With Gov.-elect Haaland watching closely, state early childhood agency proposes co-pay structure
– Dan Boyd, Albuquerque Journal
Families in New Mexico’s state-paid childcare program could soon face monthly co-pays of up to $148.50 under rules proposed by outgoing Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration to comply with a provision in a new state law.
A state Early Childhood Education and Care Department official said a date for when the co-pays will be imposed has not yet been set, but added impacted families would receive at least 90 days’ notice. That means the required payments would not take effect until 2027 — after Gov.-elect Deb Haaland takes office.
ECECD spokeswoman Julia Sclafani also said only about 10% of families enrolled in the first-of-its-kind universal child care program would be affected. Statewide, more than 50,000 children are now receiving state-paid childcare, according to ECECD data, up from about 33,000 before the program’s launch.
New Mexico became the first state to launch a universal childcare initiative last year, but the program’s cost — and it’s long-term financial sustainability — has been closely scrutinized both within the state and outside its borders.
For more information on this story, visit the Albuquerque Journal website.
US Senate advances New Mexico US Sen. Heinrich’s controversial permit reform bill
– Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
New Mexico U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich’s permitting reform bill is one step closer to becoming law after clearing a key U.S. Senate procedural vote Monday evening.
The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, which Heinrich, a Democrat, has championed alongside a bipartisan group of senators, aims to hasten federal environmental reviews of energy projects. The legislation has received widespread criticism, including from fellow members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation, over provisions they will weaken environmental protections and exclude tribes from meaningful impact.
The U.S. Senate voted 73-25 to end debate on the bill, which requires 60 “yes” votes. The bill now heads to the Senate floor, where senators can add additional amendments, before a final floor vote expected in the coming days.
Members of the All Pueblo Council of Governors, which represent New Mexico Pueblos, flew to Washington, D.C. on Monday to urge senators to vote against the bill. They say the bill, even an amended version Heinrich and cosponsors released Saturday, makes harmful developments on sacred sites more likely. New Mexico Gov.-elect Deb Haaland also opposed the amended bill, as did state Attorney General Raúl Torrez in a letter to US Senate leaders signed by several other state’s attorneys general.
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) cast one of the “no” votes. He said in a statement Monday that while he supports facilitating the faster development of clean energy and infrastructure projects, he shares the concerns expressed by tribal leaders and environmentalists.
“After spending the last month listening to these concerns, I cannot support advancing the bill in its current form,” he said. “I remain committed to working with my colleagues to address these concerns, make meaningful improvements, and get this right.”
Other members of Congress said they oppose the bill out of concern they cannot trust President Donald Trump’s administration to make good on its commitments to help renewable energy projects receive permits along with fossil fuel projects like pipelines.
While senators were casting votes Monday, Trump held a news conference in which he announced that he fully supported the permitting reform bill, but also that he would not approve any new wind turbines, which the bill seeks to encourage.
“The bill hasn’t been fully negotiated,” he told reporters, according to The Hill. “I will not approve wind turbines because wind turbines are a major loser.”
The vote comes after Heinrich and cosponsor U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) held a news conference Monday morning urging their fellow senators to support the bill. Heinrich said the bill, if passed, would reduce energy costs at a time when many Americans are frustrated with rising prices, as well as hold data centers financially liable for new costs they impose on energy grids.
The vote to advance the bill prompted swift rebuke from the Western Environmental Law Center. Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, the center’s executive director, said in a statement Monday that the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives should wait to consider the bill until January, when a new Democratic majority would have a “constructive conversation” about build out renewable energy infrastructure.
“The false urgency imposed on senators by the bill’s sponsors exists for only one reason—to minimize scrutiny and prevent lawmakers and Americans from understanding the enormity of BAAJA’s power transfer away from the people and to the oligarch class,” he said.
If the bill passes the U.S. Senate, it would then head to the U.S. House.
Floods bring rare relief to US Southwest reservoirs as Lake Powell rises 20 feet
– By Wufei Yu, Associated Press
Recent flooding across the U.S. Southwest is providing rare relief to thirsty reservoirs that had fallen to record lows amid a yearslong megadrought.
Storms in late October and early November sent torrents of water through normally small or dry creeks that overflowed their banks and flooded local communities.
Hundreds of people were told to evacuate, and the flooding cut off access to some areas. Yet most of that water will end up feeding depleted lakes and underground aquifers, said Martin Hoerling, a climate scientist and hydrologist at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
"That's somewhat of an unexpected boost from Mother Nature," Hoerling said.
Last winter's lackluster snowfall did little to recharge water bodies when it melted in the spring and summer, when they typically get their biggest bump of the year.
Then came the chaotic climate phenomenon, El Niño, that has intensified heavy rain and floods. Experts say its impacts will last several more months, potentially further boosting water supplies across the West where water primarily is stored in lakes, aquifers and snowpack.
Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir in the U.S., rose more than 20 feet (6.1 meters) from its mid-September low — dwarfing its gains from this year's snowmelt, Hoerling said. Still, the lake remained just over a quarter full, and 15 of its 17 boat launches remained unusable as of Friday.
The floodwaters and additional rain could raise the lake along the Arizona-Utah border further, for a total of over 1.2 million acre-feet — enough to support around 4 million average families for a year, Hoerling estimated.
