Good Neighbors, Redistricting Committee Approves Maps & Author William deBuys

This week on New Mexico in Focus, the Citizen Redistricting Committee has wrapped up it’s work, approving a series of map proposals for redrawing election districts for the next ten years. But now, those choices move to the New Mexico legislature. Correspondent Gwyneth Doland gets reaction on the process so far, from representatives of the All Pueblo Council of Governors and Black Voters Collaborative. The Line opinion panel will also discuss the work so far, and offer predictions on what will happen when lawmakers gather sometime in December to make final selections.  

Early voting is already underway in Albuquerque on a proposed, publicly financed, multi-use stadium that will be home to the popular New Mexico United Soccer team. That stadium has become controversial for some, including the two proposed neighborhoods where it might be located. NMiF talks to representatives of the Barelas and South Broadway neighborhoods to get a better idea of their hopes and concerns for a downtown stadium.  The Line panel also weighs in on this election fight as well as the ongoing debate over whether Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has the authority to decide how federal COVID relief funds are spent in New Mexico. 

In his latest book, “The Trail to Kanjiroba: Rediscovering Earth in an Age of Loss,” New Mexico author William deBuys chronicles his travels in Nepal, where he joined extended medical expeditions. He joins correspondent Laura Paskus to reflect on the landscapes and cultures of northern New Mexico, where he has lived for four decades, and considers the ways in which caring for the Earth—rather than trying to save it—will better serve a planet in crisis.  

Host: Gene Grant 

The Line opinion panel: 
Dede Feldman, former state senator 
Dan Foley, former NM House minority whip 
Serge Martinez, UNM Law School 

Segments: 
Redistricting Committee Approves Maps for Legislative Approval 
Correspondent: Gwyneth Doland 
Guest(s): 
Keegan King, All Pueblo Council of Governors’ ad hoc redistricting committee 
Mason Graham, New Mexico Black Voters Collaborative  

Neighborhoods Weigh Downtown Stadium Vote 
Guest(s): 
Anna Lee Besaulniers, stop the stadium campaign organizer 
Frances Armijo, President, South Broadway Neighborhood Association 
Lisa Padilla, President, Barelas Neighborhood Association 

Author William deBuys Explores Earth Care Model 
Correspondent: Laura Paskus 
Guest: Bill deBuys, author, “the Trail to Kanjiroba”