This week on New Mexico in Focus, correspondent Megan Kamerick asks local experts what the future looks like for Medicaid in New Mexico, as the state struggles with an ongoing budget crisis.  Can New Mexico find enough money to fully fund Medicaid and access generous federal matching dollars?

Also this week, the Legislature is getting to the “heavy lifting” stage of this year’s session, looking at an estimate of how much money the state will have coming in and paring down a budget to match it. Correspondent Gwyneth Doland talks to lawmakers and experts about how that works.  Both stories are part of the People, Power and Democracy coverage, which examines legislation that addresses ethics, accountability and transparency in the New Mexico state government.

On The Line this week, host Gene Grant and the Line panelists debate some of the latest stories in the news, including “sanctuary” cities and deportations, the lawsuit against Sandia Labs over alleged gender discrimination, and a proposed bill to ban a controversial conversion therapy aimed at treating homosexual, bisexual and transgender minors.

New Mexico in Focus regularly airs Fridays at 7 p.m. and repeats Sundays at 7 a.m. on Channel 5.1, and Saturdays at 5 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. on Channel 9.1, except during pledge drives.

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Host / Commentator
Gene Grant

Studio Guests
Sireesha Manne, attorney, New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty
Kelly O'Donnell, economist, RWJF Center for Health Policy at UNM

Line Panelists
Dan Foley, former New Mexico house minority whip
Tom Garrity, The Garrity Group PR
Julie Ann Grimm, editor, Santa Fe Reporter
Laura Sanchez-Rivét, attorney at Cuddy and McCarthy, LLP

Correspondents
Gwyneth Doland & Megan Kamerick

New Mexico in Focus is New Mexico PBS’ prime-time news magazine show covering the events, issues, and people that are shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. Hosted by Gene Grant, New Mexico in Focus takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic, health, education and arts 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 Sarah Gustavus with Kathy Wimmer, associate producer. NM PBS Public Affairs executive producer is Kevin McDonald.

Funding for New Mexico in Focus is provided in part by the McCune Charitable Foundation.

Involved, informed, in-depth media: watch New Mexico in Focus again online shortly thereafter.

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