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G&F offers awards for big fish

Michael Smith
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G&F offers awards for big fish

Mike Smith
Carlsbad Current-Argus
msmith@currentargus.com

Some anglers set out to catch a lot of fish, or maybe a variety of species – and some just want to land a big one. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish has a fishing challenge just for them, the Master Angler Award Program.

Unlike the department’s Bass Challenge and Trout Challenge – both programs require catches of several specific species – the Master Angler program recognizes the biggest catch in any of 26 categories.

“The Master Angler awards anglers for a big catch, instead of focusing on catching a group of fishes,” said Game and Fish spokesperson Melissa Garnett. “This is a size challenge.”

Garnett said the New Mexico Master Angler Program challenges anglers with catching one or all of 26 fish species outlined in the official rules of the program, which can be found at the Game and Fish website.

“To participate in the New Mexico Master Angler Program, you do not have to be a resident of New Mexico,” Garnett said.

She said fish must be caught legally in New Mexico’s public waters. Fish caught in privately owned bodies of water where anglers are charged for fishing are not eligible.

To be entered, the weight and measure of each catch and a photo must be submitted along with an official application that can be found at https://wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/fishing/fishing-challenges/record-fish-award/. The webpage also includes a list of record catches for the various species.

Applications, along with a list of minimum lengths for entries and a list of past winners, also can be found on the Master Angler Award webpage https://wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/fishing/fishing-challenges/new-mexico-master-angler/

Garnett said anyone meeting the required minimum length of any one of the 26 species listed by the Department of Game and Fish is eligible to win.

“Because this is a size-based challenge, it matters how you measure your catch and take your photo. We need a clear photo of a total length,” Garnett said.

Once verified, the winner will receive a certificate and a listing in the Master Angler Hall of Fame under the species of fish that was caught.

There is no limit on the number of fish that can be submitted for the challenge, according to the application.

Garnett said the Master Angler Program and the Bass and Trout Challenges are opportunities for people to get outdoors.

“(The purpose is) to promote bass and trout fishing opportunities in New Mexico and encourage anglers to branch out and discover new fishing waters and species,” she said.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 extension-2361

Foundations

Michael Smith
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Foundations

Ty Houghtaling

Every congregation has some form of government. Our church is a mix of democratic and staff led principles. We elect deacons from within the congregation, we vote as a congregation on major decisions like hiring pastors or making significant facility changes. We have some “what you must be to belong to our congregation” expectations, or better said, what it means to join our church to be a member. We do not have to operate like a for profit business or like many nonprofit organizations operate. We have monthly “business” meetings open to all members where we evaluate our budget, talk about ministry efforts, ask questions about day-to-day activities, etc. Our style of governance has a long history within Baptist churches in general. We have a constitution and a set of by-laws that has changed over the years not unlike our own American Constitution and Bill of Rights. Sometimes we forget policies or find ourselves making decisions without first making sure we are abiding by our constitution. It isn’t supposed to be complicated but unfortunately it can be. Why do need these processes to be the church? That’s a great question that speaks to the heart of the foundation of every congregation. 1 Corinthians 14 has much to say about corporate worship culminating in verse 40, “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way”.  Churches need organization to some degree so that our times of worship are orderly without confusion. So, churches form some version of governing bodies within the congregation to ensure that they operate orderly. Which style is most comfortable to you? Is it elder led churches with a version of democratic processes? How are the elders selected, who qualifies, and what role does the membership play, would be good questions to ask. Maybe you would prefer an even more layered approach to the local church where leaders are selected from within the denomination and provided by the hierarchical structure already established by the church’s traditions? At some point if you get involved in your church, you’ll encounter these questions, my suggestion is start with this simple truth: the church is the body of Christ, He is the head, people are the body (Col 1:18, Eph 4:12-16, Rom 12:4-5, Eph 5:30). You have probably said or heard someone say, “I can have church anywhere!”. I might split hairs here, but the truth is we can’t have church without people, scripture says “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I with them” Matt 18:20. So if you wanna have church, build on that foundation first, two or three gathering in the name of Jesus is at its most basic level, church.

