This week on New Mexico in Focus, Gene Grant and The Line Opinion Panel unpack the recent arrest of an Albuquerque teenager police say brought two firearms onto school property. 

Grant asks why the teen is still being held in jail and the growing number of firearm-related incidents at schools in Albuquerque. Then, the panel discusses a new report alleging dozens of instances of abuse and neglect by developmental disability caretakers. Grant asks if the state’s system for investigating those claims stands up. 

Finally, The Line reacts to a decision from prosecutors in the ‘Rust’ film set shooting dropping the involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin. The charge was dismissed without prejudice meaning prosecutors could refile it. Grant asks the panel if that’s a realistic possibility.    

This year was grim in the New Mexico Legislature for action on climate change. Lawmakers passed very few bills and those that did get through fell under Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s veto pen. This week, Our Land Senior Producer Laura Paskus got together with the leaders of three nonprofits for a conversation about what went wrong and why.

New Mexico in Focus airs on NMPBS 5.1 (KNME HD) Friday, April 28 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 30 at 7 a.m., and streaming on the PBS video app.

NMiF Segment

Climate Change and Politics 
Correspondent
Laura Paskus 

Guests 
Julia Bernal, executive director, Pueblo Action Alliance  
Camilla Feibelman, director, Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club  
Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, executive director, Western Environmental Law Center 

The Line Opinion Panel 
Cathryn McGill, founder, director, NM Black Leadership Council 
Sophie Martin, attorney 
Dan Boyd, capitol bureau chief, Albuquerque Journal 

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." 

New Mexico in Focus Executive Producer for NMPBS Public Affairs is Jeff Proctor and Senior Producer for New Mexico in Focus is Lou DiVizio. "Our Land" Senior Producer is Laura Paskus. Co-producer of New Mexico in Focus is Kathy Wimmer. Funding for New Mexico in Focus is provided by the McCune Charitable Foundation and Viewers Like You.

Funding for the Your New Mexico Government Project comes from the Thornburg Foundation and New Mexico Local News Fund.

Funding for Our Land: New Mexico’s Environmental Past, Present & Future, is provided in part by the Neeper Natural History Programming Fund for KNME-TV.