Sen. Ivey-Soto Removed from Committee, Legislature Releases Yazzie Martinez Update & Lawsuit’s Lead Plaintiff Remains Unsatisfied

This week on New Mexico in Focus, Gene and the Line Opinion Panel react to the news that Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto has been removed from one of his committee assignments in the wake of several sexual harassment accusations. Then, our panelists take a close look at the Secretary of State’s race where one candidate admits she made a mistake when offering a chance to win a firearm in exchange for campaign donations. Finally, the panel addresses an update in state compliance with the Yazzie Martinez Lawsuit.  

Senior Producer Lou DiVizio sits down with three people entrenched in education in our state. The leader of an influential early childhood advocacy group, a teacher, and the lead plaintiff in the Yazzie Martinez Lawsuit all give their thoughts on Constitutional Amendment 1.  

Gene Grant speaks with several leaders at the Black Voters Collaborative about their efforts boosting turnout in communities of color. Those leaders explain exactly how influential the African American vote can be here in New Mexico.  

Host: Gene Grant 

The Line opinion panel: 
Algernon D’Ammassa, investigative & enterprise reporter, Las Cruces Sun-News 
Sophie Martin, attorney 
Justine Fox-Young, fmr. NM State Representative 

Segments: 

Constitutional Amendment 1: Educators’ Perspectives 
Correspondent: Lou DiVizio 
Guests: Amber Wallin, New Mexico Voices for Children 
Wilhelmina Yazzie, plaintiff, Yazzie Martinez Lawsuit 
Oriandi Mellas, teacher, UNM Children’s Campus 

Black Voters Collaborative Pushes Turnout 
Correspondent: Gene Grant 
Guests: Dr. Harold Bailey, NAACP Albuquerque Branch 
Mason Graham, New Mexico Black Voters Collaborative 
Rodney Bowe, New Mexico Black Voters Collaborative 
Rev. Dr. Charles Becknell Sr., Southern Christian Leadership Conference