New Mexico’s top prosecutor vows to move ahead with Native education litigation

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A landmark court ruling in 2018 determined New Mexico wasn’t meeting its responsibilities when it came to providing an adequate education to Native American students and many others, but tribal leaders say change has been slow. Now, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez intends to take over the litigation from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office to ensure state education officials comply with the court-ordered mandates. The announcement was made public Tuesday, just days after Torrez met with a group of Pueblo governors. State lawmakers during the last legislative session earmarked millions of dollars for improvements, but tribal advocates say they have been waiting years for meaningful progress.