Update

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday announced her pick to lead a new statewide independent child welfare watchdog office: Dawn Walters, an attorney who heads the Office of Advocacy at the New Mexico’s Children, Youth and Families Department.

New Mexico’s utility regulators have asked a San Juan County judge to order a third party takeover of private water utility Rosa Joint Ventures after allegations the utility did not turn over ownership under a prior agreement and failed to pay $275,000 in state fines.

A protest of approximately 20 people outside of a federal immigration detention center Friday afternoon on Albuquerque’s south side sparked several physical confrontations, resulted in the detention of two protestors and ended after federal officials threatened the crowd with arrest if they didn’t disperse.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday appointed Rex Wilson, a former healthcare administrator and longtime rancher, to assume a vacant state Senate seat ahead of the upcoming legislative session.

State legislative leaders on Wednesday released a budget proposal that fails to fully fund one of outgoing New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s signature policies: universal child care for families with young children.

The New Mexico Department of Justice is reviewing whether the Torrance County Commission violated the state Open Meetings Act last week when it quickly approved a contract extension enabling a federal agency to continue housing immigrant detainees at a local jail, an NMDOJ spokesperson told Source New Mexico.

Cecily Barker was named to the interim role last week. The move follows the retirement of Harold Medina, a 30-year law enforcement veteran who spent more than four years as police chief.

In Legislative Finance Committee hearings in November and December, state agencies presented their funding requests to lawmakers and repeatedly faced warnings: The state is at its lowest point for “recurring funds” — which refers to ongoing spending, such as increasing the number of full-time employees at a state agency — since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senate Bill 120 requires health insurance plans to continue to cover the full cost of behavioral health services. The measure was part of a larger suite of behavioral health bills passed by the Legislature during the regular 60-day session in 2025.

Ryan Berryman has been named New Mexico’s interim athletic director following Fernando Lovo’s departure for the University of Colorado, the school announced Tuesday.