Daily Lobo 01/28/2024

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Daily Lobo new mexico

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The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895

Monday, Januar y 29, 2024 | Vo l u m e 1 2 8 | I s s u e 2 2

The Air Board sticks to the status quo By Maddie Pukite @maddogpukite

The First Judicial District Court has granted the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board a preliminary injunction until the legality of the case is decided at the next scheduled hearing. A preliminary injunction will allow the Air Board to revert to the status quo and continue to operate as it had before the Albuquerque City Council approved an ordinance and resolution that substantially changed the Air Board in November. “I so find that the Air Board is li-

kely to prevail ultimately on this, and I do have concerns about allowing a situation to proceed that may be unlawful,” District Court Judge Francis Mathew said in the ruling. To be granted the preliminary injunction, the Air Board needed to prove to the judge that they would suffer irreparable harm from the implementation of the ordinances. Irreparable harm is harm or injury that cannot be adequately compensated by monetary rewards, according to Cornell Law School.

The Air Board, and what’s happened since November

The Air Board was created through the New Mexico Air Quality Control Act and the federal Clean

Air Act to regulate air pollution in both the City of Albuquerque and the County of Bernalillo under joint authority, according to the City of Albuquerque’s website. Composed of seven voting members — four chosen by the City and three by the County with specific qualifications — the Air Board regulates by serving both legislative and judicial capacities: creating air quality rules that ensure compliance with state and federal law and reviewing air quality permit appeals, according to the City of Albuquerque’s website. On Nov. 8, City Council approved

ordinances that abolished the Air Board and recreated it, terminating city-appointed members. During that same meeting, City Council approved a resolution to establish a moratorium to halt the Air Board’s actions until February. The County was not included in these decisions, according to the Daily Lobo and court documents. Mayor Tim Keller vetoed the legislation Nov. 22, which the City Council overrode Dec. 4 – passing the abolition, recreation and moratorium. This prompted the Air Board to file a lawsuit against the City on Dec. 5, requesting a prelimi-

nary injunction, as reported by The Daily Lobo.

Arguments in court on Thursday

The preliminary injunction hearing did not decide the legality of the City Council’s ordinance and resolution; the hearing decided to halt the implementation of them to allow time for the courts to determine if the City’s legislation was legal. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, the Air Board’s attorney and Ken Martinez, the County’s attorney, argued at the

see Air page 2

Lobos defeat Freson State

Lights, camera, action: New Mexico’s film industry on the rise Albuquerque ranked second best city for filmmakers By Ella Daniel @DailyLobo Within the enchanting landscapes of the Southwest, New Mexico has emerged as a widely sought-after location for filmmakers. Recently, the state has experienced a surge in the film industry. Landscapes, diverse locations and supportive tax incentives have turned this state into a haven for filmmakers. The New Mexico Film Office announced on Jan. 18 that Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces have landed spots on MovieMaker Magazine’s ‘‘Best Places to Live and Work as a MovieMaker.’’ Albuquerque ranks second on the big cities list and Santa Fe tops the small cities and towns list with Las

Cruces coming in eighth. “I love the New Mexico film community. I’ve made so many friends and seen so many amazing projects. This is such a beautiful place and I love seeing it get the recognition it deserves,” Aster Brotman said – a freshman film student. The increase in film production has brought in some University of New Mexico film students, including Film & Digital Arts major, Magdalene Lowrance, who chose to attend the UNM because of the location. “I moved from Missouri to Albuquerque this year so that I could try to get work opportunities because Albuquerque is such a film hub right now,” Lowrance said. In high school, Claire Russel, a freshman film student at UNM said — they found film opportunity in Albuquerque through film summer

Mackenzie Schwartz / @artkenzie / Daily Lobo

Forward Paula Reus (#30) tries to pass the ball while being double-teamed by Fresno State at The Pit on Wednesday, Jan. 24. (See pg. 4).

camps and film festivals. “Programs like the ‘Southwest School of Filmmaking and Film Prize Jr.’ are fantastic for young people to get into the film industry and are some of the reasons I’ve gotten as far as I have,” Russel said. The State of New Mexico also implemented a film tax credit that offers rebates to production companies for eligible expenses incurred in film and television production. This initiative has drawn the interest of major Hollywood studios such as A24, Netflix, and also has served as an incentive for independent filmmakers to opt for New Mexico as their preferred shooting location,

Inside this Lobo Pukite: UNM law school educates high schoolers on constitutional rights (pg. 2) Boe: ASUNM back to business (pg. 3) Bulger: Women’s basketball: Lobos defeat Fresno State 84-77 (pg. 4) Davidson: Men’s Basketball: Lobos charge into the Top 25 rankings (pg. 5)

according to Visit Albuquerque. Capstone student and graduating senior Trin Moody hopes to see more development in the film industry from the state to retain film makers in the state. “I’d argue that New Mexico could go even further with those connections, particularly in post-production,” Moody said. “I’d like there to be more retention here so that filmmakers don’t hone their craft here and then head off to another, more well-rounded state for aspects of filmmaking that New Mexico can’t fulfill.” New Mexico’s unique and diverse landscapes have played a pivotal

role in attracting filmmakers, including the Sandias, White Sands and Rio Grande River. Brotman said they hope more film companies come here and open more opportunities. Several productions have chosen New Mexico as their filming location, solidifying its reputation as a rising destination for filmmakers. Beyond the Oscar Nominated film “Oppenheimer,” films such as “The Harder They Fall” and “El Camino” are notable projects created in New Mexico. The growth of the film industry has sparked a sense of cultural pride among New Mexicans. The

see Film page 2

Bulger: United promotes Luke Sanford (pg. 6) Knox: New bill hopes to protect renters and buyers from income discrimination (pg. 11) Hopkins: Opinion: Taylor Swift is everwhere, but why? (pg. 12) Mincks: Mexican gray wolf compensation proposals move in Santa Fe (pg. 14)


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