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Gov. Susana Martinez had lunch with business leaders yesterday, taking the opportunity to sign HB 170, which makes changes to the Higher Education Endowment Act that allow an infusion of cash into the endowment fund once the budget is signed.

After struggling mightily to get out of House Education over a long couple of weeks, the Higher Education Endowment bill, HB 170, has gathered steam and is moving rapidly. 

On a 42–25 vote, the New Mexico House of Representatives approved the state budget bill that contains $6.2 billion to fund state government and public education for 2015-16. Higher education’s share of that budget pie is $846 million, with $810 million allocated to the institutions, including a $2.1 million increase in operating funds for UNM.

The New Mexico Senate has confirmed Barbara Damron as the secretary of the Higher Education Department. It was a breeze, starting this morning with a lovefest in the Senate Rules Committee.

They keep calling it is a messy process that leaves no one totally happy. That is how the state budget is built.  This afternoon, House Appropriations approved what will go into the final crafting of the general appropriations act as will be found in HB2.

John Newell, Esq., has recently been named Director of the Rozier E. Sanchez Judicial Education Center of New Mexico (JEC), which provides education and training to the judges, administrators and other staff of the New Mexico judicial branch. The JEC...

The Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) revealed its budget recommendations for the 2015-16 fiscal year this morning. Usually these recommendations are the best indicator of how the budget built by legislators during the upcoming session will look.

Last year, the University of New Mexico continued to...

For higher education, the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) hearing in December is the biggest and most important of the interim season. This is when institutions outline their legislative requests and when legislators work hard to deflate campus expectations.

Three legislative interim committees are braving icy elements in Santa Fe, getting hearings in before the holiday and pre-session rush. Nine committees in total meet before Thanksgiving. Bills to be considered in the 2015 session can be prefiled ...