Elaine Baumgartel

New Mexico's primary election is on Tuesday and recent scandals in southern parts of the state have refocused attention on the issue of voter fraud. 

Is there rampant abuse of the right to vote in New Mexico?  Are there barriers to voting that prevent voters from having their say and being counted?  Just ahead this morning on the KUNM Call In Show, we'll take your calls and comments.

But first, we'll hear from Steve Robert Allen, the Policy Director at ACLU-New Mexico.  Allen says there's no such thing as a flawless election.

KUNM Call In Show 5/31 8a: Are people voting illegally in New Mexico?  Are people being denied their legitimate voting rights?  

Guests: UNM Professor Lonna Atkeson; Jared Hamilton, Hispanos Unidos; Representative Cathryn Brown

Voter ID Laws in the U.S. 

UPDATED 4:30pm:  State environmental officials say a massive jet fuel spill threatening Albuquerque's water supply could be much larger than originally thought. Officials have previously estimated the decades-old spill from Kirtland Air Force base to be about 8 million gallons.

But state geologist William Moats, who made the original calculations, recently estimated the spill could be as large as 24 million gallons -- or twice the size of the spill from the Exxon Valdez oil tanker in Alaska in 1989.

KUNM Call In Show 5/24 8a: The number of people in New Mexico who died from prescription drug overdoses shot up by over 60% over the last decade.  What are local authorities doing to stop this trend?  Why such a quick increase?  What causes the increase in sales of prescription drugs?  We'd like to hear from you!  Email callinshow@kunm.org, leave a comment online, or call in live during the show.  

Smoke from wildfires in New Mexico and Arizona is expected to be noticeable across both states until at least this afternoon. The National Weather Service says windy and dry climate conditions will shift smoke from large wildfires burning in northern and central Arizona and southwest New Mexico. The winds will likely push smoke into central and northern New Mexico today and southward on Saturday.

Senator Tom Udall, D (NM), spoke with KUNM's Elaine Baumgartel about his efforts to keep the cost of federal student loans down and the need for borrowers to be financially literate.  

KUNM  Call In Show, Thu. 5/17 8a: How are you going to pay off your student loans?  Was it worth it for you?  Are we buying more college than we can afford?  What other options are there for students?  We'd like to hear from you!  Email callinshow@kunm.org, leave comments online, or call in live during the show.  277-5866 or toll free 877-899-5866

KUNM Call In Show Thu. 5/10 8a: Do you think pit bulls are more dangerous than other breeds of dogs? Why do dogs attack people and what do we need to know to prevent dog attacks?  

KUNM Call In Show Thu. 5/3 8a: Exactly how are officials cleaning up the decades old fuel oil spill at Kirtland AFB?  Are you concerned about your drinking water in Albuquerque?  Are city and state officials requiring enough of the base clean-up effort?  

A recent poll by Public Policy Polling shows incumbent Representative Martin Heinrich leading in the race for retiring Senator Jeff Bingaman's seat.  

Our newest poll finds Martin Heinrich leading Heather Wilson 48-43 and Hector Balderas with a 44-43 advantage. Both match ups have seen only a small change from when PPP polled the state in December. At that time Heinrich led Wilson 47-40 and Balderas and Wilson were knotted at 43%.

KUNM Call In Show Thu. 4/19 8a: What possesses a poet to scribble the deepest heart secrets and then share them with the world?  And how can naming a poet laureate impact Albuquerque?  What do you want to see and hear from your first, 'Burque?  Hakim Bellamy was named Albuquerque's first Poet Laureate this past weekend and he'll join us live in the studio.  We'd like to hear from you!  

Call in live during the show 277-5866, toll free 877-899-5866, or email to callinshow@kunm.org.  

Community members and conservation groups met in front of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regional headquarters today to demand the release of more Mexican grey wolves.  The agency administers a controversial reintroduction program for the endangered species in the Gila Wilderness in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico. 

Thu. 4/12 8a: What's your biggest tax question this year, besides 'do I have to?'  

