Note: Every year, we count down the top ten stories of the year, as voted on by NM Political Report staffers.

10. NM recovers from wildfires

After devastating wildfires swept through communities in northern New Mexico last year, people are trying to rebuild while also expressing anger about the U.S. Forest Service’s role in starting major blazes.

While it quickly became apparent last year that the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire was caused by prescribed burns getting out of control, this year New Mexicans learned that the Forest Service also caused the Cerro Pelado Fire. That fire started when slash piles that the agency burned in the winter reignited in the spring winds.

Because the federal government caused the fires, it has taken the responsibility of reimbursing communities for fire-related expenses. But that money has been slow in coming and it has been challenging for some people who lost their homes in the fire to receive the assistance they need.

The knowledge that the Forest Service caused the fires has created a backlash against prescribed burning. 

Sen. Ron Griggs, R-Alamogordo, sponsored a bill that eventually became law that prohibits prescribed burning when certain conditions exist. Those red flag conditions are becoming more common due to climate change and that is having impacts on the ability to insure houses. For example, State Farm has become reluctant to insure properties in northern New Mexico.As climate change continues to increase the risk of catastrophic wildfires, the U.S. Congress is looking at ways to mitigate some of those dangers.

-Hannah Grover

9. Avangrid merger falls through

After the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission rejected a merger application from the Public Service Company of New Mexico and utility giant Avangrid, the two companies appealed that decision to the state Supreme Court.

But, upon the change in the PRC from an elected body of five commissioners to an appointed three-man regulatory board, they requested that the court remand the case back to the PRC. Avangrid had already discussed this with the PRC staff, which led to concerns of ex-parte communication as well as violations of the Open Meetings Act when the commissioners discussed the possibility in closed session. The PRC joined the utilities in requesting that the case be remanded.

Ultimately, though, the New Mexico Supreme Court denied that request and heard arguments in the merger case in September. 

One of the requirements of the merger was that PNM end its use of coal-fired generation. Currently the Four Corners Power Plant provides PNM customers with electricity during summer months. That is the last of the coal-fired generation assets in its portfolio. 

PNM sought to transfer its shares in the power plant to Navajo Transitional Energy Company, but that was ultimately unsuccessful and the New Mexico Supreme Court upheld the PRC’s decision in that case earlier this year.

Opponents have not given up their campaign against the merger. They say a merger will lead to higher rates and poor customer service, pointing to cases in New England where Avangrid owns utilities as proof. 

Even if the merger doesn’t go through, Avangrid will remain a presence in New Mexico as it has developed wind farms in the eastern part of the state. Avangrid is also part of efforts to develop a hydrogen economy in New Mexico and has its eyes on San Juan County for that endeavor. 

-Hannah Grover

8. GOP politician arrested for shooting Democrats’ houses

Solomon Peña, 40 of Albuquerque, was accused of a scheme to shoot at prominent Democrats’ homes between December 2022 and January 2023. His case was remanded to federal court in June following his arrest and pretrial detention in January 2023.

Peña was arrested for allegedly masterminding a shooting spree that happened at the homes of four Democratic politicians.

Peña was charged with multiple federal crimes in regards to the shootings.

Peña, a Republican, ran for a state House seat in the 2022 election where he lost to incumbent Sen. Miguel Garcia, a Democrat.

Peña received 26 percent of the vote to Garcia’s 74 percent.

Peña claimed the election was “rigged” and had previously questioned the 2022 results in the 2nd Congressional District.

Peña is currently in pre-trial detention. Peña’s jury trial is set for June of 2024 in Albuquerque Federal Court.

-Nicole Maxwell

7. NM with another record budget

New Mexico once again passed a record-high budget, with another likely on the way in 2024. 

The $9.57 billion budget increased spending in many key areas, but also kept 24 percent of recurring expenditures in reserves.

One large budget item was 1.5 percent raises for public school employees.

The budget broke the record set the previous year, and was largely buoyed by revenue from the booming oil and gas industry. Higher oil prices and increased volume of overall drilling led to more tax revenue.

Some legislators, including House Republicans, said they didn’t believe that the 14 percent increase from last year’s budget was sustainable.

That said, the budget next year will likely be even higher. The most recent budget revenue projections, which legislators will largely use to craft the state budget during the 2024 legislative session, showed $3.5 billion in new revenue. In all, analysts project $12.768 billion.

This could change though, as analysts cautioned that growth will slow as the oil and gas sector softens throughout the decade.

-Matthew Reichbach

6. NM passes voting rights expansion

As part of a highly productive legislative session, legislators passed HB 4, a sweeping voting right bill that made a number of changes to the state’s elections code.

The move came as Republican-led states nationwide made it more difficult to register to vote or to vote in general.

“Federal voting rights bills are stuck in Congress while voting access is under attack in many states across the nation,” Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said at the signing ceremony for the law. “But not here in New Mexico.”

Related: Guv signs sweeping new voting rights bill into law

The new voting rights changes included allowing formerly incarcerated people to vote, expanded voting protections and access for the Indigenous populations and designating Election Day as a school holiday.

Other changes to ease access to voting included creating an opt-in permanent absentee list and automatic voter registration for those who interact with state agencies, like the state Motor Vehicles Division.

While most of the changes came in the House bill, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham also signed bills that would make it a crime to intimidate election officials and another related to electronic nominating petitions and what information about public officials would be public.

-Matthew Reichbach