DAILY DIGITAL EDITION | Tuesday, March 9, 2021
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We told you here first yesterday that Chuck Schumer was shuffling Senate schedules to line up several of President Biden’s high-profile nominees, including Deb Haaland, for final confirmation votes in the coming days.
Schumer is expected to file a cloture motion on Haaland today. That tees up a series of votes, waiting periods and debate before a final vote — most likely next Monday. If you are a Senate process nerd (and who isn’t!) we detail how those votes go and what to expect here:
Senate Moves to Vote on Haaland Confirmation Next Week
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is taking steps for the full Senate to take action […]
We also included a nifty “contact your Senator” tool in our story. Go use that now.
Meanwhile in the Roundhouse, it was health insurance day in the State House. Legislators passed two big changes to New Mexico health insurance laws that could help hundreds of thousands of uninsured access insurance and coverage.
State House Passes Two Big Changes to New Mexico Health Insurance
Both help uninsured access insurance and care.
Republicans in the State Senate used a procedural motion to tie up all State Senate business unless a bill allowing local governments to impose new environmental standards on big polluters was removed from debate. That’s a big story you don’t want to miss (more below!)
Watch this today in Santa Fe: The Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee is scheduled to finally take up House Bill 12, the bill seen as most-likely to legalize cannabis in this session. Here’s what you need to know:
- Policy advocates, including the Drug Policy Alliance, and a large majority of the state’s current medical cannabis producers will say they have agreed on amendments to: ensure some of the new revenue would go back into communities negatively impacted by the war on drugs, provide for home grow of a small number of plants, allow the industry to expand and put the brakes on oversupply that creates black markets. Whew. That’s a lot!
- But, but, but… one big producer is opposed to that compromise and the bill’s sponsors remain adamant that their original bill is best.
- The governor, so far, has not publicly weighed in but her staff has been intimately involved in brokering a compromise.
Expect a long debate and, perhaps, dueling amendments before a final vote. If proponents can get this through today it will head to the Senate Judiciary Committee where there will be one more round of amendments and fights before a floor vote with more amendments and fights with all the senators. Can they do all this in just 11 days? Today will be a big, big test.
In other news, President Biden asked governors to find ways to get kids back to school ASAP. Yesterday, New Mexico got started. Teachers are set to get the vaccine, students can resume school sports and schools can begin reopening on April 5th. Not everyone, including some school districts, is happy with that plan, though.
Today’s headlines in The Paper.
Senate GOP Stall Environmental Protections
A bill that would allow the state and certain local authorities to enact environmental protections […]
Bill Would Bar Protests Near Homes
In a world where protests and counter-protests are becoming more common, a pair of House […]
City Hall
Keller Nominates New Chief of APD
The search for the new Albuquerque Chief of Police is finally over. Mayor Tim Keller […]
It’s Official: Sheriff Gonzales Files to Run For Mayor of Albuquerque
Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales made it official last week. One of Donald Trump’s favorite […]
Around New Mexico
Full Reentry of Schools Set for April 5
In a news conference Monday, New Mexico Department of Education Secretary Ryan Stewart said he […]
Los Alamos Labs to Relocate Hundreds of Workers
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — One of the nation’s premier nuclear laboratories announced Monday that it […]
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