaign promises.
The bill includes significant spending cuts to Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), rescinds clean energy tax credits from 2022 and raises the debt ceiling by $4 trillion.
“Nearly 14 million Americans will lose access to healthcare, 18 million children will lose access to food assistance and school meals, and millions of seniors will be impacted by cuts to Medicare,” Stansbury said. “This is not what the American people voted for and the GOP knows it.”
The RPNM praised the Big, Beautiful Bill for delivering tax cuts, wage increases, permanent border security measures, protection of taxpayer-funded benefits, pay raises and improved benefits for military personnel, reversing Biden-era mandates on “taxpayer-funded gender ideology,” overhauls to air traffic control, defense modernization, and a massive investment in energy and agriculture.
“This is what leadership looks like. This bill puts Americans first — not special interests, not foreign nationals, and certainly not radical ideology,” Barela said. “New Mexicans deserve representatives who will vote for their pay raises, their border safety, and their tax relief. Unfortunately, Democrats in the NM delegation chose party politics over practical solutions.”
The bill now heads to the Senate, which is controlled 53-47 by Republicans.
“We now look forward to the Senate doing what the people deserve — pass this bill and send it to President Trump’s desk,” Barela said. “The Republican Party of New Mexico stands fully behind this effort to put American workers, families, and values first.”
New Mexico’s Spaceport America the backdrop of new Netflix documentary– Megan Gleason, Albuquerque Journal
Southern New Mexico’s Spaceport America is trading rocket launches for a different kind of takeoff.
An Obama-produced documentary about the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds premieres Friday on Netflix, “Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds,” and features footage of the team’s trainings at Spaceport America.
“The significance to me is showing the joint cooperation, I think, between Spaceport America and our Department of Defense partners,” said Allan Turk II, Spaceport America’s director of aerospace operations.
The Air Force Demonstration Squadron, more commonly known as the Thunderbirds, is a group of six aircraft — most famously the F-16 fighter jet — that performs air shows and flyovers around the world. The team is based in Nevada but also trains at Spaceport America.
The Thunderbirds’ involvement in New Mexico began with a phone call in 2020, when the Thunderbirds submitted a customer inquiry seeking to use the Spaceport America facilities for flying. Turk wasn’t sure if it was fake or not, and when a pilot followed up by phone, he asked to video call instead for verification.
“And sure enough, there he was in his Thunderbird outfit. I said, ‘I’ve got to take a screenshot, I’ve got to show my boss it’s legit,’” Turk said.
The Thunderbirds have deployed annually at Spaceport ever since, and Turk said the team is interested in staying on for at least the next five years.
Spaceport is typically the site where the squadron comes together for the first time to practice ahead of the nearly yearlong show season, Turk said. He added that Netflix shot about a week of the team’s early training sessions at Spaceport for the documentary, executive produced by former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama.
And, Spaceport spokesperson Charles Hurley said, the new show allows the public a peek into DOD operations at Spaceport, which are generally kept secret.
“Hopefully there’s just a little bit more tangibility of our site — what it looks like, what goes on here — with something like this that appeals to a broad audience as well,” he said.
Trump’s push for Southwest uranium will face stiff state review — Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
Recent federal activity suggests the Trump administration has two long-stalled uranium mines near New Mexico’s Mount Taylor on its radar.
Earlier this month, a federal infrastructure agency included Roca Honda and La Jara Mesa uranium mines on a new list of 20 projects nationally that advance “the President’s directive to take immediate action to facilitate domestic production of America’s vast mineral resources,” according to a statement from the council.
Then last week, the U.S. Interior Department announced that a proposed uranium mine in Utah would be subject to only a 14-day federal review period, shortening what is commonly a years-long process.
Source New Mexico spoke with state officials, outside experts and longtime anti-uranium advocates about what defense New Mexico will have against the federal government’s efforts to restart uranium mining here for the first time in 50 years. While experts said hard-fought cultural protections are unlikely to present much of an obstacle, they expressed confidence that state regulations will hold up against federal encroachment.
“I think that the realities weigh against the administration’s ignorant and uninformed policies that suggest to the public that these kinds of projects will happen overnight,” said Christopher Shuey, a public health researcher closely monitoring uranium developments here. “They won’t.”
HOLDING THE LINE
Private companies have sought to develop the La Jara Mesa and Roca Honda mines for more than a decade, though interest heated up with Trump’s executive order seeking to boost domestic energy production. Soon after, Cibola National Forest leaders named both mines priority projects, and then uranium company Energy Fuels then struck a controversial deal with the Navajo Nation that would allow it to transport ore from Roca Honda across the reservation. Meanwhile, Laramide Resources indicated on its state permitting application a desire to expedite the next step of its La Jara Mesa project.