Guests: Demesia Padilla, NM Secretary of Taxation and Revenue; Betsy Donnelly and Michele Jordan, IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service; 

Voter advocacy and conservation groups are co-sponsoring two candidate forums, one for each open seat on the PRC, which regulates a wide range of agencies and industries including telecommunications, insurance, and utilities.   

From the League of Women Voters of Santa Fe County press release: 

 

Albuquerque area PRC Candidate Forum, District 1  

6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 11

UNM Continuing Education Center, 1634 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque

 

For the third time in recent weeks, a partner in the troubled effort to reintroduce the Mexican gray wolf has jumped ship.

Elected Sunland Park mayor Daniel Salinas can't be sworn in because he's been barred from having contact with the clerk who administers the oath of office.  The court order is the result of blackmail allegations.  

The southern New Mexico town's city council will meet next week to declare the mayor's office vacant and make an appointment, according to a KRQE-TV report. 

Top officials at the Public Service Company of New Mexico were paid $2.26 million dollars. Nearly half of that went to President and CEO Pat Vincent-Collawn on top of her $575,000 annual salary. 

From the Albuquerque Journal: 

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Charles Eldred received a $400,000 salary in 2011 and $486,240 in incentive pay.

Thu. 4/5 8a:  Should government information be available to the public? Which information should citizens have access to? All information? Or are there some types of government information that should remain unavailable? New Mexico earned a D- in a recent State Integrity Investigation report on governmental accountability.  

Guests: Gwyneth Doland, New Mexico Foundation for Open Government; Viki Harrison, Common Cause New Mexico

The Obama administration is halting immigration court proceedings in four cities. The move will give authorities time to review thousands of cases and delay deportation for many non-criminal undocumented immigrants. Nick Bloomberg reports for the Fronteras Changing America Desk.

The 13th Annual White Privilege Conference meets in Albuquerque this week to create opportunities to talk about one of our nation's most challenging subjects, white privilege and racial oppression.  

This week marks the one year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, the controversial new health care law intended to overhaul the nation's healthcare system. Ahead this morning on the KUNM Call In Show, we'll take your questions, but first we'll hear from Ron Pollack, the founding Executive Director of Families USA, a non-profit organization advocating for equal access to high quality healthcare

Thu. 3/29 8a: How does media play a role in your racial identity?  How did you learn about people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds?  What do you think will help build bridges across differences?  We'll take your calls and discuss with local media advocates and journalists who focus on issues of race, ethnicity, and representation. 

Thu. 3/22 8a:  It's been a year since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law and soon the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the its constitutionality.  How has the law changed your healthcare situation?  What have been the impacts across New Mexico?  

Voters in Rio Rancho and Santa Fe are going to the polls today to select city councilors and vote on charter amendments and bond issues.  Polls close at 7pm tonight.  Rio Rancho voting info.  Santa Fe voting info. 

Tue. 3/6 Time ~11am: President Obama will hold a press conference today.  He is expected to discuss the ongoing violence in Syria and Iran's disputed nuclear program.   We'll bring you live anchored coverage of the event from NPR News.  If you miss it check out our Two Week Archive!

Thu. 3/8 8a: LANL recently announced plans to cut the permanent lab workforce by over 10%.   Would you like to see more or less funding for projects at LANL?  And what about the Obama Administration's announcement that LANL's controversial $6 billion plutonium facility project will be delayed 5 years? 

Thu. 2/23 8a: Is the influence of money in politics a problem?   Or do you think our elections system works?  Are enough public lands protected from industry and human use?   Or would you like to see more commercial and public activity on state and federal lands in New Mexico?  

Thu. 2/16 8a: How is this year's legislative session wrapping up in Santa Fe?  Are you pleased with the budget package and allocation of state funds?  Were there measures you wanted to see pass that died in committee?  We'll take your calls and hear from lawmakers on the KUNM Call In Show this week.  We'd like to hear from you live during the show!

 277-5866 or toll-free 877-899-5866