Poll finds PNM takeover unpopular
A new poll from advocacy group Public Power New Mexico found that 2/3 of voters oppose the proposed Blackstone takeover of PNM, the state's largest electric utility.
In a webinar last week, Santa Fe County Commissioner Camilla Bustamante said the results were not surprising.
"The only shareholders in our system should be the people using the system," she said. "I think it's quite frightening to many people who are concerned that the stockholders are going to be the ones to make the decisions."
State Senator Harold Pope said the proposed utility takeover is part of a bigger private equity trend.
"This is just a huge issue," he said. "Things that are a necessity—Wall Street wants to profiteer off of these things."
Pope also mentioned private equity involvement in housing and healthcare.
Epstein commission seat will remain vacant
New Mexico Speaker of the House Javier Martinez announced Friday that he will not replace the vacant seat on the Survivors' Truth Commission. That's the bipartisan subcommittee tasked with investigating Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch property in Santa Fe County.
Republican Andrea Reeb resigned from the subcommittee and her role as a legislator earlier this month. A judge found that Reeb's position as a lawmaker conflicted with her serving as a special prosecutor in a case against actor Alec Baldwin.
House Democrats said in a statement that the commission's remaining work does not require filling the vacant seat. Republican Bill Hall and Democrats Andrea Romero and Marianna Anaya remain on the commission.
In statement Friday, House Republican Leader Gail Armstrong criticized Martinez for not filling the seat.
Lawmakers hear pitch to support Indigenous entrepreneurs
Indigenous entrepreneurs addressed the Economic and Rural Development and Policy Committee last week. They told the interim legislative committee that Indigenous-owned businesses can help diversify the state's economy, but Native business owners face unique challenges.
New Mexico In Depth reports that one major roadblock is that homes on Tribal lands can't be used as collateral for start-up loans. The protection is meant to keep banks from foreclosing on Native-owned land. But it makes it harder for Native homeowners to pursue traditional lines of credit.
One proposed solution is hiring Tribal liaisons that can point business owners to resources that are available- things like training and technical assistance.
A Tribal liaison pilot program showed promise but federal funding ended last year.
Stockyards in New Mexico that had closed due to the New World screwworm outbreak are bustling again
Stockyards in New Mexico that had closed due to the New World screwworm outbreak are bustling again. The gates at the Columbus port of entry opened Monday, marking the first time since 2024 that Mexican cattle have crossed there.
The Associated Press reports that it's the third port to reopen since August as the U.S. Department of Agriculture works with Mexican officials to standardize cross-border biosecurity rules. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the new framework means the U.S. and Mexico are better prepared for other future biological threats.
In this case, the playbook includes expanded surveillance, multiple layers of cattle inspections and the release of more than 1.6 billion sterile flies across the region.
