SANTA FE – A new court-based program will assist New Mexicans facing the possible loss of housing during the pandemic and provide landlords with an alternative to evicting tenants unable to pay their rent.

The Eviction Prevention and Diversion Program will be piloted in the Ninth Judicial District of Curry and Roosevelt counties starting Feb. 1, and will be expanded statewide in March.

“Courts will provide trained facilitators in eviction cases to help landlords and tenants resolve disputes over rental payments,” Chief Justice Michael Vigil said Jan. 4 when he announced the program. “The goal is to negotiate a settlement acceptable to property owners and renters, allowing...

Twenty-four lawmakers signed on as supporters of the first-ever Electrification Caucus just before the end of 2021. The Caucus is only a little over a month old and was created to advance policies to accelerate widespread electrification, which includes lowering energy bills, improving air quality and public health, addressing the climate crisis, and creating jobs.

“We are building a strong coalition of leaders who are dedicated to lowering costs for American families and taking action to combat the climate crisis,” Sen. Martin Heinrich,D-N.M. stated. “Electrifying our homes, commercial buildings, and vehicles is one of the most practical actions we can take to insulate American...

Choices from the Chamber of Commerce to the Navajo Nation under consideration

The New Mexico Redistricting Committee is moving toward final choices for voting districts in N.M.

Early this year the N.M. State Legislature passed a Redistricting Act which, according to the Redistricting website, “empowers the committee to develop district maps that allow New Mexico voters to choose their elected representatives, not the other way around.”

The stated purpose of the committee is to perform the ten-year district realignment for the U. S. House of Representatives, the New Mexico Senate, the New Mexico House of Representatives, and the New Mexico Public Education Commission. At least three...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez met with White House officials, Congressional members, and federal agencies in Washington, D.C. this week, to garner support for infrastructure development, public safety facilities, veteran benefits, and health care resources for the Navajo people.

President Nez also testified before Congressional members on Capitol Hill, in support of the Native American Voting Rights Act, a bill that upholds and expands voting rights for all tribal nations across the country.

“As the largest tribal nation in the country, it’s important that we continue to have our voices heard in the White House and the halls of Congress to remind...