Trump challenges the unconquerable Seminole Nation

Michael Smith
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Trump challenges the unconquerable Seminole Nation

Mary Sanchez

For centuries white men have looked at land occupied by indigenous people and reached to grab it for their own intentions. The Trump administration, through the complicity of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his sidekick attorney general, are simply the latest of such men.

They’ve made a serious miscalculation.

Alligator Alcatraz has caused President Donald Trump, DeSantis, and others within the MAGA establishment to become giddy in recent days. Alligator Alcatraz has been tagged to Florida land repurposed as a 3,000-bed immigrant detention center.

It sits deep in the Everglades, which is sacred Seminole land.

Trump recently visited the detention center, camera crews in tow. He walked inside the giant white tents, inspecting rows of chain link cages, stacks of bunk beds ready for the inmates, immigrants targeted for deportation.

Trump sat for a press conference where he joked about teaching migrants who might try to escape how to elude hungry alligators (by running zig zag, which wildlife experts do not recommend).

Among the protesters lining the area in recent days are Seminole and Miccosukee tribal members. Many think of Indians as relics of the past, as peoples struggling with alcoholism, poverty and life on reservations – or more empathetically, as noble warriors who fought long campaigns against those who wanted to decimate their culture.

Meet the Seminoles of Florida. Their wars never end.

Perhaps more than any other indigenous group in the world, the Seminoles have deftly navigated the terrain of keeping their culture intact, while also adapting to a modernizing world.

The tribe is a global empire. In 2007, it purchased the Hard Rock enterprise of restaurants, hotels, and casinos for $965 million. Hard Rock operates in 70 countries.

The Seminole of Florida never signed a peace treaty. When attacked, segments of the tribe pressed deeper into the Everglades, and survived. Resilience is in their DNA.

And now, their tribal leadership is speaking out against Alligator Alcatraz.

It’s not the first time. In the 1970s, the land was scoped out to become a massive international airport. The tribe was part of the opposition that nixed the expansion.

Leadership of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida are all on record against the detention center.

Marcellus Osceola Jr., the chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida issued this statement on July 2: “Hundreds of members of the Seminole Tribe of Florida have reached out to express their deep concerns about further development of the Everglades Jetport site which they view as sacred land and critical to the Florida Everglades ecosystem. Their opposition is based on the need to protect and preserve the Everglades, as well as the Seminole culture and our way of life.”

He has clout Trump will understand.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida pays the state billions in revenue, part of an agreement through their gaming. They invented tribal gaming, beginning with bingo on one of Florida’s multiple reservation lands.

For now, the protests are focused on the land, the fact that it is sacred to the tribes and well-grounded concerns about the prison’s ecological impact on the Everglades.

But there’s another thread, yet untapped. It could swell the opposition with a force Trump has never faced: the power of the world’s indigenous peoples.

A majority of the people who have been detained under the Trump administration’s push for mass deportations are at least in part, indigenous. To be Mexican is to be a mix of indigenous and Spanish. Colonialization, the attempted decimation of first peoples, is a global story. It is entwined with the history of every Spanish-speaking nation in the world.

Many of those people have tried to migrate in recent decades to the U.S., forced by climate change, government corruption, the violence of drug cartels and the human will to live freely.

Indeed, many of the 59,000 immigrants currently detained speak Spanish as a second language, if at all.

They are indigenous or multiracial people from Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and other nations.

If the Seminole begin seeing the detainees as fellow indigenous, the plight of these migrants will take on additional meaning.

The tribe has protected fleeing people before. Prior to the Civil War, escaped slaves were accepted into the tribe.

The Seminole have proven unconquerable. They’ve persisted through conquistadors, two Indian wars, slavery, the Civil War, the Great Depression, and more recent efforts to decimate their lands by draining the Everglades.

They have persevered through the centuries, navigating around significant adversaries, through a deep connection to land that Trump is eyeing with a joyful glint.

The Everglades protected the Seminole. Bet on the Seminole to protect the Everglades, and quite possibly, anyone sent there against their will.

(Readers can reach Mary Sanchez at msanchezcolumn@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter @msanchezcolumn.)

Summer rains don’t hurt fishing

Michael Smith
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Summer rains don’t hurt fishing

Information and photos provided by New Mexico Department of Game and Fish

Fishing for some of New Mexico’s favorite species have been unhampered by the summer monsoons as conditions are reported fair to good across parts of the state.

