By MORGAN LEE Associated Press SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Leading New Mexico legislators recommended a billion-dollar increase Thursday in annual state spending to expand preschool access and increase mandatory classroom instruction time at K-12 public schools. The budget proposal would increase general fund spending by 12%, or just over $1 billion, to $9.4 billion for the fiscal year that …

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A rebound in oil and natural gas prices is changing the outlook for state government finances in New Mexico as the Legislature drafts a spending plan for the coming fiscal year. A team of economists from three state agencies and the Legislature said Wednesday that state government income is likely to increase by $339 million …