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Feds To Pay Tribes, Pueblo Leader Gets Prison Term

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Feds To Pay $940M To Settle Claims Over Tribal Contracts Mary Hudetz, Associated Press

The Obama administration has agreed to pay a group of Native American tribes nearly a billion dollars to settle a claim that the government failed to adequately compensate tribes for education, law enforcement and other federal services.

Justice Department and Interior officials plan to announce the proposed settlement Thursday along with leaders from the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Zuni Pueblo and Ramah Chapter of the Navajo Nation.

The lawsuit first filed in 1990 argued plaintiffs had been shorted on federal contracts to run programs that fulfilled the U.S.' trust obligations to tribes.

More than 600 hundred tribal entities, including governments and their organizations, belong to the class represented in the lawsuit.

The $940 million settlement must be approved in federal district court.

Former US Sen. Domenici Weighs In On Energy FutureThe Associated Press

Former U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici says oil and gas resources are blessings that will likely remain key elements of the nation's energy landscape for a long time to come.

The Republican spoke Thursday at the eighth annual Domenici Public Policy Conference in Las Cruces, a two-event that touched on energy, economic development and foreign policy.

Domenici says the United States is on the verge of becoming the largest producer of oil and gas in the world and that the lower price of hydrocarbons makes the resources excellent bridge fuels.

He also acknowledged there are global warming consequences and says efficiency should be the goal to minimize the effect of carbon emissions.

The longest serving senator in state history, Domenici served in the U.S. Senate from 1972 to 2009.

State Republicans Eye Seats In Democratic-Controlled Senate The Associated Press & The Roswell Daily Record

New Mexico's GOP chairwoman says state Republicans are eyeing four seats in the Democratic-controlled Senate for the 2016 election.

The Roswell Daily Record reports state GOP chairwoman Debbie Maestas said during a meeting Wednesday of the Chaves County Republican Women that a Republican governor and majorities in the House and Senate would create policy opportunities.

She said this election outcome would give Republicans two years to pass legislation.

Targeted Democrats include Sens. Daniel Ivey-Soto of Albuquerque, John Sapien of Corrales, William Soules of Las Cruces and Majority Floor Leader Michael Sanchez of Belen.

Sanchez is credited with derailing several GOP initiatives during the 2015 legislative session.

Maestas said five Republicans are vulnerable in the state House, but did not specify which ones.

Albuquerque School Board OKs Contract With Teacher Pay RaiseThe Associated Press

The Albuquerque public school system's board has approved a labor contract for teachers and other employees.

The Board of Education approved the agreement with the Albuquerque Teachers Federation Wednesday night.

Teachers and other union-represented workers overwhelmingly approved the agreement earlier this week.

The contract for the 2015-2016 school year includes raising the minimum annual salary for teachers to $34,000 from $32,000.

Other provisions include funding for mentoring of teachers and creation of a task force to study sick leave and incentives for attendance.

In other action, the school board approved a $200,000 annual contract for acting Superintendent Raquel Reedy. She is temporarily replacing Luis Valentino.

He resigned Aug. 31 following the hiring of an administrator facing child sex abuse charges.

New Mexico Official: EPA Kept Water Data Secret After SpillThe Associated Press

A New Mexico official says federal regulators refused to share water quality data for weeks following a blowout of toxic wastewater from a Colorado mine that fouled rivers across the Southwest.

Ryan Flynn, New Mexico Environment and Natural Resources secretary, said the move by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency aimed to downplay the severity of the spill, hobbling the state's response.

Flynn's comments came in statements prepared for delivery Thursday before a U.S. House committee investigating the Aug. 5 accident.

The spill was triggered by an EPA cleanup team as it was doing excavation work on an inactive mine near Silverton, Colorado. The pollution tainted with heavy metals flowed downstream to New Mexico and Utah.

EPA spokeswoman Laura Allen says water-quality test results were made public as soon as they were validated.

Albuquerque Vigil Planned For Immigrants, Pope's Visit – The Associated Press

A coalition of religious groups and immigrant organizations is holding a vigil in Albuquerque in honor the women walking 100 miles to see Pope Francis.

The "Interfaith Vigil for Immigrant Justice and Dignity" is scheduled Thursday evening in Albuquerque's Barelas neighborhood.

