Jim Williams

By Colleen Keane and Jim Williams

By Jim Williams

Albuquerque, NM – New Mexico US Senator Tom Udall is railing against a Republican plan to block votes on key legislation.

Senate GOP leaders delivered a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid signed by all 42 Republican Senators. In it, they say the remaining time in the lame-duck session of Congress should be dedicated to "critical issues of funding the government and preventing a job-killing tax hike".

By Jim Williams

Albuquerque, NM – The web site Politico.com reports Bingaman says he will make a decision early next year. The 67-year-old Bingaman tells Politico he had considered retiring before previous campaigns for re-election, as well, adding there are "many pros and cons" to the idea.

By Jim Williams

Albuquerque, NM – From our capitol newsroom, KUNM's Jim Williams reports.

By Jim Williams

Albuquerque, NM – KUNM's Jim Williams spoke with Susana Martinez, candidate for New Mexico Governor.

By Jim Williams

Albuquerque, NM – There's yet another wrinkle in the story of this year's race for New Mexico Secretary of State.

Today's Santa Fe New Mexican reports that incumbent Secretary Mary Herrera, a Democrat, asked a Republican employee in her office to intervene in the state GOP effort to find someone to run against her.

By Jim Williams

Albuquerque, NM – A former elections official who blew the whistle on the Secretary of State's office earlier this year says there have been a series of break-ins at his Espanola law office, and that some key documents have been stolen. A.J. Salazar, who quit his position as Elections Director after sending a scathing resignation letter to Secretary of State Mary Herrera, says he "has his suspicions" about the break-ins.

By Jim Williams and Sarah Gustavus

Albuquerque, NM – Of all of the issues Governor Bill Richardson has dealt with over the past seven and a half years, there's one that stands out for its potential impact on the largest number of New Mexicans. In this last report in a series on Richardson's legacy as he prepares to leave office, KUNM's Jim Williams takes a look at how education has fared under the Democrat's leadership.

By Jim Williams

Albuquerque, NM – Governor Bill Richardson announced Wednesday he would use 2 million dollars of federal stimulus money to lessen the impact of his cuts to childcare provider reimbursement rates across the state.

Still, childcare providers are deeply concerned.

By Jim Williams

Albuquerque, NM – President Barack Obama made a swing through Albuquerque's South Valley on Tuesday. He answered some questions from community members and criticized Congressional Republicans for blocking legislation he said is essential to helping the country out of tough economic times. KUNM's Jim Williams reports.

By Jim Williams and Sarah Gustavus

Diane Denish

By Jim Williams

By Jim Williams

KUNM Jim Williams reports

Washington, DC – New Mexico US Senator Tom Udall today, September 22, 2010, continued his push to change Senate rules to stop what he calls "abuse" of voting procedures. The Democrat's effort could have the effect of allowing the party in power to make a filibuster easier to overcome.

By Jim Williams

Santa Fe, NM – The Santa Fe Public Schools Board will meet tomorrow to make decisions on how to cover an estimated $7 million budget deficit.

Some proposals have included consolidating some small schools, closing others and cutting arts and music programs.

Meanwhile, a prominent Santa Fe think-tank has come up with yet another idea.

By Jim Williams

Albuquerque, NM – The House has already approved legislation and New Mexico Senator Tom Udall says he is hoping for a speedy approval of it in his chamber as well.

KUNM's Jim Williams spoke with Senator Udall about financial reform legislation.

By Jim Williams

Santa Fe, NM – The federal government has, for many years, spent $4 to every $1 the state spends on Medicaid programs. But that may be about to change dramatically.

From our capitol newsroom, KUNM's Jim Williams reports.

By Jim Williams

Albuquerque, NM – Over one hundred cards were sent to several counties in recent days, after they surfaced in the Secretary of State's office. One of the results of the cards not being delivered when they should have been, in 2008, was that some qualified voters' ballots didn't count in that year's election.

The Secretary of State's office has denied knowledge of who sent the cards out earlier this week, and has said they were mailed inadvertently.

By Jim Williams

Albuquerque, NM – As we reported two weeks ago, former Elections Bureau employees have backed up claims made by former Elections Director A.J. Salazar that the office is being mismanaged. Salazar has said that Don Francisco Trujillo, who has been Deputy Secretary of State, and is now Elections Director, interfered with the running of the Bureau. Other former employees confirm this, and maintain that was the reason for their departure.