DJ Ennis, program manager for the state’s Mining Act Reclamation Program, confirmed to Source NM there’s been a “renewed interest” from uranium mining companies seeking to break ground in New Mexico.
But even if the federal government tries to fast-track mining here, Ennis said the state will take its time and fully review both mine proposals, which it is empowered to do under the 1993 New Mexico Mining Act, and in lieu of a federal law.
“The feds are going to do what the feds are going to do,” Ennis told Source. “It does affect us, in that it would be good if the state and the feds were on the same pace and page of permitting. But if that is not the case, the default then becomes the state’s permitting process, and we have a robust permitting process.”
At the federal level, new uranium mines are subject to environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act, which Trump’s recent orders have accelerated. But that has no bearing on the state’s ongoing review, Ennis said.
If it came down to it, Ennis said, the state could issue daily fines and potentially even deploy state police officers to stop uranium extraction at the Roca Honda or La Jara Mesa sites if the companies did so without a state permit.
So if Trump were to order a truncated federal review of the La Jara Mesa mine like he did the Velvet-Wood mine in Utah last week, and then the Forest Service issued a rushed environmental impact statement that selected its preferred alternative of extracting uranium, and then company proceeded to break ground, the state would step in and stop it, Ennis said.
“I’m not sure what that looks like, if it involves state police to enforce the order or courts,” Ennis said. “But it is a state law that we are enforcing.”
Eric Jantz, attorney with the New Mexico Environmental Law Center, said the state’s permit review should offer the public some reassurance that nothing will happen immediately. He also suggested that his organization would consider suing if the federal government sought to fast-track New Mexico uranium mines.
“I suspect that if the Forest Service either ignores its obligations under NEPA because of this executive order or its own regulations, that litigation will probably ensue,” he said.
That’s because, Jantz said, he sees little basis for an “energy emergency” that Trump claims is the reason to fast-track the mines.
“If there’s one thing to impart, it’s that this whole notion of premising expedited environmental reviews on some sort of emergency is preposterous,” he said. “No emergency exists, and there’s no reason why the usual environmental reviews can’t continue.”
WHAT WILL TCP DESIGNATION MEAN?
While experts and observers expressed confidence in the state’s capacity to hold off a federal push to expedite mining, they said it remains unclear whether efforts by local Indigenous tribes and pueblos to protect Mount Taylor as a cultural and religious site will add another layer of protection.
In 2007, as several mining companies moved forward with plans to extract uranium from the Mount Taylor area, five tribes made the unusual step of sharing stories about their ancestral and spiritual connections to the mountain.
That rare disclosure of tribal creation myths marked an early milestone in a multi-year battle to create a 400,000-acre Traditional Cultural Property, drawing a line around Mount Taylor recognized by the state of New Mexico. Among other things, the designation aimed to give Indigenous people a voice in opposing uranium or other mining interests. After mining companies sued in 2009, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that the designation should stay intact.
Since then, the pueblos have maintained opposition, with the All Pueblo Council of Governors in December issuing a resolution to state regulators that “Mount Taylor, known by various traditional names is a sacred landscape, central to the cultural identity, traditional practices, and religious activities of numerous Pueblos and other tribal nations.”
Even though the Navajo Nation agreed to let uranium eventually be transported from Roca Honda across the reservation, it has also long opposed any new mines in the Mount Taylor area, Stephen Etsitty, the Navajo Environmental Protection Agency director, said recently.
Designation of Mount Taylor as a traditional cultural property has yet to emerge as an issue in the state permitting process, Ennis said. The designation requires federal and state parties to consult with tribes, but a collision awaits between private mining interests and cultural protections, Ennis said.
“The intersection of those two is a difficult question to answer,” he said. “I don’t know that we’ll know until we get to the end of the process.”
Shuey, who has advocated against the mines since 2009 as a researcher with the Southwest Research and Information Center, said the recent federal fast-tracking prompted him and colleagues to review what the TCP designation actually meant for protecting Mount Taylor.
“We’ve been asking this question for the last several weeks,” he said. “My understanding is that the impact of the TCP would be more of a, ‘Pay attention to this site from the standpoint of cultural resources, and make provisions to mitigate any types of impact to cultural resources’ type of thing.”
Even without an outright ban on mining or around the TCP, Shuey said, he expects greenlighting the mines to take years, during which time opponents will watchdog the process.
