Category: New Mexico

Report: Rolling the Dice

Post author By Southwest Public Policy Institute
Post date March 23, 2026
No Comments on Report: Rolling the Dice

Procurement failures and vendor transition risks threaten the New Mexico Lottery.

Tags Bid Scoring Methodology, Central Gaming System, Contract Duration Limits, Contract Extension Risk, Cost Versus Technical Evaluation, Critical Infrastructure Procurement, Emergency Contract Extensions, Evaluation Committee Process, Government Accountability, Government Contracting, Government Efficiency, Government Oversight, Government Procurement, Higher Education Funding, Implementation Risk, Infrastructure Governance, Infrastructure Transition Failures, Internal Audit Review, International Game Technology (IGT), Intralot, Legislative Lottery Scholarship Program, Lottery Gaming Systems, Lottery Infrastructure, Lottery Procurement, Lottery Retailers, Lottery Revenue Risk, Lottery Technology Providers, Lottery Vendor Contracts, New Mexico Lottery Act, New Mexico Lottery Authority (NMLA), New Mexico Procurement Code, NMSA 1978 Section 6-24-9, Operational Continuity, Policy Analysis, Pollard Banknote, Procurement Accountability, Procurement Compliance, Procurement Governance, Procurement Transparency, Public Finance Risk, Public Policy Research, Public Procurement Failures, Public Sector Risk Management, Public-Private Partnerships, Regulatory Compliance, Retail Network Operations, Risk Of Service Disruption, Scholarship Funding Risk, Scientific Games, Sole-Source Contracts, Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), State Lottery Operations, State Revenue Systems, State Statutes Compliance, System Conversion Risk, System Deployment Delays, Technology Procurement Failures, Think Tank Research, Transition Planning, Vendor Transition Risk

Budget and Spending Conservatism Courts Crime and Justice Domestic Policy Education Government Regulation Government Spending Government Transparency and Accountability Infrastructure & Technology Legal and Judicial New Mexico Political Thought Progressivism Public Opinion Top Issues Transparency Updates

SPPI Files Public Records Request Regarding New Mexico Lottery Contract Procurement

Post author By Southwest Public Policy Institute
Post date February 27, 2026
No Comments on SPPI Files Public Records Request Regarding New Mexico Lottery Contract Procurement

SPPI seeks transparency and legal clarity regarding the New Mexico Lottery Authority’s procurement process and transition planning for the state gaming system contract.

Agriculture Alaska Arizona California Coal, Oil, Natural Gas Colorado Conservatism Culture Domestic Policy Energy & Environment Energy Economics Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Firearms Government Regulation Government Spending Homeland Security Infrastructure & Technology Life Nevada New Mexico North Dakota Oklahoma Political Thought Progressivism Public Opinion Security Texas Top Issues Updates Utah

Zachary Fort Featured in National Public Lands Debate

Post author By Southwest Public Policy Institute
Post date February 26, 2026
No Comments on Zachary Fort Featured in National Public Lands Debate

Media coverage highlights SPPI Vice Chairman Zachary Fort’s leadership and policy engagement during debate over Bureau of Land Management nomination.

Tags Albuquerque Journal Opinion, American West Policy, BLM Director Nomination, Bureau Of Land Management, Center For Western Priorities, Conservation And Recreation Balance, Conservation Policy, Department Of The Interior, Energy Development Policy, Federal Land Management, Federal Land Policy, Federal Land Sales, Federal Lands Governance, Federal Resource Management, Government Accountability, Hunting Access, Hunting And Recreation Communities, Land Stewardship, Landscape Podcast, Las Cruces Sun News, Media Coverage Roundup, Multiple Use Land Management, National Conservation Debate, National Policy Debate, New Mexico Politics, New Mexico Public Lands, New Mexico Shooting Sports Association, New York Times Coverage, Oil And Gas Development, Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument, Outdoor Heritage Protection, Outdoor Recreation Policy, Patrick M Brenner, Policy Advocacy Campaign, Public Land Access, Public Land Privatization, Public Lands Advocacy, Public Lands Campaign, Public Lands Conservation, Public Lands Debate, Public Lands Policy, Public Lands Stewardship, Public Policy Leadership, Recreational Land Use, Santa Fe New Mexican, Senate Confirmation Hearing, Senate Energy And Natural Resources Committee, Shooting Sports Advocacy, Southwest Public Policy Institute, SPPI, SPPI In The Media, Stakeholder Governance, Steve Pearce Nomination, Think Tank Advocacy, Trump Administration Interior Policy, Vet Voice Foundation, Washington Post Opinion, Western Economic Policy, Western Governance, Western Land Use Policy, Western Public Lands, Zachary Fort

