Around the Roundhouse

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New Mexico GOP Chair Amy Barela speaks on the suspected arson at party headquarters, Trump’s second term and more Apr 03, 2025

Show notes

New Mexico was in the national headlines over the weekend as a suspected act of arson resulted in a scorched entryway at the state Republican Party’s Albuquerque headquarters. Local and federal agencies are conducting an investigation into the incident.

Amy Barela, chairwoman of the Republican Party of New Mexico, spoke with Santa Fe New Mexican state government reporter Daniel J. Chacón about the apparent act of arson and the current tumultuous political climate during the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse.”

Also in the episode, Barela discusses her path to politics and what led her to become the state’s Republican Party chairwoman. The Otero County business owner shares her thoughts on President Donald Trump’s actions so far in his second term and about potential federal funding cuts to the state. Barela also touches on the recent 60-day legislative session and gives her take on what needs to be done to address crime in New Mexico.

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Milan Simonich gives his take on the 2025 legislative session Mar 27, 2025

Show notes

The 2025 New Mexico legislative session is in the books and the politicians, staffers and lobbyists have cleared out of the Roundhouse. On the final day, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Republican legislators were critical of what they said was a lack of public safety legislation to come out of the session.

Santa Fe New Mexican columnist Milan Simonich appears on the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse” to share his take on what went down. Guest host and New Mexican state government and policy reporter Margaret O’Hara chats with Simonich to learn his biggest takeaways.

Simonich offers a critical view of Democratic leadership, saying there seemed to be a lack of focus on making progress on some of the key issues that were highlighted heading into the session, including public safety. He says a special session, which the governor and some Republicans have called for, would be a waste of time unless there’s a real strategy that’s been laid out in advance.

It wasn’t quite all negative, though. Simonich closes by talking about a couple of positive developments he saw come out of the session.

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Sen. Peter Wirth assesses the 2025 legislative session as the clock winds down Mar 20, 2025

Show notes

Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, is in charge of steering the ship when it comes to setting the agenda in the chamber and deciding what bills make it to the floor during New Mexico's legislative session. He joined New Mexican reporter Daniel J. Chacón on Thursday morning to offer his assessment on what’s been accomplished in this year’s 60-day session and what legislation may still be considered before the session comes to a close at noon Saturday.

Wirth, who has been the Senate majority leader for nine years, talks about the importance of collaboration in getting legislation heard and passed, and discusses his relationship with Senate Minority Leader Bill Sharer. He also shares how his job as a mediator helps him in his legislative role.

Wirth is asked about his level of satisfaction regarding what bills have made it through to the governor’s desk so far, and responds to criticism levied by the governor and Republicans when it comes to crime legislation.

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Rep. Nicole Chavez shares how tragedy sparked her path to politics Mar 13, 2025

Show notes

Nicole Chavez’s life changed forever in 2015 when her teenage son Jaydon was killed in a drive-by shooting. The tragedy and ensuing drawn-out judicial process in prosecuting those responsible for her son’s death sparked her interest in advocacy and politics. The first-term Republican state representative joins “Around the Roundhouse” to share how the experience has led her on a path to fighting for stiffer penalties for juvenile offenders and also for stronger rehabilitation programs so those who are released from incarceration are integrated into society rather than falling back to a life of crime.

Chavez also talks about being a rare Republican representative in the Albuquerque area, why she switched from a Democrat to Republican, and what she’s found surprising while serving in her first term in office. She addresses the crime bills she has sponsored during the 60-day session, as well as her disappointment in what she feels is a lack of progress during the session to produce laws that will reduce crime in New Mexico.

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Sen. Leo Jaramillo gives the lowdown on his lowrider legislation and Española roots Mar 07, 2025

Show notes

Sen. Leo Jaramillo has been in the New Mexico Legislature since 2021 and serves as vice chair of the Senate Rules Committee. He’s had a winding path through his professional career, starting as a TV news writer and producer before becoming a teacher and now a staff operations manager at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Jaramillo joins “Around the Roundhouse” to talk about his journey through life, including how being involved on cheer teams gave him a boost of confidence when he was younger and how a teacher helped inspire him to become involved in politics. He also discusses the current legislative session and the lowrider legislation he is sponsoring.

In the second segment, host Daniel Chacón speaks with fellow reporter Margaret O’Hara about potential federal funding cuts and how they may affect Medicaid and school meals programs in New Mexico, and about what state lawmakers are doing to prepare for the potential impact.