In southeast New Mexico, fishing for catfish was fair to good using chicken liver at Carlsbad Municipal Lake.

Near Dexter at Lake Van, fishing for catfish was good using chicken breast with cherry Kool-Aid.

Fishing for walleye was good using white curly-tailed grubs at Santa Rosa Lake.

In southern New Mexico, fishing for striped bass was good using umbrella rigs at Elephant Butte Lake. Fishing for walleye and white bass was good using chartreuse pink Berkley Flicker Shad.

In Northern New Mexico, fishing for trout along the Pecos River was fair to good using Panther Martin spinners and Rooster Tails and very good when using gold Super Duper lures.

At Conchas Lake, fishing for white bass was slow to fair using jerkbaits. Fishing for walleye was fair to good using purple crankbaits.

This fishing report, provided by the Department of Game and Fish, has been generated from the best information available from area officers and anglers. Conditions encountered after the report is compiled may differ, as stream, lake and weather conditions alter fish and angler activities.

Ruidoso Downs race meet moves

Michael Smith
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Ruidoso Downs race meet moves

Staff Reports

All American Futurity to be run Sept. 1 at Albuquerque Downs

Ruidoso Downs Racetrack will run the 2025 All American Futurity, Derby and Oaks at Albuquerque Downs on Labor Day again this year, track owner Johnny Trotter announced Thursday.

“Under our current circumstances we are grateful to Albuquerque Downs owner Paul Blanchard that he has graciously offered to host the All American again,” Trotter said. “The recent events are unfortunate for everyone associated with Ruidoso Downs, but we are happy to announce that our signature race will have the opportunity to move forward this year.”

This marks the second straight year that the All American races have been moved from their home at Ruidoso Downs. The racetrack and property suffered significant damage from the flooding event that occurred on July 8 which made the current racing season impossible to continue.

Crews at Ruidoso Downs have began cleaning up the massive mud and debris caused by Tuesday’s flooding event. The infield at Ruidoso Downs sustained more 10 ten feet of water at the height of the flash flood destroying the jockey’s quarters, scoreboard, timing mechanisms and other necessary equipment needed to operate horse racing.

Flooding in the barn area contributed to the death of one racehorse, according to Ruidoso Downs General Manager Rick Baugh.

“That’s one horse out of 1,800 that were back there,” Baugh said. “Every other horse is accounted for. None are missing.”

The Rainbow Futurity, Oaks, Derby, Invitational, and Juvenile were scheduled to be run this weekend, while the Zia Futurity and Derby were set to be run July 19-20. Trotter said all purses for those races will now be equally distributed among all the qualifiers.

While remaining Ruidoso Downs schedule will be run in Albuquerque for the second year in a row, Trotter reported he is determined to bring horse racing back to Ruidoso Downs.

“After having met with Governor Michelle Luhan Grisham today, we remain confident that there we will be horse racing again at Ruidoso Downs in 2026,” Trotter said. “We have been assured that corrective measures will be taken by the state of New Mexico to improve flood control. However, we did need to make an immediate decision about this year’s All American on behalf of our horse owners and trainers and that’s what we are announcing today.”

Trials for the $1 million All American Futurity for two-year-olds at 440-yards will be held August 4 and 5. Trials for the American Derby and All American Oaks for three-year-olds at 440-yards will be Aug. 6. The fastest times in those trial races will advance to the finals on Labor Day, Sept. 1, at Albuquerque Downs.

Along with a full race card, there will be five stakes races on Labor Day, including the All American Futurity, All American Derby, All American Oaks, All American Invitational and All American Juvenile.

Meanwhile, Ruidoso Downs will continue to host the two major horse sales including the New Mexico Breed Sale on Aug. 8 and 9, and the All American Select Sale Aug. 29 and 30 at the Ruidoso Downs Sales Pavilion.

The Casey Donahue concert scheduled for July 26 will continue at Ruidoso Downs Racetrack as scheduled. The annual Ruidoso Downs Hall of Fame Banquet will be held in the Turf Club at Ruidoso Downs on Aug. 7th. Other events that were on the racing calendar for the Ruidoso Downs racing season are to be determined.

