The top law enforcement position in the state is one of New Mexico’s most coveted elected offices but so far, only two Democrats and no Republicans have indicated they’ll run for New Mexico Attorney General.
Current State Auditor Hector Balderas and former Public Regulation Commission member Jason Marks have thrown their hats into the ring and figure to square off next [...]

A year ago, a series of embarrassing scandals involving sex, lies and videotape made the New Mexico border town of Sunland Park the target of plenty of jokes, but there isn’t much for state taxpayers to laugh about as the bill for monitoring the border town’s finances pile up.
On the one-year anniversary of the announcement [...]

The new boss at the U.S. Department of the Interior has established a new rule for hydraulic fracturing (commonly called “fracking”) on federal lands that seems to have pleased neither environmentalists nor oil and gas producers.
According to the Associated Press, new Interior secretary Sally Jewell and the Obama administration announced Thursday (May 16) that companies that drill for [...]

It’s not just a pipe dream: Japan is interested in acquiring natural gas from New Mexico.
But whether it will ever get across the Pacific Ocean is an open question.
An executive for Japan’s state-run energy corporation has been touring of New Mexico natural gas facilities this week and met on Monday (May 13) with Lt. Governor [...]

First, it was the administration of Republican Gov. Susana Martinez.
Then, it was Democratic U.S. Sen. Tom Udall.
Now, Democratic U.S. House of Representatives member Ben Ray Luján is complaining about the Obama administration’s 5.1 percent reduction for states who get mineral and energy royalties from the federal government.
On Tuesday (May 14), Rep. Luján joined other members [...]

News over the weekend that the Internal Revenue Service admitted targeting tea party groups and other conservative organizations across the country wasn’t shocking to the leader of the Albuquerque Tea Party.
They’ve been a target since 2009, Albuquerque Tea Party President RiIck Harbaugh told New Mexico Watchdog on Monday.
“I’d call it harassment,” Harbaugh said. “They’re trying [...]

Sen. Tom Udall has been a loyal supporter of President Obama, but the New Mexico Democrat is at odds over a move to take $26 million from the state in mineral and energy royalties and now he’s taking his case to the Senate itself.
Udall on Thursday (May 9) will introduce the State Mineral Revenue Protection [...]

After creating a stir for remarks about Sen. Ted Cruz, former Gov. Bill Richardson has sent a letter to the Texas Republican, New Mexico Watchdog has learned, offering what Richardson says is a clarification and not an apology.
While appearing May 5 on ABC News for a web interview after his taking part in a roundtable discussion [...]

Now that commissioners in Mora County have approved the only county-wide ordinance in the nation specifically prohibiting all oil and gas drilling, prepare for lawyers on both sides to do battle.
Wally Drangmeister, spokesman for the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, told New Mexico Watchdog his organization “can’t comment on filing a lawsuit” but that “many people in the [...]

New Mexico horse racing officials trying to clean up the sport aren’t ready to takes sides on a bill to grant the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency authority to oversee and enforce drug testing for thoroughbred and quarter-horse races across the country.
For now they’re watching and waiting.
U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-New Mexico, is a co-sponsor.
“We’d like to [...]