By Jim Williams

Albuquerque, NM – Proponents of the health care overhaul are talking up the changes that will take place over the next six months.

Among them, tax relief for small businesses for providing insurance, a band on insurers dropping coverage when patients get sick, wellness and prevention benefits extended to seniors without cost-sharing or deductibles, and the removal of lifetime limits on benefits.

By Jim Williams

Santa Fe, NM – The proposal, passed by lawmakers in a a special session earlier this month, would have raised about $45 million toward a $600 million budget shortfall.

Richardson said he'd promised in 2004 that the food tax exemption would be permanent, and said he wasn't willing to "put this burden on working families."

The move met with surprise from the Senate Majority Leader, Belen Democrat Michael Sanchez, who said that, as far as he knew, Richardson had not opposed the food tax idea until today.

By Jim Williams

Santa Fe, NM – Deputy Secretary of State Don Francisco Trujillo tells KUNM his office is changing its approach to soliciting donations as a result of concerns from the Attorney General's office.

As we first reported Tuesday, KUNM found, in a document request this week, e-mails that seem to back up contentions by a now-former Elections Director that Herrera has been engaging in political activity in her office.

By Jim Williams

Santa Fe, NM – KUNM has learned the state attorney general's office has concerns over what the Secretary of State may be doing with regard to seeking donations from contractors.

From our capitol newsroom, KUNM's Jim Williams reports.

By Jim Williams

Albuquerque, NM – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said the House will likely use something called "Deem and Pass" to make changes to a measure already passed by the Senate without having to actually vote on the bill itself.

Lujan says he thinks Republicans have been criticizing the process instead of focusing on what the public wants.

By Jim Williams

Albuquerque, NM – With the vote on a health care overhaul package looming in Washington and the margin expected to be razor-thin, House Democratic leaders are now pushing to pass the package using an infrequent process that essentially avoids a vote on one element of it.

Known as "deem and pass", the procedure allows lawmakers to vote on changes to a bill first, which then deems the bill itself already passed.

KUNM's Jim Williams spoke with one of New Mexico's House members about it, and has this report.

By Jim Williams

Albuquerque, NM – Secretary of State Mary Herrera is firing back over allegations that her office is poorly managed.

As KUNM reported last week, several former Elections division employees have echoed the contentions of a former Elections Director that Deputy Secretary Francisco Trujillo is interfering with how the division is run. Herrera, in defending Trujillo, is now saying the former employees were incompetent.

KUNM's Jim Williams reports.

By Jim Williams

Albuquerque, NM – This week could bring a final Congressional vote on a proposed overhaul of the nation's health care system.

Late this week, the House of Representatives is likely to vote on the Senate version of the legislation.

The House may then immediately try to make changes to it using the budget reconciliation process.

One holdup has been that some House members, like New Mexico First District Representative Martin Heinrich, have some issues with the Senate bill.

By Jim Williams

Santa Fe, NM – It's becoming clearer that there are personnel problems within the New Mexico Secretary of State's office that may be creating high turnover in the Elections division.

On February 26, Bureau of Elections Director A.J. Salazar resigned from the position, the latest in a string of resignations from the post that has once again left Secretary of State Mary Herrera without an elections chief just months before an election.

By Jim Williams

Santa Fe, NM – Among other things, the rules would allow companies to apply for a franchise to get access to existing rights of way on both public and private lands to install new telecommunications equipment.

Some activists oppose the changes. KUNM's Jim Williams reports.

By Jim Williams

Albuquerque, NM – Hydro Resources Incorporated has a permit to extract the mineral in the area, which is adjacent to the Navajo Nation.

The 2 to 1 decision overturned a challenge by environmental organizations and individuals opposed to the mining, who say it will damage drinking water supplies. KUNM's Jim Williams has more.

By Jim Williams

Albuquerque, NM – Congress has yet to approve a continuation of supplemental stimulus funding for Medicaid programs around the country.

At stake is about $100 million in Medicaid funding for New Mexico. Some state lawmakers are concerned about the delay, saying if the funding isn't extended, more cuts to the state budget will be necessary.

As KUNM's Jim Williams reports though, New Mexico U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman remains optimistic that the dollars will be delivered soon.