Secretaries of veterans services, IT confirmed

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Senate voted Wednesday to confirm two of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Cabinet appointees.

The 38-0 vote to confirm Veterans Services Secretary Sonya Smith came after Senate Minority Leader Greg Baca, R-Belen, said he had called Smith to apologize for an “inappropriate” line of questioning during a Senate committee hearing last week.

Specifically, Baca asked Smith, a Black woman, whether she felt comfortable entering the position in a state where just 3% of the population is African American but 49% are a “Hispanic mix.”

The Senate also voted without dissent to confirm Information Technology Secretary John Salazar.

Both Smith and Salazar were appointed by Lujan Grisham last year.