Top Stories of 2020: #10 & #9
December 25, 2020 – This week, we bring together a special Line opinion panel of working journalists across the state, to help us count down the top stories of 2020. Coming in at number 10 on our list this year is cannabis, and the continued push to legalize recreational-use here in New Mexico. The measure didn’t make it very far in the 2020 session and the clock is ticking for lawmakers if they want to create this new tax base, since nearby Arizona voted to legalize in November. At number 9 on our countdown is the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on vulnerable communities: our prison populations, Native American communities, and those experiencing homelessness. The pandemic brought heightened attention to the inequities that exist in many of our systems and services for these specific communities. (Note: our list of the top ten stories of 2020 is non-scientific and represents the thoughts of the New Mexico in Focus team, along with help and input from our panelists).
Host: Gene Grant
The Line Opinion Panel:
Dan Boyd, Albuquerque Journal Capitol Bureau Chief
Julie Ann Grimm, Santa Fe Reporter Editor & Publisher
Jessica Onsurez, Carlsbad Current Argus New Director
Andy Lyman, New Mexico Political Report