NEW MEXICO

Judge orders plan to improve education

SANTA FE — The state of New Mexico must create a remedial plan to improve K-12 education after falling short of providing an adequate public school education to Native American students and others from low-income households, a judge ruled on April 29.

The order from state district court Judge Matthew Wilson builds on a landmark 2018 ruling that spurred a multibillion-dollar spending spree on public schools in New Mexico — without yet resolving underlying failures to meet state constitutional obligations to educate an array of at-risk students, including those studying English as a second language and students with disabilities.

The judge said the plan “would provide guidance to the legislature and the executive branches of government, particularly when making difficult budgetary decisions that need to survive political and economic shifts.”

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New Mexico historically has been at the bottom of the list when it comes to educational outcomes nationwide. Struggles to address lagging test scores and low graduation rates predated the coronavirus pandemic. Lawmakers have been pouring public resources into efforts to improve attendance, boost access to broadband internet, shore up school staffing and more amid a windfall in state government income from oil and natural gas production.

Filed more than a decade ago on behalf of students and school districts rooted in Native American and Hispanic communities, the litigation known as the Yazzie- Martinez case identified systemic issues within the state’s education system.

The judge rejected a request to put a state legislative agency on education and accountability at the helm of the remediation plan. He called instead for the state Public Education Department to work with the plaintiffs and commission a plan from an outside consultant or expert.

KANSAS

EPA permits higher-ethanol gasoline sales

TOPEKA — Consumers across the U.S. still will be able to buy higher-ethanol blend E15 gasoline this summer, the Environmental Protection Agency announced on April 28, saving them a little money at the pump but frustrating environmentalists who believe the move potentially harms the air and water.

The emergency waiver issued by the EPA prevents retailers in most states from having to stop selling E15 gasoline on May 1. While the waiver remains in effect only through May 20, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin signaled that he plans to keep issuing waivers through Sept. 15, the date when the federal government typically would allow E15 sales in all states again.

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Most gasoline sold across the U.S. is blended with 10% ethanol, but 15% blends are becoming increasingly common, particularly in the Midwest, where most of the nation’s corn is grown. E15 gasoline generally costs at least 10 cents less a gallon than E10 gasoline, but the EPA had previously prohibited its sale during the summer over concerns that its use during the summer driving season could increase smog.

But the EPA has relaxed restrictions on E15, granting a series of short-term waivers in 2022, 2023 and 2024 to allow its sale nationwide through the summer. And last year, the EPA issued a rule allowing year-round sales in eight Midwestern states.

The biofuels industry and politicians in both major parties argue that ethanol helps farmers, lowers prices at the pump and reduces greenhouse gas because the fuel burns more cleanly than straight gasoline.

But ethanol consumes about 40% of the nation’s corn crop, and environmentalists argue that higher corn production leads to higher use of fertilizers that are a leading source of water pollution.

NORTH DAKOTA

Judge says feds owe $28M for pipeline protests

BISMARCK — A federal judge on April 23 found the state of North Dakota entitled to nearly $28 million for responding to protests of the Dakota Access oil pipeline in 2016 and 2017 — a win for the state in its multiyear effort to recoup the costs from the federal government.

The state filed the lawsuit in 2019, seeking $38 million for policing the protests. The sometimes-chaotic demonstrations drew international attention for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s opposition to the pipeline’s Missouri River crossing upstream of the tribe’s reservation. The tribe has long opposed the pipeline, fearing an oil spill polluting its water supply.

A trial played out over several weeks in early 2024 in federal court in Bismarck, the state capital. People who testified included former North Dakota governors Doug Burgum, who took office in December 2016 during the protests’ height, and Jack Dalrymple, whose administration responded to the protests’ early months.

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U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor found the United States liable to the state on all claims and for more than $27.8 million in damages.

Thousands of people camped and demonstrated against the pipeline near the crossing for months, resulting in hundreds of arrests. Sometimes-violent clashes occurred between protesters and law enforcement officers. Law enforcement officers from around the state and region responded to the protests.

A North Dakota jury recently found Greenpeace liable for defamation and other claims brought by the pipeline’s builder in connection with protest activities, with damages surpassing $660 million against three Greenpeace organizations.

WYOMING

Nonprofit named top program nationally

CHEYENNE — Climb Wyoming, a statewide nonprofit that helps low-income single moms overcome poverty through free job training and placement, has been named one of the leading programs in the U.S. helping parents and children thrive.

Ascend at the Aspen Institute selected Climb to participate in its 2Gen Accelerator Community, a group of 15 organizations from across the country with unique and innovative methods for influencing the next generation.

Marjorie Sims, managing director of Ascend at the Aspen Institute, cited Climb Wyoming’s “strong infrastructure, measurable impact, and integrated focus on parental employment and mental health.”

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One of Climb’s unique contributions to national conversations on family well-being is a community-based approach that seeks input and collaboration from employers, community partners and parents to strengthen communities together.

Climb’s pairing of job training with mental health services also creates generational impact, with participants receiving both individual and group counseling with licensed therapists during the program to develop powerful new tools for long-term employment success.

After completing the 12-week program, 80% of Climb’s participants report significant improvement in mental health symptoms.

Since 1986, Climb has served over 12,000 moms at its six locations across the state, impacting the lives of more than 25,000 children.

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