“A lot of these folks have lived through the 80 years of the uranium legacy. They’ve learned across generations of the impacts of mining,” he said. “And so I think there’s a lot of not only institutional memory but institutional knowhow of evaluating mining proposals and offering intelligent and compelling comments and testimonies.”
He likes their odds against a Trump administration that seems to “not be particularly interested in understanding or knowing the impacts of mining,” he said, but instead has a “weird, visceral notion that we just need more of these minerals for a variety of purposes, and we’re going to go get them.”
Albuquerque’s Gateway Sobering Center set to open after months of delays — Kevin Hendricks, NM.news
The Gateway Center in Albuquerque is preparing to launch its long-awaited Medical Sobering Center this summer.
The Albuquerque City Council recently approved a contract with California-based Horizons Services for $1.6 million in federal funds to operate the sobering center. Horizons Services, which currently operates two sobering centers in California, will provide a short-term space for individuals recovering from severe intoxication at the Gateway campus in Southeast Albuquerque. This campus already provides housing and behavioral health support.
Months of delays preceded the selection of Horizons Services. Construction of the wing intended for the sobering center was completed in November, with initial expectations of serving patients by the end of that year under a previous service provider, Listo Health, LLC. However, the city terminated its contract with Listo Health due to delays in hiring and training staff.
The Medical Sobering Center at Gateway is now expected to begin operations around late summer. The center aims to provide 24-hour care for those struggling with addiction, offering a safe space to recover from intoxication and relieving strain on hospitals and jails. Patients will be able to stay up to 24 hours and connect with longer-term substance use resources, such as Bernalillo County’s CARE Campus.
“Four years ago, we identified an urgent need for services that uplift people out of homelessness,” Mayor Tim Keller said. “Today, these services are being realized through the Gateway Network, where we’re building a continuum of care that provides several pathways to housing.”
The Center is one of only 60 in the nation and the only Medical Sobering Center in New Mexico.
“A key component of opening a first-of-its-kind service is finding the right provider, which we’ve found in Horizons Services,” said Health, Housing and Homelessness Director Gilbert Ramirez. “They have the experience required to safely and efficiently open up this needed service, and unlock access to vital services that will support our community.”
NMED unveils draft rule to reduce carbon intensity of transportation fuels — Hannah Grover, NM.news
The New Mexico Environment Department released a draft rule this week to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels and petitioned the Environmental Improvement Board to adopt these regulations.
The draft rule comes after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a bill in 2024 that required a gradual reduction in the carbon intensity of transportation fuels.
The goal is to reduce the carbon intensity of fuel produced, imported or dispensed in New Mexico to at least 20% below the 2018 levels by 2030 and by at least 30% below 2018 levels by 2040.
“Under Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s leadership, New Mexico is diversifying its economy while addressing climate emissions — proving once again you don’t have to choose between the two,” Environment Secretary James Kenney said in a statement.
The draft regulations are intended to be technology-neutral and provide an offset market with credits to help businesses meet the requirements.
However, opponents say the clean transportation fuel standards could raise the price of gasoline and disproportionately harm low-income and rural communities.
Proponents say the regulations could help strengthen and diversify the economy by creating new opportunities in the alternative fuels market and by attracting investments in emerging industries such as hydrogen and propane produced from non-fossil fuel sources.
A public comment period will likely begin in mid-June and is anticipated to last 60 days.
States with similar regulations include California, Washington and Oregon.
‘Take a Ride on Us’ offering discounted Uber rides for Memorial Day weekend — NM.News
Three counties are once again partnering to offer free and safe rides for Memorial Day weekend through the “Take a Ride on Us” program.
The initiative encourages residents in Bernalillo, Sandoval and Santa Fe counties to plan ahead and avoid driving under the influence during the holiday.
From 10 a.m. on May 23 through 2 a.m. on May 27, riders can open the Uber app, tap “Vouchers”, and enter the code NMMD25 to receive up to $10 off two trips. The offer is valid for up to 2,500 rides and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The discount is limited to Uber rides and does not apply to Uber Eats orders or cover driver tips.
Created by Cumulus Media Albuquerque, “Take a Ride on Us” is made possible through a public-private partnership that includes Bernalillo County, Sandoval County, Santa Fe County, Glasheen Valles & Inderman Injury Lawyers, Sandia Resort & Casino and the New Mexico Department of Transportation. Since launching in 2017, the program has provided more than 61,000 safe rides in the Albuquerque metro area, helping to reduce impaired driving and keep local roads safe during holidays and special events.For more information about Bernalillo County’s DWI prevention program, click here.