Author: Donovan Quintero

After 60 days of negotiation and collaboration, New Mexico Sen. Shannon Pinto celebrated the successful passage of a liquor excise tax bill.

New Mexico Sen. Shannon Pinto emerged from the 2025 legislative session with a nuanced view of the state’s political landscape, offering insights into the challenges facing Indigenous communities and the broader political environment.

The Navajo Nation, like many Indigenous communities, faces a critical moment in its economic evolution, balancing the need for workforce expansion, business development, and financial stability with persistent bureaucratic and infrastructural challenges.

The Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, which would resolve decades-long disputes over water access and usage for the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, has been reintroduced.

The Navajo Nation has approved its budget for fiscal 2025, but disputes over funding led President Buu Nygren to issue a series of line-item vetoes. The tribal president expressed frustration that while the president’s office faced significant funding cuts, the Legislative Branch retained a large operating budget.