Gov. Lujan Grisham

New Mexico will funnel millions of dollars into its universal free child care program over the next five years as it becomes the first state to tackle such an initiative.

New Mexico lawmakers took on a lengthy to-do list during the legislative session that wrapped late last week, passing laws related to medical malpractice, immigration detention facilities and election security.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Gene Grant’s appointment to lead the NM Office of African American Affairs on Wednesday. He previously spent nearly two decades as host of “New Mexico in Focus” on the local PBS affiliate.

It is unclear who is on a state advisory council on missing and murdered Indigenous people announced nearly eight months ago by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham amid upset over her decision to disband a task force focused on the crisis.

Federal officials announced yesterday that the Rio Grande chub and Rio Grande shiner do not warrant listing under the Endangered Species Act. Plus, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Thursday afternoon the launch of a new Wildfire Dashboard.

A brand-new facility that will treat mental health emergencies will begin taking patients on Tuesday June 18, and some of the state’s top officials celebrated the center in a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday.

In a meeting lasting just 30 minutes, the Senate Conservation Committee resuscitated a tabled bill prioritized by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and passed it along Wednesday morning to the Senate Finance Committee on a 5-3 “no recommendation” vote.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham flew to Australia earlier this month with an oil and gas lobbyist and the head of a natural gas industry group to speak at a hydrogen conference. The trip came after a week of whiplash hydrogen news in the state, with a panel recommending money for hydrogen projects, the federal government snubbing a New Mexico-led regional hydrogen hub proposal and a state agency releasing a rosy outlook for the carbon sequestration needed for hydrogen production.

The KUNM News Department is continuing to update these lists with resources related to the fires in NM, including the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak

Despite some limitations, the expanded Opportunity Scholarship is among the nation's most generous - if not the most generous - programs to support college tuition for a broad range of students.