On Thursday, the state interim Investments and Pensions Oversight Committee held their first meeting since this year's legislative session where they reviewed performance of state funds.

State lawmakers have given the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish a new name, a new mission, new leadership and a boost in funding to expand its role. The sweeping law enacted in March puts New Mexico at the forefront of a growing movement to rethink states’ traditional model of wildlife management.

May 5th marks the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People across the country. In Albuquerque, the Indian Affairs Department held an event on Monday at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center where families of the missing, state officials and advocates came together to bring awareness to the ongoing crisis.

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.

State legislators’ first attempt to pass a bill providing oversight of hospital mergers, acquisitions and private equity takeovers failed in the face of overwhelming industry opposition. They then successfully scrambled to get a second — less controversial — bill passed before the session closed. With the Governor's signature, the state will now have permanent protection, but some lawmakers worry the final bill might have too many concessions

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?

During the past legislative session, there were a number of efforts to change how the political body works. Those included bills to pay members of the only unpaid legislature in the country and altering the length of the annual sessions. But only one passed – House Joint Resolution 2, which would require New Mexico governors to give reasons behind a pocket veto.

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?

Thousands of New Mexicans gathered Saturday in downtown Albuquerque to oppose the Trump Administration. The event was one of about a dozen in New Mexico and many more nationwide.