Doug Turner

Last week, the voters of New Mexico’s Republican Party made their choice, and I respect it completely. Gregg Hull ran a strong race, and I congratulate him sincerely. Politics is competitive, and in a three-way contest, not everyone can win. But I want to be clear about something: my faith in this state — in its people, its potential, and its future — has not dimmed by a single degree.

I got into this race late, and for reasons that were deeply personal. After losing my wife Mala to breast cancer in January of last year, my first instinct was to step back from the world and focus on my family. My children needed me. I needed them. But somewhere in those quiet, hard months, I kept coming back to the same thought: what kind of New Mexico were we leaving them?

It was actually my 16-year-old daughter who pushed me off the fence. She asked me if I would regret not running. She was right to ask. And no — I don’t regret a single day of it.

What this campaign taught me

I traveled this state from the oil fields of the Permian Basin, to Albuquerque’s South Valley to the ranches of Lincoln County. Everywhere I found the same thing: New Mexicans who are proud of where they live and frustrated that their state keeps falling short of what it could be.

We are a state of extraordinary natural wealth and human talent. We have one of the most culturally rich histories in the entire country. We sit at the crossroads of a rapidly evolving energy economy — one where oil and gas revenues are funding our schools even as the next generation of energy infrastructure is being built all around us. We have universities producing world-class researchers. And we have small business owners who are tough, creative and tolerant of our challenging business environment because they love it here.

And yet: our kids still rank near the bottom nationally in reading and math. Too many of our families are leaving for Texas, Arizona, Colorado — anywhere they feel their children will have a better shot. Our tax burden discourages exactly the kind of entrepreneurial energy that could transform our economy. We have been, for too long, a state that accepts mediocrity as the price of stability.

That is not the New Mexico I believe in.

What I hope this fall brings

I didn’t agree with Gregg on everything, but I watched him campaign with discipline and seriousness. The Republican coalition that showed up across this primary, including the voters in rural and southeastern New Mexico who supported our campaign, is broad and energized. That energy doesn’t belong to any one candidate but to the ideas we share.

And those ideas are worth fighting for. School choice isn’t a political abstraction — it is the most direct lever we have for breaking the cycle of poverty that has held too many New Mexican families back for generations. Meaningful tax relief isn’t a giveaway to the wealthy — it is an invitation to entrepreneurs and innovators who are choosing to build their companies somewhere else. Smart development of our energy resources isn’t a concession to the past — it is the bridge that funds our future while we build it.

These aren’t my ideas alone. They are what I heard from New Mexicans, in their own words, at every stop along the way.

A personal note

Running for governor while grieving, while raising three kids, while building a business — it was, to put it mildly, a lot. I am grateful beyond words for every volunteer who knocked on doors, every donor who believed in the vision, and every New Mexican who looked me in the eye and said: we need something different.

To my children: you watched your father bet on himself and on this state at a hard moment in our lives. I hope you saw something worth seeing. I hope you saw that showing up matters — even when you don’t win.

The New Mexico I see

Close your eyes and picture it. A state where a child born in Gallup or Hobbs or Espanola has the same shot at a great education as one born anywhere else in America. A state where a young entrepreneur with a good idea doesn’t feel the pull of Austin or Phoenix the moment she starts thinking about scaling up. A state where our breathtaking land and sky are stewarded wisely — not locked away, not recklessly extracted, but managed with the long view in mind by people who live here. A state that takes its seat at the table of the new American economy — in data infrastructure, energy, in advanced manufacturing, defense and security and more — rather than watching others build it somewhere else.

That New Mexico is not a fantasy. It is a choice. And the people of this state, given the chance, will choose it. Of that I have never been more certain.

Doug Turner ran for the GOP nomination for governor in the June Primary, losing to Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull.

The post Doug Turner: “Why I’m still all in” appeared first on Artesia Daily Press.

Bruce Lesman

There’s something about ribs that makes people slow down. They stop talking, they stop checking their phones, and they suddenly become very serious about food. These ribs do exactly that. They’re lacquered in a glossy glaze of sweet orange, savory soy, garlic, and the smoky warmth of Hatch green chiles. The result is sticky, tangy, and just spicy enough to keep you reaching for one more rib.