The latest information about Ruidoso Downs Racetrack including racing and events can be found at www.raceruidoso.com.

Artesia considers city administrator position

Michael Smith
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Artesia considers city administrator position

Rebecca Hauschild
For the Artesia Daily Press

The Artesia City Council is considering a proposal to create a new management position intended to streamline oversight of city departments, improve interdepartmental coordination, and assist the mayor with administrative duties.

The proposal was first discussed during the council’s June 24 meeting and again on July 8. No decision was made.

District 3 Councilor Michael Bundt said the proposal would help ease the burden on Artesia Mayor Jon Henry, who is responsible for overseeing municipal operations, including personnel matters. Bundt said the position could also involve collaboration with city councilors, keeping them informed of upcoming activities and potential votes at their bi-monthly meetings.

The council also discussed – and rejected – the possibility of creating the position of city manager, which would entail a major overhaul of the city’s management structure.

“We’re not ready to jump to city manager,” said Henry who also serves as state representative for District 54, which includes Eddy, Chaves and Otero counties. “It’s a big change. How do we make this fit Artesia and what we’re trying to do as a city?”

Bundt spoke in favor of hiring a city administrator.

“I fall heavily on (a) city administrator position,” he said. “At this point I think it’s really important for us. It will help council. It will help me understand more about the city and what is going on. I think it will result in a better-informed council that will make better decisions.”

District 2 City Councilor Jarrod Moreau agreed administrative help is needed but said the city should add administrators or directors for individual departments, rather than one person to oversee all activities. That would lighten the mayor’s load, Moreau said, with less alteration to the city’s current administrative structure.

Council members agreed to move forward with drafting job descriptions for a city administrator and for additional department director roles.

Other business

The council discussed the possible consolidation of the human resources and safety coordinator roles, as well as a proposed wage increase for the city’s lowest pay classification from $15 per hour to $15.25 per hour. Councilors agreed to review classification and pay-scale data for the upcoming budget cycle before making any decisions.

The Artesia Arts Council will hold the Wild West Fest July 18 in downtown Artesia featuring a Michael Martin Murphy concert at 6 p.m. Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church will hold its Fall Fiesta 5k Run/Walk from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sept. 20.

City investigates complaints about police department

Michael Smith
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City investigates complaints about police department

Adrian Hedden
Carlsbad Current-Argus
achedden@currentargus.com

Amid two lawsuits and a series of complaints by former officers and employees alleging a “hostile work environment” at the Carlsbad Police Department, city officials plan to hire an attorney from outside the city’s administration to lead an investigation.

Mayor Rick Lopez said on June 27 the city would be working with the New Mexico Municipal League to find counsel for the investigation. City attorney Denise Madrid Boyea is handling the pending lawsuits, Lopez said.

Complaints have centered around allegations against Carlsbad Police Chief Jessie Rodriguez, a longtime officer in Carlsbad who was promoted to the top spot in December 2024, replacing former Chief Shane Skinner after a vote by the Carlsbad City Council.

Lopez said Rodriguez will remain chief throughout the investigation. The mayor said he was confident Rodriguez will ultimately retain his position.

“He’ll stay in position until the investigation tells me otherwise,” Lopez sad. “I do not have enough evidence to remove him.”

While Lopez would not comment on the specific allegations, the mayor said the investigation was largely tied to a pair of lawsuits filed recently against the city and the police department.

The first, filed March 26 by former police dispatcher Gina Styring, alleged a series of “sex scandals” at the department involving Skinner and others and a situation where Styring was asked by Rodriguez to take a polygraph test when she denied having sex with an officer, Omar Lopez.

Styring’s attorney, Curtis Waldo of Waldo Gubernick Law Advocates in Houston, described the alleged scandals as making “Caligula-era imperial Rome look like Saved by the Bell.”

Saved by the Bell was a family-friendly TV sitcom that was popular during the 1990s.

Throughout the complaint, Waldo described a “boys will be boys” atmosphere in which officers, including Skinner, had sexual affairs with co-workers and received only “slaps on the wrist” when caught.

Waldo said Styring was wrongfully terminated after she brought up the issue at a meeting of the department. The attorney said Styring is entitled to monetary damages to be assessed at trial for lost wages and mental anguish.