Rain brings temporary relief to regional and local water supplies
Cities in the region reported some of their wettest weather in decades.
Before storms began dumping about 7 inches (17.78 centimeters) of rain around Pagosa Springs, Colorado, in October, more than 10,000 people in the town and surrounding communities were under water restrictions. Restaurants were encouraged to serve water only on request, town manager David Harris said. Those restrictions are now lifted.
"While the storm was destructive, I think there is a silver lining," Harris said. "You're getting a good start to the winter snowpack in the higher elevations."
Upper Lake Mary, which captures spring snowmelt in Northern Arizona and supplies Flagstaff, Arizona, with up to 40% of its water, received more than 3 billion gallons of water since early October, said Flagstaff water production manager Brian Huntzinger.
Storms last weekend dumped the equivalent of more than two years of water into the town's surface water supply and provided a buffer for an operation that depends heavily on underground aquifers, Huntzinger said.
"It's just a great, great thing to see," Huntzinger said. "We might be overflowing at this rate before we see any snow fly."
In central Arizona, heavy floodwaters that trapped people in their homes gushed into streams that feed the Verde River. That prompted water officials to release water from two nearly full dams into the Verde's normally dry stretch in metro Phoenix, said Bo Svoma, the principal meteorologist at the Salt River Project that manages reservoirs on the Salt and Verde rivers.
Wet weather is unlikely to change decisions on the Colorado River
The region remains in drought despite the intense rains.
And decisions have already been made to divvy up water in the Colorado River basin. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which manages reservoirs in the West, is unlikely to change its water releases from Lake Powell or other areas until it knows when snowpack has peaked, typically around April, said Jack Schmidt, a Utah State University professor who studies the Colorado River.
Reclamation spokesperson Mary Carlson acknowledged conditions have improved but added "considerable uncertainty remains."
Under the federal plan for managing the Colorado River's Lower Basin, California, Nevada and Arizona will collectively reduce water use by 1.25 million acre-feet (about 1.54 billion cubic meters) annually in the next two years. That is enough to fill over 600,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, with the possibility of larger cuts depending on conditions.
Nevada and Arizona are challenging the plan in court.
Some Arizona cities have agreed to fund preliminary work to reduce reliance on the Colorado River by expanding an existing dam on the Verde River to capture runoff from storms, Svoma said.
"We need to figure out how to be resilient in a drier future. And we're not quite there yet," Hoerling said.
Feds launch investigations into Albuquerque, Santa Fe schools’ gender identity policies
– Matt Mondschein, Source New Mexico
The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday that it launched investigations into the Albuquerque and Santa Fe Public School districts, alleging their gender-identity and expression policies violate federal family education and privacy law.
The federal agency instructed its Student Privacy Policy Office to investigate whether policies regarding student gender identity at the Albuquerque and Santa Fe public school districts violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, according to anews release.
Specifically, the U.S. Department of Education alleges that a district social worker with the Albuquerque Public Schools was “prevented from sharing ‘gender identity’ information with parents,” due to APS’ non-discrimination rule regarding gender identity and expression, which mandates that schools use a student’s chosen name and directs schools to separate a student’s preferred name and gender in informal records, while referring to their legal name in permanent records that are made available to parents.
In an emailed statement, APS Senior Director of Communications Martin Salazar responded to the allegations on behalf of the district and APS board: “APS policies and procedures adhere to FERPA guidelines. We have been notified of the investigation and will respond through the appropriate channels.”
The ED and U.S. Department of Justice sent letters on Oct. 5, 2026, to all state Attorneys General, pointing them to recent federal guidance and expressing “concerns about their school districts’ lack of compliance with these federal laws regarding mental health screenings conducted in schools.”
The New Mexico Office of the Attorney General confirmed receipt of the letter to Source NM.
In addition, the ED says it has received reports from parents in Santa Fe who alleged that “the school district utilized ‘gender support plans’ without their consent or knowledge.” The ED cited a form titled “Name and Pronoun Info Sheet” that asks students what they’d like to be referred to in class. The form, the ED says, explicitly states that the teacher will keep what the students filled out confidential from parents.
An SFPS spokesperson sent Source NM a statement that said the district has not been notified of an investigation.
“Santa Fe Public Schools remains committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and respectful learning environment where every student feels valued and supported.
“Should we receive an official inquiry, we will respond appropriately and cooperate with the process. We recognize and respect the essential role parents and guardians play in their children’s lives and education. Our district policies and procedures reflect that commitment, including requiring parental involvement and consent for changes to a student’s name or gender marker in our official student information system.
“We remain committed to following applicable state and federal laws while fostering strong partnerships between our schools and families. Our focus continues to be on what matters most: supporting our students, partnering with families, and creating schools where every child can learn, grow, and thrive.”
Since taking office last year, President Donald Trump has signed numerous orders targeting transgender rights.
“Policies designed to conceal or hide the most sensitive information about a child’s well-being not only violate federal law but also educators’ moral obligation to let parents be the first decision-makers in their child’s lives,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement. “We will vigorously investigate these allegations and hold districts accountable to bring parents out of the dark.”
The news release also says the department is taking action against two Pennsylvania school districts, and partnering with the U.S. Department of Justice in one instance for an enforcement action.
