Finger Print Provision Scuttles Deal On Immigrant Licenses – The Associated Press
Leading Republicans in the New Mexico Legislature are insisting that immigrants who are in the country illegally provide finger prints when applying for a special driver identification card, under amended legislation designed to make state driver's licenses compliant under federal regulations for identification.
Republican House Majority Floor Leader Nate Gentry on Wednesday described as a deal killer a Senate amendment that stripped finger printing provisions from House-approved legislation.
Pressure is mounting in the Legislature to pass a fix that meets federal security requirements under the REAL ID Act.
A Senate committee has passed a measure aimed at making the state compliant. It would allow all New Mexico residents to apply for REAL ID-compliant licenses or obtain a "driver's authorization card."
Senate Panel Approves Amended Measure For Teacher Raises – The Associated Press
New Mexico teachers at various levels would see minimum salaries increase under an amended proposal approved by the Senate Education Committee.
The panel voted Wednesday to advance the measure despite concerns that legislative finance leaders may not be able to find money to pay for the salary hikes due to evaporating revenues.
The bill's sponsor, Democratic Sen. Mimi Stewart of Albuquerque, says the initial proposal had called for phasing in base-pay increases over four years at an estimated cost of more than $155 million.
Stewart is now proposing the bill cover just one year at a cost of nearly $7 million.
She says New Mexico needs to include the salary minimums in state law as part of an effort to boost recruitment and retention. Some lawmakers voiced concerns about it being an unfunded mandate.
New Mexico AG Opposes Potential Utility Rate Increase – The Associated Press & The ABQ Journal
The New Mexico Attorney General's Office is opposing a prospective rate increase for the Public Service Co. of New Mexico.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that PNM has requested a 14.4 percent increase to its annual base revenue.
PNM requested the increase of about $123.5 million last August. That would raise the utility's state-generated income to about $981.5 million per year by increasing base rates paid by about 500,000 New Mexican customers.
The revenue pays for all the company's operating costs and investments in the electrical system, as well as a return on profits for shareholders.
The attorney general has called for PNM to reduce its new revenue requirements to $27 million.
A March public hearing on the topic is expected to be contentious.
Former Administrative Law Judge Pleads Guilty To Fraud – The Associated Press & The ABQ Journal
A former New Mexico Workers' Compensation Administrative Law Judge accused of embezzling more than $500,000 has pleaded guilty in federal court.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that Juanita Roibal-Bradley on Tuesday pleaded guilty to 12 counts of wire fraud from defrauding an estate and to defrauding the Social Security Administration of more than $40,000 by receiving disability benefits.
The former administrative law judge is accused of falsely advertising her services as a lawyer to the estate holders when she was prohibited from privately practicing the law. She then transferred funds from the estate into her personal bank account.
Roibal-Bradley served as a judge from 2003 to 2007.
Senators Support Spending Increase To Fight Heroin Epidemic – The Associated Press
Some members of New Mexico's congressional delegation are throwing their support behind a push by the Obama administration to boost spending to address the nation's opioid and heroin epidemic.
The administration plans to seek a $1 billion increase over two years to expand access to treatment.
It will also seek more money for programs that help states and local governments execute drug prevention strategies and improve access to naloxone, an overdose-reversal drug.
Sens. Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall say the epidemic has devastated some New Mexico communities.
Heinrich says more New Mexicans died in 2014 of drug overdoses than in any other year on record.
That year there were about 547 people who died in the state due to drug poisoning, including deaths from prescription opioids and heroin overuse.
Two Mexican Gray Wolves Die During Annual Government Count – Associated Press
Wildlife officials are investigating the deaths of two Mexican gray wolves they say were killed after being struck by a field team's tranquilizer darts.
The team of state and federal wildlife officials was surveying the wolves in an annual population count that also involves capturing wolves with tranquilizer darts to attach radio collars to them.
In a statement Tuesday, the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said one wolf was darted Jan. 23 and released into the wild before dying four days later.
The other died Jan. 28 within minutes of being darted.