The vigil will serve as a "send-off" for four Albuquerque women who will join the Women's Pilgrimage for Migrant Justice. The 100-mile march involving 100 women will walk from the York County Detention Center in Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C., later this month.

Pope is scheduled to meet with President Obama and address Congress at the same time and he is expected to bring up the topic of immigration.

Pueblo Leader Gets Prison Term In $3.5M Embezzling Scheme - The Associated Press

A former governor of Santa Ana Pueblo has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison on charges stemming from a multimillion-dollar embezzlement scheme.

Federal prosecutors say 61-year-old Bruce Sanchez received a 51-month prison term Wednesday followed by three years of supervised release.

Sanchez also was ordered to pay more than $655,000 to the Internal Revenue Service for federal taxes owed on the money he embezzled and failed to report.

Sanchez pleaded guilty to embezzlement and tax evasion in January.

Prosecutors say Sanchez and a real estate consultant embezzled more than $3.5 million from the Indian Pueblo Federal Development Corporation, where he was CEO and president, between 2003 and 2009.

The organization was formed by the 19 pueblos to develop the former Albuquerque Indian School site.

Correction: This story has been edited to reflect that the prison sentence was 51 months, not 56 as originally reported. We regret the error. 

Officer Charged In Shooting Faces Police Department Hearing 
-Mary Hudetz, Associated Press

An officer charged in the on-duty shooting death of a homeless man is expected to face a hearing to decide his fate on the Albuquerque police force.

Officer Dominique Perez has remained on administrative leave for more than a year and amid public protests calling for his firing.

Perez, who is 34, is one of two officers charged with second-degree murder after opening fire on James Boyd in March 2014. A tentative trial date has been set for August 2016.

Defense attorneys have maintained that the officers fired at Boyd because he had threatened and posed a danger to police.

In video footage, Boyd is shown turning away from officers with two knives in hand as shots are fired, ending an hours-long standoff in the Sandia Mountain foothills.

Another New Mexico Lawmaker Addresses Spending Questions Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press

A New Mexico lawmaker who's the latest to be questioned about campaign spending is calling for a review of all finance records filed by elected officials and candidates.

Rep. James Roger Madalena made the statement Wednesday after it was confirmed that the secretary of state's office was looking into his filings.

The Democrat from Jemez Pueblo reported spending campaign money on surgery expenses, attire from a Nike factory store and satellite TV service.

Madalena chalked it up to "clerical errors and honest mistakes." He fired back at critics who raised questions about his filings and leveled his own accusations at Republican lawmakers.

New Mexico's campaign finance reporting system was thrust into the spotlight more than two weeks when Republican Secretary of State Dianna Duran was accused of misusing contributions to cover spending at casinos.

House Panel Schedules Meeting In Secretary Of State Case - The Associated Press

The panel of New Mexico lawmakers that will be investigating fraud and other charges against one of the state's highest ranking officials as part of impeachment proceedings has scheduled its first meeting.

The House Special Investigatory Committee will meet Sept. 28 at the State Capitol in Santa Fe. The bipartisan panel will be discussing the hiring of special legal counsel, rules for the investigation and a hearing schedule.

The Legislative Council on Tuesday cleared the way for the committee to begin its work by approving up to $250,000 in state funds to finance the effort.

Secretary of State Dianna Duran has been accused of funneling campaign contributions into personal bank accounts and later withdrawing large sums of money while frequenting casinos around the state. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

San Juan County Jail Stops Charging Inmates Medical Co-Pays Farmington Daily Times, The Associated Press

A San Juan County jail is doing away with its nearly 20-year-old practice of charging inmates co-pays for medical services, partially in an effort to avoid future lawsuits.

The Daily Times reports jail administrator Tom Havel told county commissioners before the unanimous vote Tuesday that co-pays were not cost effective and placed an undue burden on jail staff.

Families of three inmates who died at the county Adult Detention Center earlier this year filed lawsuits against the department and its insurers. Two of the inmates had filed formal grievances about the jail's medical fees.

Commissioner Jack Fortner said the county did not want to discourage inmates from seeking medical services, nor did it want to invite further lawsuits.

Fees ranged from $5 to $20. About half went uncollected annually.