On this episode we talk about the promises and threats from private equity ownership in health care. New Mexico has the highest proportion of private equity- owned hospitals in the country and we’ve been named most at risk of further private equity takeovers. That's why lawmakers recently passed an oversight bill on hospital acquisitions and mergers.

On this episode we talk about the promises and threats from private equity ownership in health care. New Mexico has the highest proportion of private equity- owned hospitals in the country and we’ve been named most at risk of further private equity takeovers. That's why lawmakers recently passed an oversight bill on hospital acquisitions and mergers.

Nationwide schools are facing chronic absenteeism, and it’s even worse in New Mexico which saw the largest increase - of 119% from 2019 to 2023.

In 2018 a New Mexico judge ruled the state was failing to provide a constitutionally sufficient and equitable education to at-risk students. Years laters, the state is still out of compliance with that ruling and the plaintiffs have taken the case back to court.

In previous weeks we’ve explored the effects on our state of federal workforce reductions and likely federal funding cuts to Medicaid. Now prominent organizations like the New Mexico Humanities Council are reeling from cancelled federal grants. On the next Let’s Talk New Mexico, how will our non-profits endure big losses of federal funding promised by congress?

About a third of New Mexicans depend on medicaid to pay for health care. While our state legislature has signalled support by passing a bill to create a new medicaid trust fund, the United States congress is debating deep cuts to spending, including on medicaid. On the next Let’s Talk New Mexico, how would federal cuts affect health care in our state?

On the next Let’s Talk New Mexico, we’ll discuss the power of oil and gas in our statehouse and why legislators may not be willing to change rules for the industry that brings about a third of the state’s total revenue while being the top emitter of greenhouse gases.

We’ll reflect on the end of the 2025 legislative session by talking with journalists who followed all 60 days at the Roundhouse.

New Mexico’s Children, Youth, and Families Department has suffered decades of instability and the agency struggling to protect vulnerable youths. The governor and lawmakers are stressing urgency to address long standing issues, but the legislature has shown a break in trust by significantly cutting the agency’s requested budget. On the next Let’s Talk New Mexico, we’ll discuss legislative efforts for child welfare reform.

Psychedelics are gaining momentum as medicines to treat a variety of conditions such as addiction and PTSD, and New Mexico might become the third state to legalize medical psilocybin — the main ingredient in magic mushrooms.