Albuquerque’s Oñate Protests, Special Session, Mark Kennedy Shriver
Protests this week centered on a statue of Juan de Oñate in Albuquerque. The conquistador’s violent role in New Mexican history has been controversial since his own times, and protestors tried to yank down his likeness as a self-appointed group of armed guards riled the crowd. As he was chased from the scene after apparently assaulting several demonstrators, one of the men shot a protestor and has since been charged with several crimes. NMiF discusses the incident and its larger implications both on The Line opinion panel and with Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, who talks about the response of both city leaders and the police.
New Mexico’s special legislative session gets underway Thursday. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has outlined an ambitious agenda for lawmakers, as debate continues about whether they should focus exclusively on a predicted $2 billion budget shortfall for the financial year that starts next month. The governor included tax relief measures, as well as election and police reform laws. The Line once again tackles the analytical side of the session, and correspondent Russell Contreras speaks with children’s advocate Mark Kennedy Shriver about New Mexico’s efforts to boost child welfare amid a stark budget outlook.
Laura Paskus continues her series of interviews with journalists who have been covering the COVID-19 pandemic. A longtime photojournalist with the Albuquerque Journal, Roberto Rosales recounts the personal stories he has told through his lens as New Mexico grapples with the novel coronavirus.