Calls for Romero resignation escalate
State Senate Minority Leader Bill Sharer is once again calling for Andrea Romero to resign from the legislature and the subcommittee investigating Zorro Ranch and Jeffrey Epstein. Romero is the chair of the Survivors' Truth Commission.
Sharer pointed to $100,000 in capital outlay funds that Romero sent to the local District Attorney's office during the 2026 legislative session. A couple of months after approving the funds Romero took a part-time job at the same DA's office.
Other legislators from the Santa Fe delegation sent capital outlay to the same DA's office. And a statement from House Democrats pointed out that Republican lawmakers have allocated capital outlay for school districts where they are employed.
But Sharer claimed that Romero's allocations point to a "pattern of corruption."
Romero currently faces ethics complaints for taking the job with the DA's office while serving as a lawmaker. Romero also raised Republican eyebrows when she used a Truth Commission PR firm to address the personal employment drama.
Large solar on Navajo Nation leaves residents skeptical
Renewable energy development has become more important on the Navajo Nation since coal-related revenue has dwindled in recent years.
But some Navajo citizens are raising concerns about renewable projects. They say they're seeing patterns that were troublesome with coal projects- extractive practices, little community benefit and a lack of transparency.
One Coalmine Canyon Chapter member told High Country News that a large solar project currently proposed is a Trojan Horse.
The Painted Desert Power project originally aimed to cover 1,000 acres of rangeland in solar panels. The project has since expanded to 4,000 acres.
The company behind the project said it held more than 70 chapter and community meetings before the land lease received tribal approval.
Among the community's concerns are the fact that power generated will bypass local needs and feed into a larger grid and uncertainty if the project's lease payments will reach the community.
Read this in-depth report from High Country News here.
New Mexico tribe and pueblos wrap up case that Kalshi sports betting hurts their sovereignty
Closing arguments in a federal lawsuit against online prediction market Kalshi wrapped up on Friday. The Mescalero Apache Tribe and the Pojoaque, Sandia and Isleta Pueblos brought the case. They allege that Kalshi violates tribal gaming compacts and federal law.
The gaming platform provides access to sports gambling in New Mexico to anyone over 18. The gaming compacts and federal law require gamblers to be over 21 and to place bets in person at tribally owned casinos.
The lawsuit argues that Kalshi is hurting gambling revenues that fund tribal schools and other services.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez also sued the company in state court in June. He argued that Kalshi contributes to addictive gambling, creating a public nuisance.
More from Source NM here.
Taos health clinic will close its doors
The shortage of doctors and options for healthcare is widespread in New Mexico. Conditions in Taos will likely get worse in the near future. Taos Whole Health Integrative Care announced that it will close its doors in October.
A letter to patients said the closure is due to provider shortages. The Taos News reports that a potential transfer of ownership fell through and three providers at the facility resigned.
The care center changed ownership and locations in 2023. At the time, administrator Douglas Peterson told the Taos News that facility was QUOTE "going from good to great."
Taos Whole Health practices functional medicine- blending modern medicine and diagnostics with naturopathy and Chinese medicine.
