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Marco Verch Professional Photographer CC2.0 license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0//https://foto.wuestenigel.com/women-intimate-hygiene-products-sanitary-pads-and-tampons-on-white-background/It’s the final week of the legislative session and numerous bills are making their rounds, including one to address period poverty by getting free period products into all public schools. Supporters say the issue directly affects the ability of young people to consistently access education. -
Alice Fordham/NM Legis livestream"This is simply an acknowledgement of conscience and the right to exercise that conscience in connection with the procedures for the end of life act that we adopted," said Sen. Joseph Cervantes.
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New Mexico’s long standing education challenges were made worse in the COVID-19 pandemic as chronic absenteeism soared. Forty percent of kids missed at least 10 days of school during the last academic year and some districts saw that rise to 66%. Lawmakers want to address these issues by adding additional learning hours, but some teachers say that could increase burnout. -
"In brief, this ensures that the state keeps a close eye on vulnerable newborns and the family receives the support they need to thrive," said sponsor Senator Gay Kernan (R-Hobbs)
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House Bill 7, sponsored by five Democratic legislators, passed the House on Tuesday night after about three hours of debate.
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As we approach the three-year anniversary of the start of the pandemic, New Mexico alone has reported just over 9,000 deaths. A local non-profit group, Marked by COVID, is at the Roundhouse this session to advocate for people who are grieving or need support as survivors.
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Teacher shortages were made especially acute by the pandemic. Last year Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham even turned to the National Guard for substitute teachers to fill vacancies around the state. Many educators have called it quits including who is now in New Mexico’s newest industry: cannabis.
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A bill that would make it a crime to negligently store a firearm so that it’s accessible to a minor has passed the state House of Representatives.
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Nationally, 1 in 5 teens cannot afford menstrual products and most have missed school as a result. To address the issue in New Mexico, youth advocates are working with lawmakers to create menstrual equity for every student in public school.
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Bills are heading to the legislature that would raise taxes on alcohol and tobacco. Advocates say the higher prices, and the prevention campaigns they’ll fund, will help curb use in a state that struggles with alcoholism and teen nicotine use. But some lawmakers pushed back on that assumption in a hearing of the Revenue Stabilization & Tax Policy Committee Tuesday.
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Three New Mexico counties — San Juan, Union, and Guadalupe — have high community levels of COVID-19, five less than the previous week according to the latest CDC data that accounts for hospitalization and case rates. But data on just the spread of the virus by itself shows nearly all of the state is bright red, indicating high transmission rates.
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Just like the rest of the country, New Mexico is still dealing with a triple-demic of COVID-19, RSV, and flu and doctors are reporting surges that haven’t been seen in the past two winters. However, on December 15th most PCR testing sites will officially close down as the state pivots to relying on at-home testing, but any delay in testing could lead to higher hospitalization numbers.
