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New Mexico lawmakers debate allowing convicts to vote

New Mexico's legislature this week began considering a bill to give convicted felons the right to vote while incarcerated or on parole. The legislation would go further than the initiative approved by last fall by Florida voters, who restored voting rights for all convicted felons, except murderers and sex offenders, and further than the law President Trump signed in December, easing some of the most punitive prison sentences at the federal level without restoring the franchise to federal convicts.

In Albuquerque, supporters told a state House panel the bill was an important vehicle for boosting the rights of minority groups that have historically had disproportionately high incarceration rates. Opponents lambasted the idea of extending such rights to violent offenders.



The bill's sponsor, Democratic state Rep. Gail Chasey, citing statistics that show 94 percent of New Mexico's 7,000 inmates will eventually be released, said allowing them to be politically active while in prison will make them more engaged citizens when they get out.

Under current New Mexico law, people convicted of felonies are removed from the voting rolls and prohibited from voting again until after they have completed their sentence, probation or parole. Maine and Vermont are the only states that do not take the vote away from the incarcerated.

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Trump Doubles Down on Maduro’s Arrest
File:Nicolás Maduro, president of Venezuela (2016) cropped.jpg ...

Trump Doubles Down on Maduro’s Arrest

In a dramatic escalation of U.S. pressure on Venezuela, President Donald Trump has doubled the reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro—from $25 million to a staggering $50 million. The move, announced by Attorney General Pam Bondi, positions Maduro among the most-wanted fugitives in the world and intensifies Washington’s campaign to hold him accountable for alleged narco-terrorism.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, Maduro will not escape justice and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday. Bondi described Maduro as “one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world,” citing his alleged ties to criminal organizations like Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa cartel, and Cartel de los Soles.

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Protest against gerrymandering
Demonstrators protest against gerrymandering at a rally in front of the Supreme Court while the justices debated Rucho v. Common Cause.
Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

When the Map Becomes the Battlefield: Gerrymandering and the Challenge of Democratic Reform

Founded as an independent national news outlet, The Fulcrum explores and advances solutions to the challenges facing our democratic republic—by amplifying diverse, civic-minded voices. We've long championed a new political paradigm rooted in civil discourse, civic integrity, and personal accountability while warning that hyper-partisan rhetoric and entrenched party lines threaten the very foundation of reasoned governance.

But in 2025, the threat has evolved. The content arriving in our newsroom, as well as the voices from the field, reflect not just frustration with gridlock, but growing alarm over the systematic dismantling of democratic institutions. From reform leaders to civic organizations to everyday citizens, we’re hearing the same refrain: The machinery of democracy is not merely stalled, but systematically being dismantled.

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Congress Bill Spotlight: Making Trump Assassination Attempt a National Holiday

A congressional resolution urges the House to designate July 13, the day that President Trump was shot in an assassination attempt, as an annual federal holiday.

Getty Images, Anna Moneymaker

Congress Bill Spotlight: Making Trump Assassination Attempt a National Holiday

The Fulcrum introduces Congress Bill Spotlight, a report by Jesse Rifkin, focusing on the noteworthy legislation of the thousands introduced in Congress. Rifkin has written about Congress for years, and now he's dissecting the most interesting bills you need to know about but that often don't get the right news coverage.

No longer would July 13 only be known as National Beans ‘n’ Franks Day or National Barbershop Music Appreciation Day.

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