CABINET IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Residents can sign up for safety net programs, renew licenses

Representatives from several state agencies will be available to help residents at an event Saturday in Albuquerque. The gatherings will be held in other cities in coming months.

SANTA FE — Cabinet secretaries from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration — along with Governor’s Office staffers — will hold a constituent event Saturday in Albuquerque, where attendees can sign up for safety net programs, get vaccinations or renew their driver’s licenses.

Lujan Grisham, a first-term Democrat, described the event as a way to make state officials directly available to New Mexico residents. The Governor’s Office also plans to hold similar events around the state in coming months.

“Effective constituent service is the beating heart of state government,” Lujan Grisham said. “If we want to develop trust in state government, if we want to deliver on transforming this state, we’ve got to show New Mexicans that we mean business.”

This weekend’s event will feature representatives of various state agencies, including the Human Services Department, the Health Department, the Motor Vehicle Division and the Economic Development Department.

The state Environment Department will provide free private well-water testing for the first 150 homeowners who sign up, while the State Personnel Office will have recruiters on hand to help potential job seekers.

For most services offered at the outreach event, participants are asked to bring identification. Some applications also require additional information and a fee.

Among the event’s other services will be applications for child care assistance, applications for concealed-carry firearm permits, enrollment forms for food and medical assistance programs and information about how to be an extra in a film or television production.