Paired with them is an old-school creamy eggy potato salad—rich, tangy, and comforting in the way only a proper potato salad can be. The richness of the eggs and mayonnaise softens the chile heat and makes this a complete, deeply satisfying plate.

ORANGE, SOY & HATCH CHILE GLAZED BABY BACK RIBS

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 racks baby back pork ribs

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

Glaze

¾ cup fresh orange juice

Zest of 1 orange

½ cup soy sauce

½ cup honey

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup rice vinegar

3 tablespoons ketchup

3 tablespoons minced roasted Hatch green chiles

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon sesame oil

CREAMY EGG POTATO SALAD

2½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes

6 large eggs

¾ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

½ cup celery

½ cup red onion

2 tablespoons fresh dill

Salt and black pepper

Bruce Lesman is a food columnist and culinary creative known for indulgent desserts, classic Americana, and home‑style comfort food. He resides in Nogal, New Mexico. Bruce’s prior positions have been Corporate Food & Beverage Director, Cunard and Seabourn Cruise Lines, Lead Culinary Consultant, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Vice President, Canyon Ranch Wellness Resorts.

The post CULINARY CONFIDENTIAL: Orange & Hatch Chile Glazed Baby Back Ribs will make you want more appeared first on Artesia Daily Press.

Sen. Pat Boone

Thirty-two thousand young New Mexicans between the ages of 16 and 24 are neither working nor in school. That is not a statistic. That is a failure, and we need to own it.

A recent Legislative Finance Committee report laid out the numbers. But numbers do not capture what is really happening: a generation is being lost on our watch, and the leadership that has been running this state for decades has no serious answer for it.

We did not lower expectations by accident. We did it deliberately, gradually, and called it compassion. For generations, young New Mexicans worked after school, learned trades, helped on ranches, and understood that a life worth living required effort. Somewhere along the way, we decided that was too much to ask. We softened the standards, excused the absences, and built systems designed to catch people rather than challenge them. We shouldn’t be surprised by the results.

The problem is not a lack of opportunity. The problem is a lack of leadership willing to demand that young people seize it.

New Mexico already has Career Technical Education programs, generous scholarship funding through the Lottery and Opportunity Scholarships, and community colleges with real pathways into real careers. Businesses across the state in healthcare, agriculture, construction, and energy are begging for workers. Those jobs exist today. And yet 32,000 young people are not connected to any of it. That disconnection did not happen by accident. It happened because our state’s leadership chose, year after year, to lower the bar rather than raise it.

New Mexico deserves leaders who will tell young people the truth: that opportunity without effort is worthless, and that this state has been underestimating them for too long. We need earlier career exposure, more hands-on learning, more trade pathways, and leaders who are not afraid to expect more.

Thirty-two thousand is not acceptable. Not in a state that has poured money into education and workforce programs for decades. The opportunities exist. The failure is in the leadership that never demanded they be used. It is time for that to change, and time for the people who allowed this to get so bad to answer for it.

New Mexico Sen. Pat Boone represents the state’s 7th Senate District, containing portions of Curry, Harding, Quay and Union counties.

The post State Sen. Pat Boone: New Mexico failed 32k young people. State needs to own it appeared first on Artesia Daily Press.

Adrian Hedden
Carlsbad Current-Argus
achedden@currentargus.com

Concern that public lands could be sold to industry led U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez to try to limit the practice via a bill in Congress.

Vasquez (D-NM) represents New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District, which encompasses most of the southern portion of the state including the Permian Basin oilfield to the southeast.

He’s seeking reelection in the Nov. 3 general election against GOP nominee Gregory Cunningham, a former deputy with the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office.

Vasquez is also co-chair of the House Public Lands Caucus, alongside former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke (R-MT). The caucus is a bipartisan coalition of House members focused on legislation related to public lands policy across the U.S.

In Vasquez’s district, more than half of the oil and gas production that drives about half of the state’s revenue occurs on federal public land leased and managed by the Bureau of Land Management, a subagency of the Department of Interior.

