Governor signs bills, NM vaccination plan, the changing Rio Grande | 4.9.21

New Mexico in Focus (A Production of NMPBS)

On New Mexico in Focus… The Line opinion panel zeroes in on the bills being signed (and not) by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Friday marks the deadline for the governor to approve legislation. Anything not signed, vetoed or singled out for a line-item veto is automatically vetoed after that. The governor put her name to numerous significant bills, and the group discusses what they mean for New Mexico in the coming months and years.
NMiF looks at the state’s vaccination plans and its rollout. All New Mexicans over age 16 are now eligible to receive a vaccination, but that doesn’t mean a shot is at the ready. The Line discusses New Mexico’s effort and its political implications. Senior Producer Matt Grubs also talks with Health Secretary Dr. Tracie Collins about what’s ahead as the state tries to vaccinate as many people as possible before COVID variants take hold.
Our Land returns, as correspondent Laura Paskus travels to Elephant Butte Reservoir to chronicle the changing nature of New Mexico’s snowpack and what it means for the Rio Grande, the lifeblood of much of New Mexico. In addition, Paskus interviews the co-creator of a new art installation about the Rio Grande: There Must Be Other Names for the River.

Host:
Gene Grant
Line Opinion Panel:
Sophie Martin, attorney
Dan Foley, former NM House minority whip
Julie Ann Grimm, editor and publisher, Santa Fe Reporter
Segments:

Health Secretary Dr. Tracie Collins
Correspondent: Matt Grubs, NMiF senior producer
Guest: Dr. Tracie Collins, New Mexico Dept. of Health

Our Land: Changing Rio Grande
Correspondent: Laura Paskus, NMiF environment reporter
Guests:
Dagmar Llewellyn, hydrologist, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Gary Esslinger, treasurer/manager, Elephant Butte Irrigation District

There Must Be Other Names for the River
Correspondent: Laura Paskus, NMiF environment reporter
Guest: Marisa Demarco, co-creator and journalist

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