This week on New Mexico in Focus, The Line opinion panel looks at New Mexico’s desperate dash to vaccinate its population. This week, state officials announced they’ve been able to administer better than 99 percent of the doses the state has received. Still, just 16 percent of New Mexicans over age 75 had been fully vaccinated as of mid-week. 

The Line also discusses the controversy surrounding Rep. Deb Haaland’s appointment as Interior secretary. The New Mexico Democrat’s first confirmation hearing is next week, as conservative senators have begun to say they’ll oppose or even try to block her nomination on the grounds that she’s opposed to fracking.  

Finally, the opinion panel talks about the revelation that PNM’s parent company funded hundreds of thousands of dollars of political action supporting lawmakers who favor the electricity provider’s preferred policies. The new State Ethics Commission forced the disclosure through legal action. 

New Mexico in Focus continues its coverage of the Biden administration’s executive order and actions on climate change. This week, correspondent Laura Paskus catches up with University of New Mexico economist Janie Chermak to talk about the oil and gas industry, climate change, and what it will take for renewable energy jobs to balance the inevitable losses from oil and gas as that industry declines in the coming years. 

And two lawmakers talk about a pair of tax reform bills that clean up New Mexico’s convoluted revenue code and prepare it for much-needed tax reform. Both measures passed the House unanimously, as the state looks to create a more predictable and more equitable tax code. 

New Mexico in Focus is involved, informed, in-depth media airing weekly on New Mexico PBS. The program debuts Friday nights at 7 p.m. on NMPBS 5.1 (KNME-HD) and appears online shortly thereafter. The show rebroadcasts on NMPBS 5.1 (KNME-HD) Sundays at 7 a.m. and on NMPBS 9.1 (WORLD) on Saturdays at 5 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.  

Segments

The Economics of Energy & the Biden administration 
Correspondent
Laura Paskus 

Guest
Janie Chermak, graduate director and professor, UNM Economics Department 

A Step Toward Tax Reform 
Correspondent
Matt Grubs 

Guests
Rep. Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque, House Tax and Revenue Committee chairman 
Rep. Jason Harper, R-Albuquerque 

Line Panelists 
Dede Feldman, former state senator 
Dan Foley, former House minority whip 
H. Diane Snyder, former state senator 

Host 
Gene Grant 

New Mexico in Focus is the New Mexico PBS prime-time news magazine show covering the events, issues, and people that are shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. NMiF takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic health, education, and art issues, and explores them in-depth with a critical eye to give them context beyond the “news of the moment.”

The producer of New Mexico in Focus is Matt Grubs, with Kathy Wimmer, associate producer. The NM PBS Public Affairs executive producer is Kevin McDonald.

The McCune Charitable Foundation provides NMiF funding, along with viewers like you.

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