Latest New Mexico Headlines

All the headlines from our New Mexico Topic Page, ordered by recency.

BLM Instituting Fire Restrictions in Southern New Mexico

Apr 12 2011 // The Las Cruces, N.M., district of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is instituting fire restrictions.The restrictions will go into effect April 13 because of high to extreme fire conditions. The order covers land...

New Mexico Regulator OKs Insurance Company Rate Request

Apr 8 2011 // State Insurance Superintendent John Franchini has approved a double-digit rate increase for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico.The rate increase will average 21 percent and affects about 40,000 people. The state...

New Mexico Wrecking Companies Alerted to Potential Fraud

Mar 28 2011 // Tbe New Mexico Public Regulation Commission’s Transportation Division has put wrecker/towing companies on notice that it will strictly enforce the provisions of the New Mexico Motor Carrier Act, in light of recent...

New Mexico Nominee Withdraws Over Liability for Background Check

Mar 2 2011 // The former U.S. senator and astronaut who withdrew his name from consideration as New Mexico’s next energy secretary is defending his stance on background checks for top state government officials.Harrison Schmitt...

New Mexico Fraud Bill Would Allow Judges to Aggregate Claims

Feb 28 2011 // The New Mexico Senate has passed a bill giving judges authority to aggregate the dollar amount of false insurance claims to determine the penalty before sentencing a fraudster. Judges can impose harsher sentences by...

New Mexico Rejects Bill to Ban Illegal Immigrant Drivers Licenses

Feb 28 2011 // New Mexico’s Senate has rejected Republican-backed proposals to stop the state from issuing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.Two measures failed on party-line votes, with 14 Republicans voting to end the...

New Mexico Senate Confirms Workers’ Comp Director

Feb 28 2011 // The New Mexico Senate on Wednesday confirmed Ned Fuller as director of the Workers’ Compensation Administration.Fuller was nominated by Gov. Susana Martinez and began work Jan. 24 as the director designee. Fuller, an...

New Mexico Rep Wants to Eliminate Driver’s Licenses for Illegal Immigrants

Feb 15 2011 // New Mexico Rep. Andy Nunez, I-Hatch, has introduced a bill to prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining driver’s licenses. Currently, to obtain a driver’s license in the state, an applicant just needs a social...

New Mexico Considers Stricter Regs for Older Drivers

Jan 31 2011 // New Mexico’s Legislature is considering a bill that would impose stricter monitoring and license renewal standards on older drivers.In addition to a vision exam, Senate Bill 125 would subject drivers 75 years and...

Intoxicated New Mexico Worker Still Entitled to Workers’ Comp Benefits

Dec 29 2010 // A New Mexico Court of Appeal has ruled that a Las Cruces city employee who fell off a garbage truck while intoxicated is still eligible to collect workers’ compensation insurance benefits for his injuries.According...

New Mexico Town Could Be Liable for Residents’ Flood Damage

Dec 2 2010 // More than a dozen Farmington, N.M., residents and businesses have put the city on notice that they want reimbursement for damages caused by flooding in August.Some 14 claims have been filed, meeting a 90-day deadline to...

Republicans Gain Control in State Houses, Governor Offices

Nov 14 2010 // Republicans were not only victorious in the U.S. House but also in state houses across the country.The new GOP power will give the party its largest number of seats in state legislatures since the Great Depression,...

New Mexico Insurance Division Receives Consumer Assistance Grant

Oct 21 2010 // The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission’s Division of Insurance will get $226,000 in federal funds to bolster consumer assistance efforts at the regulatory agency. The grant, which was made available through the...

New Mexico City Makes Sure Residents Able to Get Insurance

Aug 9 2010 // Farmington, N.M., city councilors have passed an ordinance that will keep residents eligible for flood insurance coverage backed by the federal government. The vote came less than a week after the northwestern New Mexico...

New Mexico Apoints Franchini Insurance Superintendent

Jul 30 2010 // The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission has appointed John G. Franchini Superintendent of Insurance by a 4-1 vote. Franchini, a New Mexico native, boasts nearly four decades of insurance industry-related experience and...

New Mexico CPCU Installs Officers

Jun 25 2010 // The New Mexico Chapter of the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters has installed officers for the 2010-2011 term. Officers include: President Byrd Horner of CNA, Larry Cornwell, also of CNA and Secretary/Treasurer John...

Montoya Appointed New Mexico Acting Superintendent of Insurance

Jun 15 2010 // The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission has voted unanimously to appoint Johnny L. Montoya acting superintendent of insurance. Montoya, who will continue to perform the function of interim chief of staff until July 6,...

New Mexico Names Dunbar Interim Insurance Chief; Deputy Resigns

Jun 7 2010 // The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission appointed a new interim insurance superintendent, and the deputy superintendent has resigned.The PRC announced the appointment of Craig Dunbar to replace Deputy Insurance...

New Mexico Names Dunbar Interim Insurance Chief; Deputy Resigns

May 24 2010 // The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission has appointed a new interim insurance superintendent, and the deputy superintendent has resigned.The PRC announced the appointmnt of Craig Dunbar’s. The 59-year-old Dunbar...

New Mexico Insurance Chief: ‘Sad’ Comments Led to Resignation

May 17 2010 // New Mexico Insurance Superintendent Morris Chavez has resigned, saying he and his family have been the targets of “sad and derogatory” online comments in the wake of a contentious health insurance rate case his...