The Public Lands Integrity Act, which Vasquez introduced Friday, June 5, would make it more difficult to sell those lands. The bill was cosponsored by Vasquez, Democratic Reps. Joe Neguse of Colorado and Dina Titus of Nevada, and Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani from Arizona.

If passed, the bill would block any provision involving the sale or transfer of federal public land from being included in the budget reconciliation process, which is used by congressional committees to propose amendments to the annual federal budget.

The action would mean such a measure would require 60 votes in the Senate to take effect, rather than the simple majority of 51 votes required to pass a reconciliation bill.

Reconciliation bills also go through an expedited process that bypasses a required one-day delay in voting on a bill after it is introduced. In addition, senators are barred from stalling the bill by debating a motion to proceed.

Debate on a reconciliation bill is limited to 20 hours.

If passed, Vasquez’s bill would dictate that any public land sales would be considered “extraneous” under a section of the Congressional Budget Act known as the “Byrd Rule.” The rule details reasons why a proposal would be blocked from the reconciliation process.

Included are clauses that the measure is considered extraneous if it does not produce changes in revenues or spending, is outside the authority of the committee proposing the clause or increases the deficit beyond the years covered by the budget at issue.

Under Vasquez’s bill, the sale, transfer or disposal of public lands would be included in the Byrd Rule.

Vasquez said a public lands sale should go through the consideration of the full Congress, not through the expedited budget process.

“Public lands are America’s best idea, and they belong to all of us and must remain in the public trust,” Vasquez said. “Treating public lands as another item on a balance sheet goes against the will of the people, and Americans have made it clear that our public lands are not for sale.”

Zinke, who did not sign on as a sponsor but voiced support for the bill, said it would prevent any lawmaker from “circumventing” the traditional procedure requiring a two-thirds vote of the Senate to sell public lands.

“Any proposal involving the future of America’s public lands deserves full public debate, conducted in the light of day and with the highest level of scrutiny,” Zinke said in a statement. “This bill helps ensure that the public will always have a seat at the table when it comes to protecting our public lands.”

Concerns for public land ‘sell-off’

The bill was the latest manifestation of concerns by conservationists and members of Congress that Republicans, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and recently confirmed Bureau of Land Management Director Steve Pearce, intended to permanently sell lands managed by the federal government to private companies.

Last June, the GOP-led Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee proposed a reconciliation bill during the budget process that would have made 250 million acres of public land in the American West – including 14 million acres in New Mexico – eligible for sale, according to a report from national conservation group the Wilderness Society.

But during his February confirmation hearing before that same committee, Pearce, a former Republican congressman representing the same district as Vasquez, said he did not believe the Interior Department planned “large scale” public lands sales and he would look to Congress for guidance on future direction and policies.

“From my time in office, I know that I would have understood better than another director of the BLM the sensitivity of this piece of land or that piece of land,” Pearce said.

Burgum and Scott Turner, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, formed a joint task force in March 2025 aimed at finding “underused federal properties” that the agencies could “transfer or lease” to other entities to build housing developments, according to a Burgum and Turner commentary published in the Wall Street Journal.

“Working together, our agencies can take inventory of underused federal properties, transfer or lease them to states or localities to address housing needs, and support the infrastructure required to make development viable – all while ensuring affordability remains at the core of the mission,” the Cabinet members wrote.

Such proposals drew outcry from Democrats who accused the GOP of attempting to sell off public land to fund other spending initiatives such as increased border security and immigration enforcement.

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), who is the ranking member of the energy and natural resources committee and opposed Pearce’s confirmation because “he called for the selling off of public lands,” cosponsored the Senate version of the bill.

“The Public Lands Integrity Act will protect access to our public lands by preventing Senate Republicans from selling them off to bankroll massive, unchecked spending on ICE and Border Patrol – or to finance future tax giveaways for their billionaire donors,” Heinrich said.

Managing Editor Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.

The post Rep. Gabe Vasquez wants to restrict public land sales, introduces federal legislation appeared first on Artesia Daily Press.

Adrian Hedden
Artesia Daily Press
achedden@currentargus.com

Federal officials touted higher-level nuclear waste shipments to a repository near Carlsbad from Idaho, amid concerns that too much waste was coming from out of state.