Conservatism Culture Domestic Policy Government Regulation Government Transparency and Accountability Health Care Life New Mexico Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Progressivism Public Health Public Opinion Top Issues Updates

Government Can’t Reduce Smoking by Attacking Safer Alternatives

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date January 31, 2026
1 Comment on Government Can’t Reduce Smoking by Attacking Safer Alternatives

New Mexico legislators are considering higher taxes and new restrictions on nicotine products such as nicotine pouches. These proposals are typically framed as public-health measures. In practice, they risk doing precisely the opposite—nudging smokers back toward cigarettes, expanding illicit markets, and increasing preventable disease. Cigarettes remain the most dangerous nicotine product legally sold in the […]

Budget and Spending Conservatism Culture Debt Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Education Education Freedom and Reform Government Regulation Government Spending Life Markets and Finance New Mexico Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Progressivism Public Opinion Top Issues Transparency Updates

Santa Fe New Mexican: Let’s reimagine financial literacy education

Post author By Lucas J. Parker
Post date December 25, 2025
1 Comment on Santa Fe New Mexican: Let’s reimagine financial literacy education

We need to modernize how financial literacy is taught entirely.

Tags APR Education, Compounding Interest, Consumer Finance, credit access, Credit Card Debt, Credit Scores, Debt Management, Economic Education, Economic Opportunity, Education Policy, Education Reform, Financial Curriculum Modernization, Financial Decision Making, Financial Empowerment, Financial Literacy, Financial Literacy Legislation, Financial Literacy Reform, Financial Responsibility, Financial Wellbeing, Gen Z Debt, HB 171, High School Financial Literacy, Household Debt, Interest Rates, Mortgage Education, New Mexico Education, New Mexico Policy, New Mexico Schools, Personal Finance Education, Real World Finance Skills, Responsible Borrowing, Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), Student Debt, Youth Financial Education

Colorado Conservatism Culture Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Government Regulation Illinois Life Markets and Finance New Mexico Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Progressivism Public Opinion Top Issues Transparency Updates

Buried in Bias

Post author By Southwest Public Policy Institute
Post date December 12, 2025
1 Comment on Buried in Bias

The Center for Responsible Lending’s “Buried in Debt” report fails as policy analysis.

Tags Alternative Financial Services, Amortization Schedules, Annual Percentage Rate (APR), Banking Fees, Bolen Elliehausen Miller Study, Buried In Debt Report, Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), consumer choice, Consumer Credit Policy, Consumer Lending Research, Consumer Welfare, Cost Of Living Crisis, credit access, Credit Bureau Data, Credit Denial Rates, Credit Market Regulation, Credit Rationing, Credit Stacking, Credit Supply Constraints, Deep-Subprime Borrowers, Difference-In-Differences Analysis, Economic Opportunity, Evidence-Based Policymaking, Financial Hardship, financial inclusion, Financial Literacy, financial regulation, Financial Services Policy, Free Market Finance, Housing Cost Burden, Income Volatility, Interest Rate Caps, Loan Availability, Loan Disclosures, Market Distortion, Mortgage Finance, No Loan For You, No Loan For You!, Overdraft Fees, Payday Lending, Poverty And Inequality, Price Controls, Regulatory Economics, Regulatory Harm, Risk-Based Pricing, Selection Bias, Small-Dollar Credit Research, Small-Dollar Loans, Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), Subprime Borrowers, Substitute Financial Products, Survivorship Bias, Too!, Total Cost Of Credit, Usury Laws