“We want to clamp down on the sexism that is rampant at the department,” Waldo said in an interview with the Current-Argus.

About two months later, on May 29, another suit was filed by a group of former officers including Eunice Police Chief Danny Garrett, who formerly served as a Hobbs police officer and was at one point a “probationary employee” of the Carlsbad department, Lopez said, although he was unsure exactly when.

Other officers joining the suit were former Captain Andy Carver; Drug Task Force Chief Devon Stinson; 16-year officer John Sneathen; 14-year officer Matt Langlitz; and former-Officer Richard Cage, all of whom resigned due to a “hostile work environment,” according to the complaint.

The plaintiffs in that case asked for a judge to rule the Carlsbad Police Department unfit to protect the public, arguing that the 70-officer department had a staffing deficit of as many as 36 vacant positions as of May 27. Others were allegedly planning to leave the department for similar reasons, read the complaint.

The Eddy County Sheriff’s Office should be tasked with policing Carlsbad city limits until police staffing numbers can be restored, the lawsuit suggested.

Tom Martin, a Carlsbad lawyer representing the Carlsbad Police Union declined to comment on the case or the city’s investigation.

Lopez said the inquiry will rely on interviews with “anyone who has a complaint” about the police department.

“Everything isn’t just he said, she said. There are details that need to be figured out,” Lopez said. “If it truly is the case that people quit because of a hostile work environment, that’s a serious issue.”

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

Happy 4th of July

Michael Smith
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Happy 4th of July

Photos and story by Marshall Mecham
Artesia Daily Press
marshallmecham21@gmail.com

Artesia holds first-ever drone show for the Fourth of July

Fourth of July weekend in Artesia this year featured the city’s first-ever drone show to ring in the nation’s independence, along with a series of patriotic events.

The festivities started with the annual Star-Spangled 5K dash on Friday, July 4, at 7 a.m.

The race was hosted by Executive director of Artesia Arts Council Jessica Addington, and Victor Adonis emerged as the winner.

The 5K was followed by the MainStreet USA Parade at 9 a.m., displaying a variety of decorated vehicles, including an Eddy County Fire & Rescue truck, three trucks representing First Methodist Church, two vehicles representing the Moose Lodge and multiple vehicles decorated with U.S. flags.

Other festivities displayed throughout the weekend were pickleball, volleyball, cornhole and disc golf tournaments.

It all culminated in the City’s first-ever Custom Drone Show. The show was on Saturday, July 5, at Jaycee Park shortly after 9 p.m., and lasted 13 minutes.

It featured the HF Sinclair Corporation, Southeast New Mexico College and the New Mexico flag.

The show also displayed images of both green and red chilies. The year 1905 was made visible, which represents the year Artesia was founded.

The Artesia Bulldogs logo was displayed with the light-up drones, along with the number 32 to signify the state number of championships the high school football team has won.

Disc golf aids in sobriety for Artesia grad 

Michael Smith
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Disc golf aids in sobriety for Artesia grad 

JT Keith 

Artesia Daily Press 

jtkeith@elritomedia.com 

On July 5, the inaugural Let Freedom Fly Disc Golf Tournament was played at Jaycee Park. The tournament was the first held at the park.  

Disc golf is similar to golf, except it is played with a disc instead of a golf ball.  

There was $2,000 in prize money for both the Pro Division and the Amateur Division. 

Gabe Turner, an all-state tailback football player and a 2000 Artesia High School graduate, finished in second place in the Mixed Amateur 40 Division, winning $85. This was Turner’s first tournament in three years.  

For Turner, 44, working out and disc golf have been a life-changing experience since getting his second driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) offense in his Mustang at 10 p.m. October 30, 2022, while going to Allsup’s to buy cigarettes.  

“I did not lie to the cops,” Turner said. “It was time for me to take my licking.” 

Turner said he ended up in the Eddy County treatment court program for a year. He would have to submit to alcohol testing twice a week for a year and switch shifts with a coworker as well as use vacation time to go through treatment. 

Girlfriend’s prays answered 

Turner said his girlfriend, Tiffany Ellis, prayed for him to quit drinking. 

Turner said he had quit drinking once before after getting his first DUI in 2014 and thought he had his drinking under control. 