Idaho National Laboratory announced on May 12 the resumption of shipments of “remote-handled” waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for the first time since 2014.

At WIPP, the Energy Department disposes of transuranic nuclear waste (TRU), which is clothing materials, equipment and other debris irradiated during nuclear activities.

The waste is buried at WIPP in a salt deposit about 2,000 feet underground. The salt gradually collapses on the waste, burying the refuse and blocking radiation from escaping.

Remote-handled waste carries a higher dose of radiation, 200 millirems or more per hour. It was traditionally handled only via machine due to its higher dose than that of “contact-handled” waste, which is less than 200 millirems per hour.

Contact-handled waste makes up about 96% of the refuse disposed of at WIPP, read a news release from the Department of Energy.

A standard TV screen emits about one millirem of radiation per hour, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Resumption of remote-handled waste shipments to WIPP follows regulators’ 2024 approval of a new, shielded container allowing workers to emplace the waste alongside contact-handled waste. Remote-handled waste previously had to be placed in boreholes drilled into the walls of the WIPP underground.

“The shipment represents a significant step forward in advancing the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Environmental Management mission, emphasizing the remediation of contaminated sites and the safe, permanent disposal of transuranic waste,” said Nick Balsmeir, manager of the department’s Idaho Cleanup Project.

“These efforts align with DOE’s vision of sustainability while safeguarding the environment for future generations.”

Dan Coyne, president and program manager of Idaho Environmental Coalition, the contractor overseeing cleanup operations at Idaho National Laboratory, said the resumption of remote-handled waste shipments drew the facility one step closer to disposing of its nuclear waste.

“Resuming remote-handled transuranic waste shipments is about more than safely moving waste – it’s about fulfilling our promises to the state of Idaho, reducing risks to the environment and demonstrating progress that matters to the community and the nation,” Coyne said.

Too much waste from outside New Mexico?

Under a 1995 settlement agreement with the state of Idaho, the U.S. Department of Energy agreed to reserve about half of WIPP’s shipment capacity for the Idaho lab.

That’s reflected in federal shipment records, which as of May 30 show Idaho accounted for 7,823 shipments to WIPP since it opened in 1999, about 52% of the total 14,807 shipments received during the facility’s lifetime.

WIPP’s primary waste shipper from within the state is Los Alamos National Laboratory, which sent 1,827 shipments, or about 12% of the total in the 27 years since disposal operations began.

The large portion of out-of-state waste coming to WIPP is a problem for the New Mexico Environment Department, which oversees the federal government’s state permit to operate the repository.

On April 23, the environment department proposed an amendment to its WIPP permit, requiring that 55% of waste shipments to the repository come from Los Alamos from 2027 to 2031, and 75% starting in 2032.

By 2028, all waste stored at the surface of Los Alamos must be sent to WIPP, under the proposal.

The public comment period for the proposal was recently extended, giving those for or against the amendment until June 22 to submit their remarks online.

As of June 3, there were 480 comments submitted both for and against.

The proposal could create “operational uncertainty,” wrote Scott Lopez in his May 27 comments. Lopez is executive director of the New Mexico Nuclear Alliance, a Santa Fe-based nonprofit that advocates for the nuclear industry throughout the state.

Requiring that a higher percentage of the waste at WIPP originate at Los Alamos could have the effect of reducing overall shipments, Lopez wrote, potentially disrupting cleanup of other sites around the country.

“Maintaining a predictable and efficient operational framework is essential not only for the success of the nation’s transuranic waste disposal mission, but also for preserving economic confidence in southeastern New Mexico communities that have supported this mission for decades,” Lopez wrote.

The Santa Fe County Commission supported the modification and the state’s efforts to require more disposal of waste from Los Alamos, according to public comments signed and submitted by the commission on May 28.

Commissioners noted the proximity of their constituents to Los Alamos, potentially putting them at risk if an extreme weather event in the area occurred and impacted waste stored at the lab.

“The residents of Santa Fe County are entitled to clean air and clean water, and to confidence that the federal government will honor its commitments to New Mexico,” read the statement. “These modifications represent a necessary and long-overdue step toward fulfilling the cleanup commitments that accompanied WIPP’s opening in 1999.”