Agriculture Alaska Arizona California Coal, Oil, Natural Gas Colorado Conservatism Culture Domestic Policy Energy & Environment Energy Economics Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Life New Mexico Oklahoma Political Thought Progressivism Public Opinion Renewable Energy Texas Top Issues Updates Utah

The Washington Post: New Mexico knows Trump’s BLM nominee. Back away.

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date November 22, 2025
No Comments on The Washington Post: New Mexico knows Trump’s BLM nominee. Back away.

Former New Mexico Republican chairman Steve Pearce is the opposite of what the complex agency needs.

Tags Administrative Leadership, American West, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Climate Policy, Conservation Policy, Donald Trump, Economic Development, Energy Policy, Environmental Policy, Environmental Protection, Executive Branch Appointments, Federal Agency Leadership, Federal Appointments, Federal Land Oversight, Federal Land Use, GOP Infighting, Government Competence, Government Reform, Grazing Permits, Land Management Policy, Mineral Rights, Natural Resources Management, New Mexico Legislature, New Mexico Politics, Oil And Gas Industry, Opinion Editorial, Otero Mesa, Partisan Politics, Patrick M. Brenner, Political Accountability, Political Analysis, Political Appointments, Political Polarization, Public Land Stewardship, Public Lands, Public Policy, Public Trust, Republican Leadership, Republican Party, Rural Policy, Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), State Politics, Stevan Pearce, Susana Martinez, Tribal Nations, Trump Administration, Trump Second Term, Washington Post Opinion, Western Communities, Western Conservation, Western States Politics

Agriculture Alaska Arizona California Coal, Oil, Natural Gas Colorado Conservatism Culture Domestic Policy Economy Energy & Environment Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Government Regulation Illinois Nevada New Mexico Oklahoma Political Thought Press Progressivism Public Opinion Texas Top Issues Updates Utah

SPPI Opposes Steve Pearce’s BLM Nomination

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date November 18, 2025
3 Comments on SPPI Opposes Steve Pearce’s BLM Nomination

The Institute warns that the Pearce nomination could undermine western land management

Tags Ben Ray Luján, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Energy Policy, Environmental Policy, Federal Appointments, Government Accountability, Land Management Policy, Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Politics, Political Leadership, Public Lands, Senate Confirmation, Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), Steve Pearce, Washington Post Op-Ed, Western Land Stewardship

Culture Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Energy & Environment Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Government Regulation Government Spending Infrastructure & Technology Legal and Judicial Markets and Finance New Mexico Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Press Top Issues

Albuquerque Journal: The first of its kind? A tribally owned professional sports team

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date October 19, 2025
No Comments on Albuquerque Journal: The first of its kind? A tribally owned professional sports team

Originally published at abqjournal.com on October 18, 2025. Jeff Tucker is right about one thing: New Mexico needs to think big. His recent call for a billion-dollar NBA arena in Albuquerque is exactly the kind of visionary thinking our state has lacked for decades. But where Tucker sees an opportunity for government to build a […]

Crime and Justice Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Government Regulation Government Transparency and Accountability Legal and Judicial Markets and Finance New Mexico Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Public Opinion Top Issues Updates

SPPI Files Federal Complaint After New Mexico Attorney General Fails to Act

Post author By Southwest Public Policy Institute
Post date September 17, 2025
1 Comment on SPPI Files Federal Complaint After New Mexico Attorney General Fails to Act

The Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI) has filed a formal complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) regarding the loan-sharking lending practices of former State Representative Tara Jaramillo and her company, Positive Outcomes, Inc. The action follows years of inaction by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez and other state agencies, despite overwhelming evidence […]