He was drinking enough to get himself in trouble. It was not an everyday thing for Turner, but when he was drinking, he didn’t know when to stop.  

Turner said that if he bought a 12-pack of beer, he would drink it in one night. 

“If it was there, I was going to drink it,” Turner said, “especially after I got six beers in me.” 

Turner said that he realized that after being sober for six months, and his head was cleared from the alcohol, that he had done some dumb stuff and could have killed himself or someone else. 

Discovering disc golf 

Turner started playing disc golf during a vacation trip to Raleigh, North Carolina, when he visited his cousin, Kevin Holmes. Turner began to throw with Holmes and threw over 300 feet standing on his first toss. When he left, his cousin gave him a bag of discs to get him started in 2020. 

Turner has worked as a plant operator for Kinetik Holdings for a year.  

“Again, the DUI was the biggest blessing for me,” Turner said. “I give credit to God, my girlfriend and the Eddy County treatment court program for saving my life. It was an answered prayer from my girlfriend.” 

JT Keith can be reached at 575-420-0061, or on X @JTKEITH1.

Why is this dark money group fighting healthcare reform?

Michael Smith
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0
Why is this dark money group fighting healthcare reform?


Fred Nathan Jr.,

Recently the New Mexico Ethics Commission sued a secretive, dark money group calling itself New Mexico Safety Over Profits (NMSOP) for violating state laws that require the disclosure of the source of funds used to influence legislation.

The lawsuit alleges that NMSOP spent tens of thousands of dollars on advertisements opposing medical malpractice reforms designed to center the needs of patients and bring down malpractice premiums for doctors, which are about twice as high in New Mexico as in our surrounding states.

Earlier this year, an investigative journalist at Searchlight New Mexico unearthed unethical and misleading behavior by NMSOP and revealed deep ties between NMSOP and the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association, whose members feel threatened by the proposed reforms.

As the Ethics Commission put it: “New Mexicans have a right to know who is funding lobbying campaigns.” NMSOP is adamant about keeping its funding sources secret, telling Searchlight: “We certainly will not be disclosing our donors.”

To try to distract from their legal troubles, this dark money group is now attacking Think New Mexico because we drafted and worked to pass legislation (Senate Bill 176) reforming the state’s medical malpractice law.

Feliz Rael, a board member of NMSOP – and, she neglected to mention, the President-elect of the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association – recently authored an opinion piece in the Santa Fe New Mexican accusing Think New Mexico of working on behalf of corporations because we received grants from two local independent foundations, Anchorum and Con Alma.

These foundations, which received seed money from the sale of health care companies, fund a diverse array of nonprofits across the state that are working to improve health equity and access to care. Think New Mexico is proud to be among their many grantees. We are also proud to have a strict policy protecting the independence of our research and our policy recommendations from input by any of our funders.

Think New Mexico has always been completely transparent about the sources of our financial support. We publish an annual report that lists all of our donors in alphabetical order. You can find all of our annual reports on our website. (In 2024, 60% of our funding came from more than 1,200 individual supporters.)

Over the past 26 years, Think New Mexico has successfully taken on powerful interests to advance reforms that benefit New Mexicans. We fought the hospital association to win passage of a law creating a health care price transparency website; we battled the title insurance industry to bring down closing costs for homebuyers; we overcame the powerful predatory lending industry to reduce the maximum interest rate on small loans from 175% to 36%.

Now we are working to address the health care worker shortage that is making it so hard for New Mexicans to find a doctor or get in to see their doctor if they have one.

The trial lawyers who make their money from malpractice litigation are lashing out because the tide is turning. New Mexicans are hearing from their doctors that the medical malpractice environment is driving them out of the state or into early retirement. Think New Mexico’s medical malpractice reform bill picked up 24 bipartisan cosponsors. Governor Lujan Grisham called for medical malpractice reform in her State of the State address and her post-session news conference.

You can join the growing movement by visiting www.thinknewmexico.org, where you can download our full report, read about our proposed reforms, and contact your elected officials about them. (While you’re there, you can also read the Ethics Commission lawsuit and the Searchlight articles about NMSOP.)

Fred Nathan Jr. is executive director of Think New Mexico.

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