Managing Editor Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.

The post Idaho sending more radioactive waste to WIPP for the first time in 12 years appeared first on Artesia Daily Press.

Staff Reports

A dog in Eunice was infected with a parasite that could spread to cattle, and prove fatal to New Mexico livestock.

The announcement of the New World Screwworm’s infestation in New Mexico was made Monday, June 8, hours before members of the state’s Cattle Growers’ Association gathered for a meeting at the Ruidoso Convention Center.

It was the first known case in the state, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, after a veterinarian in Andrews, Texas reported the infection in the animal from the rural New Mexico town along the state line.

Marshal Wilson, co-director of the Southwest Border Food Protection and Emergency Preparedness Center, said at the Ruidoso meeting that the dog tested positive for screwworm infection. The dog resides in Eunice and was taken to see the veterinarian in Texas where it was reported.

The New World Screwworm is a fly that buries itself in an open wound and it becomes infested with larvae or maggots. If they are not treated quickly the infection can threaten the livelihood of livestock and other mammals. Screwworms can cause serious, and even deadly, damage to a mammal according to the USDA. The first cases reported in the U.S. were from two calves that were discovered to have a screwworm infection in Texas last week.

“It’s part of an expanding outbreak that has been progressing northward from Central America to Mexico since 2024,” Wilson said. “These are the first U.S. cases in sixty years.”

Wilson told ranchers to be mindful of symptoms of screwworm disease that might be found in their livestock such as irritated behavior like head-shaking or the presence of maggots in an open wound.

“How the fly was able to get here in this case–we don’t know yet,” Wilson said. “It’s a very fluid situation and we are absolutely paying close attention. At this time there is not an infested zone in New Mexico. Right now, this remains an isolated case.”

Wilson urged area ranchers to help the USDA detect any potential infections by keeping a close eye on their livestock. He explained that the infestation could occur in any suspicious open wound such as navel cavities, eyelids or de-horning and tagging areas on cattle.

Test kits were distributed to ranchers who were asked to capture and send away to the New Mexico Livestock Board any suspected samples of fly larvae or maggots. The kits are free to everyone and available at any livestock office throughout the state.

“Success depends on the rapid detection and reporting of the screwworm,” Wilson said at the conference. “One of the critical things in early detection is surveillance by our ranchers.”

Anyone suspecting an infestation should immediately contact their veterinarian, state animal health official, or the USDA. More information is available at www.screwworm.org.

The post Screwworm brings risk to New Mexico livestock after canine was infected in Lea County appeared first on Artesia Daily Press.

Moriah Lovato
For the Artesia Daily Press

Artesia city officials planned to grapple with an annual $3.8 million loss over the next four years.

The City Council at its May 26 regular meeting voted to approve the city’s budget for Fiscal Year 2027, which runs from July 1 to June 30 of next year.

Included in the budget is an overall deficit of $11 million, which City Clerk Summer Valverde said will be overcome with part of the $18 million the city holds in reserves for its General Fund in the FY 2027 Interim Budget.

But the city expected a $3.8 million deficit to continue annually until 2030, based on current spending levels, which future budgets must address.

That portion of the deficit resulted from planned increases in employee pay at all levels and in all departments, as well as an additional 5% increase to Artesia Police and Fire Departments this year, Valverde said.

She said the city adopted this pay scale and schedule four years ago when an analysis compared the City of Artesia’s compensation plans with Eddy County and other municipalities. The pay schedule is designed to maintain competitive compensation, reward employee retention and ensure promotions correlate with appropriate increases in pay, Valverde said.

“Back in 22-23 the council elected to come up quite a bit and it cost the city,” explained Valverde. “We want to keep ahead, but where we won’t have that much catch up for any department [in future years].”

Councilor Michael Bunt postulated the problem is an outpacing of employee pay increases in comparison with city revenues.

“Nothing to do with anything other than (if) you run a $4 million deficit for four years that’s $16 million you’ve spent.” Bunt continued. “That’s a concern I have. I think its valid. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give people raises. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take care of our people.”