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Stefani Lord and John Block speak on their radical reputations and Trump's first weeks back in power Feb 28, 2025

Show notes

Stefani Lord and John Block are two of the most outspoken members of the state’s Republican House caucus and have developed quite a reputation in the Legislature. The two lawmakers, who share an office, join the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse” to discuss their close friendship, how they get along with members of both parties, and whether they think their reputation is warranted.

Lord, R-Sandia Park, and Block, R-Alamogordo, also discuss their thoughts on President Donald Trump’s first weeks back in office. Host Daniel J. Chacón gets their reactions to the federal funding cuts and freezes, as well as the recent layoffs to federal employees. He also asks about their level of concern with LGBTQ+ rights under the Trump administration.

Getting back to New Mexico’s 60-day legislative session, Chacón asks Lord and Block about the Democrat-sponsored bills they dislike the most and about their favorite bills they’re sponsoring. They say that they support more bipartisan legislation than most people might think.

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A conversation with freshman Senator Angel Charley of Laguna Pueblo Feb 21, 2025

Show notes

Angel Charley is a mother of three, an advocate, an organizer and the first Native American female to represent Senate District 30. The Democrat from Laguna Pueblo joins “Around the Roundhouse” to speak about her experience through the first 30 days of the 60-day legislative session as she balances her roles as a working mother and first-term senator.

Charley provides an overview of the legislation she is sponsoring, including a bill to create a Turquoise Alert system to help locate missing Native Americans in New Mexico and a bill to establish criteria for comprehensive sex education for students from grades 8-12 across the state.

The freshman senator talks about her support of fellow Laguna Pueblo member Deb Haaland, the former U.S. Interior Secretary and U.S. Congresswoman, in her run for governor of New Mexico. Charley also shares her thoughts on how the state government can help tribal nations amid potential federal funding cuts under the Trump administration.

In the second segment, host Daniel Chacón shares highlights from Week 5 of the session, getting comments from legislators on how they’re feeling at the midway point and chatting with New Mexican reporter Margaret O'Hara about what's been going on with the latest proposal for paid family and medical leave.

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Deb Haaland discusses her decision to run for New Mexico governor Feb 13, 2025

Show notes

Fresh off formally launching her campaign for New Mexico governor, Deb Haaland took time to speak with Santa Fe New Mexican politics reporter Daniel Chacón to share why she has decided to join the race. In the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse,” the former congresswoman and U.S. interior secretary talks about how her lived experiences — including her financial struggles as a single mother — have shaped her politics and helped her relate with people across the state.

Haaland, a Democrat who is a member of Laguna Pueblo, spoke about her priority of bringing down the cost of housing in New Mexico and talked about her upcoming tour around the state to speak to people about the challenges they face. She addressed Republicans’ criticisms of her being too progressive and shared her thoughts on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s tenure. Haaland was also asked whether her position on drilling around Chaco Canyon has changed and about her position on President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

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Rep. Reena Szczepanski on her push for representation and her path to leadership Feb 07, 2025

Show notes

From an advocate, to a legislative staffer, to the majority floor leader of the state House of Representatives, Reena Szczepanski has experienced New Mexico politics from a variety of perspectives. The Santa Fe Democrat joins “Around the Roundhouse” to share her story about her path to leadership and her push for representation throughout her career.

Szczepanski shares what it was like to work with former House Speaker Brian Egolf as his chief of staff and how her time as a staffer and advocate has helped her in her current role. She also discusses her biggest priorities for the 60-day legislative session, including improving affordability of everyday life for New Mexicans and working to improve health care access.

The first Asian American to hold a leadership position in the New Mexico legislature, Szczepanski also talks about her role in the effort to bring more women and people of color into state government. She speaks with pride on her time as executive director of Emerge New Mexico, an organization that has worked to increase the number of Democratic women in public office.

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Sen. Bill Sharer on filibustering, crime legislation, and not wanting to ride a donkey Jan 31, 2025

Show notes

In this week's episode of "Around the Roundhouse," host Daniel J. Chacón speaks with Senate Minority Leader Bill Sharer to ask him about his skills at filibustering and his objectives for the Republican caucus for the 60-day legislative session.

Sharer, who is from Farmington and represents District 1, speaks about the challenges and opportunities of organizing a Republican Senate caucus that has 10 new members. He also talks about the struggles the party has had in messaging, saying that Republicans have allowed Democrats to define them to New Mexicans rather than Republicans defining themselves.

The discussion also touches on the state's crime issues, with Sharer saying New Mexico needs to be stronger at the border to rein in cartel activity. The conversation closes with Sharer criticizing the "Clear Horizons" pollution reduction bill in colorful fashion.

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