Zozobra. Photo by another.point.in.time

Zozobra. Photo by another.point.in.time

As the year ends, it’s clear much of what occurred in 2009 will influence what happens in 2010.

Will the ongoing federal investigation into investments reveal any wrongdoing? And how will all the scandals, most of which involve Democrats, play out during the 2010 elections, when New Mexicans elect a governor and dozens of state lawmakers?

Meanwhile, the decisions the governor and state lawmakers make to address the state’s massive budgetary shortfall will ripple across the state, likely impacting wealthy and poor alike, business owners and recipients of government aid.

It’s hard to know how deeply the budget crisis will affect day-to-day life in New Mexico.

But one thing is for sure: 2010 is primed to overachieve news-wise, just like 2009.

There were many news stories we didn’t include here. Please use the comments section to share your thoughts on the biggest stories of 2009.