Valverde said the city devised the budget assuming gross receipts tax revenue about $400,000 less per month that recent average revenue, hoping to give the City “some cushion,” she said.

But Valverde said the city may reach a point where it must freeze pay increases.

Noteworthy expenses in the budget included $7 million in capital projects for remaining in renovations at city hall and the current Artesia Recreation Center on Chisum Avenue, separate from the rec center being built alongside the Artesia Aquatic Center on Bowman Drive.

That funding was also supporting work on waterlines throughout the city and the Bulldog Water Well.

Council approved the budget without stipulations to avoid requesting an extension to the June 1 deadline.

Fourth of July Festivities

Jessica Bollema and Kamili Burnett of the Artesia Chamber of Commerce received approval from City Council for the 2026 Fourth of July Extravaganza festivities set to occur on July 3 and 4.

Jaycee Park will be closed to vehicular traffic all day July 4 with the exception of vendors, cars with handicap placards and emergency response vehicles. Event attendees must park in the parking lot south of Jaycee Park and walk from their vehicles into the event space.

“The reason for encouraging people to walk into the park is safety as whole” explained Burnett, “Sitting down with fire and police they advised it would be easier to manage on their end if we just shut the park completely down to vehicles.”

The celebration of America’s 250th Independence Day will begin in downtown Artesia with a city-wide salute, 5k and parade and then continue at Jaycee Park with vendors and sporting events for all ages and ability levels.

Residents can kick back in the beer garden or elevate the day with a skydiving venture. The festivities will conclude with live music and a firework show. The event’s $75,000 budget doubles that of previous years.

Other Business

Regional Emergency Dispatch Authority Executive Director Bambi Kern sought and gained approval for Resolution 1951 which “recognizes Public Safety Telecommunicators as First Responders and as critical infrastructure within the public safety framework.”

“This will include dispatch in any local policies for dispatchers as it now places them correctly within the emergency response system alongside the other First Responders.” Kern explained.

The resolution does not affect pay, training or other work conditions and has already been adopted by over 80 counties in New Mexico, including Eddy County.

The post Artesia City Council passes budget, despite concerns. Here are the details from the May 26 meeting. appeared first on Artesia Daily Press.

Adrian Hedden
El Rito Media
achedden@elritomedia.com

New Mexico’s incumbent Democrats in Congress won renomination in the Tuesday, June 2, primary, securing their places on the ballot in the Nov. 3 general election.

U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan led his primary race, outpolling Matt Dodson with 181,419 votes, or 84%, according to unofficial results from the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office. Dodson had 34,166 votes or 16%.

Vote tallies are unofficial until they are canvassed during a special meeting by county commissions where the ballots were submitted.

Lujan will face write-in candidate Larry Marker, who was unopposed as the GOP nominee to the U.S. Senate.

“In the Senate, I will keep fighting to lower costs, protect access to health care, help families put food on the table, and ensure New Mexico’s kids can grow up in safe, strong communities,” Lujan said. “I will continue standing up to the Trump administration’s cruel agenda and working to make sure federal investments reach every corner of our state.”

U.S. House

Incumbent U.S. Reps. Gabe Vasquez in the 2nd Congressional District, Melanie Stansbury in the 1st Congressional District, and Teresa Leger Fernandez in the 3rd Congressional District were unopposed in the Democratic primary.

“Thank you to all the voters across this district that put their faith in me and chose me to represent them in Congress,” Vasquez said in a statement Tuesday night. “There is no doubt this will be another competitive general election, but I know that New Mexicans are ready to fight for what is important.”

State Rep. Martin Zamora was unopposed for the GOP nomination in the 3rd Congressional District as was Didi Okpareke in the 1st District.

Gregory Cunningham was the likely winner in his bid for the GOP nod in the 2nd District with 26,757 votes or 85%. Jose Orozco tallied 4,888 votes for 15% of the vote.

Lt. Governor

Current New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver was the apparent winner of the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, with 169,039 votes or 80%, according to Secretary of State’s Office.

State Sen. Harold Pope earned 42,366 votes or 20% of the vote.

Republican State Sen. David Gallegos was poised to claim his party’s nomination to the office with 56,508 votes or 50% compared with 42,888 votes or 38% for Attorney Aubrey Blair Dunn. Third-place finisher Manny Lardizabal had 14,203 votes or 13%.

The post Democrat incumbents in Congress secure nominations during June 2, primary appeared first on Artesia Daily Press.

Adrian Hedden
Artesia Daily Press
achedden@currentargus.com

A congressman from the Texas side of the Permian Basin wants to exempt low-producing oil wells from federal air quality regulations.

The Protect Domestic Oil and Gas Small Business Act of 2026 was introduced May 21 by U.S. Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) and backed by U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming). The bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and had yet to receive a hearing.

If passed, the bill would exempt so-called “marginal wells” – those that produce 15 barrels or less of oil per day or 90,000 cubic feet or less of natural gas per day from certain air quality standards under the Clean Air Act, a federal law passed in 1963 to establish guidelines for air emissions by oil and gas and other industries.

Pfluger argued the measure would help sustain smaller oil and gas producers, which he said are often priced out of the market by costly regulations tailored to larger operators.

“America’s energy security depends on the strength of our domestic production, and small producers are a critical part of that equation,” Pfluger said in a statement. “Too often, these operators are disadvantaged by costly, one-size-fits-all regulations that were never designed with their operations in mind.”

Specifically, the bill would ban the Environmental Protection Agency – which enforces the Clean Air Act – from enforcing any performance standards on marginal wells. It would also block any state regulatory agency from submitting air quality standards or emissions restrictions that include such wells.

The bill drew the ire of environmentalists on the New Mexico side of the Permian Basin, a 50,000-square-foot oil and gas deposit known as the nation’s busiest. It includes the state’s southeast corner and towns such Carlsbad as well as West Texas cities such as Midland and Odessa.

In New Mexico, about 144,000 people live within a half mile of an oil and gas well, argued the Environmental Defense Fund in a May 22 report, many near the low-producing wells that would be exempt under Pfluger’s bill.

The Environmental Defense Fund is a national environmental nonprofit headquartered in Washington, D.C., with operations throughout the U.S. The fund often lobbies for environmental interests at the state level, including in New Mexico.

Nin Gu, the group’s regulatory manager focused on western states including New Mexico, argued that while marginal wells account for about 6% of oil wells in the U.S., they produce about half of the industry’s methane emissions.

Gu called on New Mexico lawmakers to enact tougher legislation to target methane emissions, increase air monitoring around oil and gas sites and require companies to take steps to prevent releases.

She said such measures were needed in response to an effort at the federal level to reduce environmental regulations, which she said could disproportionately harm New Mexico, the nation’s No. 2 oil-producing state following Texas.

“New legislation to exempt low-producing wells would have damaging, long-term consequences for New Mexico communities already bearing the heaviest burden of oil and gas pollution,” Gu said.

Is New Mexico doing enough?

The New Mexico Environment Department in 2022 did enact regulations targeting emissions of chemicals from oil and gas facilities known to create ground-level ozone, or “smog,” by adding requirements for electric instead of gas-driven pumps and increased monitoring.

That followed a rule adopted in 2021 by the Energy, Mineral and Natural Resources Department requiring that operators capture 98% of produced gas, including methane, by 2026.

And in April, the Environmental Improvement Board, the environment department’s governing body, enacted revised air pollution fees charged to oil and gas operators, raising the fee from $165 per ton of federally defined “hazardous air pollutants” to $258 per ton more than allowable under state requirements for each pollutant.

“The Environmental Protection Agency has defined 188 hazardous air pollutants emitted during industrial activities – most of them chemicals such as benzene, which is often created during oil and gas production.

Larry Behrens, New Mexico-based spokesperson for oil and gas advocacy group Power the Future, said the state’s recent fee increase was part of a pattern by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration of placing overly burdensome rules on industry.

“This action is just the latest example of the Lujan Grisham administration never meeting a fee increase they didn’t like and once again, working families will be stuck holding the bill,” Behrens said. “This move has nothing to do with clean air, it’s really about a pattern of higher costs, less accountability, and bureaucrats raising fees New Mexicans never wanted.”

But Gu said the state still needed tougher rules, specifically to curb the emission of methane, the most potent greenhouse gas emitted during oil and gas production, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

“This proposed federal exemption for low-producing wells makes it even more urgent that New Mexico move forward this year under state and federal authority to adopt strong methane standards and improve existing state protections against oil and gas emissions,” Gu said.

Pfluger countered environmental concerns by arguing that the exemptions for low-producing wells were needed to support small businesses and operators of marginal wells, which he said were critical to the U.S. energy industry.

“Through targeted, common sense reforms to the Clean Air Act, this bill will help keep small producers in business, protect American jobs, and preserve the stable domestic energy supply our economy depends on,” he said.

Managing Editor Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.

The post Federal bill would shield small oil wells from air quality rules appeared first on Artesia Daily Press.

Paul J. Gessing

Recently the Legislative Finance Committee produced a report in which (to summarize the findings) they made the case that New Mexico “spends” over half-a-billion-dollars on tax breaks that generated little economic return for New Mexico. The report had many important findings that should certainly influence the way our Legislature and next governor look at economic development, but there are also some issues with the report that need to be addressed and even corrected.

The problems start with its opening line “In FY25, New Mexico spent $520 million on 24 economic development tax expenditures.” Simply put, most tax incentives are NOT spending. Rather they are reductions or the elimination of taxes that might otherwise be collected but aren’t. Things like the high wage jobs tax credit and jet fuel deduction, both of which are mentioned in the report, may or may not be good policy, but they aren’t spending.

Film subsidies and LEDA (Local Economic Development Act), on the other hand, ARE spending. Why are these to be treated differently? Simply put, exempting a specific business activity from taxation (say a gross receipts tax credit) leaves numerous other taxes to be paid (income, property, etc.). Funds are not required from the state treasury, and the business still generates revenue for state and local government.

In the case of New Mexico’s film subsidy which pays Hollywood up to 40% of the cost of filming here, those are payments from New Mexico’s treasury to private businesses. Other businesses and people must generate enough money for the state to then hand it over to the film company.

The LFC has criticized (rightly) film subsidies for their poor rate of return. As a starting point both the Legislature and the LFC should distinguish between tax credits or exemptions and outright spending (and work to eliminate the latter).

What about those tax credits? It’s not that Rio Grande Foundation is a cheerleader for them. We agree with the LFC in general insofar as they are economically inefficient and a generally poor way for New Mexico to attract businesses and boost economic growth.

Rather than narrowly targeted incentives, the Legislature and next Gov. should focus on broad-based tax reforms like transforming the GRT into more of a sales tax. The Legislature should also consider phasing out the state’s personal and corporate income taxes over time. Those steps alone would lead New Mexico to far greater growth than the state has seen.

Another point of contention in the LFC report that needs to be clarified is the seeming assertion that tax incentives should “pay for themselves” or not reduce government revenue. That is simply not realistic. Nearly all tax cuts or credits result in a short-term reduction in government tax revenues.

But New Mexico remains awash in revenue from the oil and gas industry. Policymakers have greatly increased general fund spending by 75% during Lujan Grisham’s time in office. They have also poured money into the State’s permanent funds which are now valued at more than $70 billion.

Broad based tax reform along with a few narrowly targeted tax credits can help New Mexico diversify and grow New Mexico’s economy. They can also diversify it away from overdependence on oil and gas.

These pro-growth tax policies, hopefully in concert with other economic reforms, will make New Mexico a more attractive destination for people and businesses. This will lead to economic growth and will help us keep more of our human capital at home rather than seeing it flee to other states as has happened for many years.

The LFC does a lot of great work. We understand the political difficulty of advocating for broad-based free market reforms when their budget relies on appropriations from a very “progressive” legislature. The Rio Grande Foundation does not face that problem and can highlight both the LFC’s work and shortcomings in their approach to better economic development policy.

Paul Gessing is president of the Rio Grande Foundation, an Albuquerque-based think tank focused on the importance of individual freedom, limited government and economic opportunity.

The post Paul Gessing: Report on economic development incentives incomplete appeared first on Artesia Daily Press.