Officials say the wolves are the first to die during "count and capture" operations conducted since 2005.
About 110 Mexican gray wolves roam a portion of Arizona and New Mexico.
Necropsies are planned for the two wolves.
New Mexico Senate Panel OKs REAL ID 'Compromise' – Associated Press
A key New Mexico Senate committee has passed a bill lawmakers called a "compromise" aimed at making New Mexico compliant under the federal REAL ID Act.
Senators voted 8-1 to combine a bipartisan bill with a recently passed version out of the Republican-controlled House as pressure mounted to pass a REAL ID fix.
The compromise would allow all New Mexico residents to apply for REAL ID compliant licenses or obtain a "driver's permit card."
Under the proposal, immigrants in the country illegally would be allowed to apply for the permit card but could no longer get a New Mexico driver's license.
New Mexico Lawmakers Rewrite Budget With Less Money To Spend – Associated Press
Legislative leaders in New Mexico's House of Representatives are preserving pay increases for police and prison guards and trimming funding to higher education as they redraw next year's state budget to offset falling revenue projections.
The House Appropriations and Finance Committee voted to move forward with $81 million in spending increases with no new taxes during the fiscal year starting in July.
That is a far cry from the roughly $230 million spending increase recommended two weeks ago by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez.
Gone from the newly drafted budget are base-salary increases for teachers recommended at the start of the legislative session.
Funding for state colleges and universities would be reduced by $3.4 million if the spending plan becomes law.
And the Santa Fe New Mexican reports that a Democratic senator who sponsored a huge tax-cut package three years ago now seeks to delay some of those cuts. That includes reductions in corporate income tax.
Sen. John Arthur Smith, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said the bill is a “backup” in case revenue projections decline again.
Sheriff: Carjacking Suspect Shot After Police Pursuit – Associated Press
Authorities say a shooting suspect who led law enforcement on a chase through Albuquerque was shot and transported to a hospital, where he died.
Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales says one Albuquerque police officer and two sheriff's deputies have been placed on standard administrative leave as his agency investigates the officer-involved shooting Tuesday afternoon.
It hasn't been determined which officer's gunfire may have injured the suspect.
Gonzales says the suspect was being pursued by police for a shooting Tuesday morning and a series of carjackings. That shooting victim's condition was not released.
Police are investigating the carjackings that happened earlier Tuesday.
Gonzales says the suspect was attempting to take a third car when he was shot.
The suspect's and victim's names have not been released.
Partisan Candidates Vie For Secretary Of State In New Mexico – Associated Press
Contenders from both major parties in New Mexico are running for election as secretary of state in the wake of a scandal that landed the election agency's former chief in jail.
Candidates for statewide offices and three U.S. congressional seats filed petitions Tuesday to participate in June primaries.
Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver intends to run again for secretary of state as a Democrat after losing a bid in 2014. She is a proponent of changes designed to boost voter registration and increase campaign finance disclosures and auditing.
Rep. Nora Espinoza of Roswell has filed to run as a Republican and is a strong supporter of photo ID requirements for voters.
The secretary of state is charged with administering and enforcing the state's election and campaign finance reporting laws.
Bail Bond Reform Amendment Clears New Mexico Senate – Associated Press
A constitutional amendment aimed at reforming New Mexico's bail bond system has cleared the state Senate.
The chamber voted 29-9 in favor of the proposal, sending it to the House for consideration.
If approved, the question of whether to give judges the authority to deny bail to dangerous defendants would be put before the voters during the next general election in November.
The proposal would also allow judges to grant pretrial release to low-risk defendants who are being held because they are too poor to make bond.
The amendment's sponsor, Democrat Sen. Peter Wirth of Santa Fe, said the proposal is the result of many months of work by a task force of judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, bail bondsmen and others. He said the current system simply hasn't been working.
Senators Support Spending Increase To Fight Heroin Epidemic – Associated Press
Some members of New Mexico's congressional delegation are throwing their support behind a push by the Obama administration to boost spending to address the nation's opioid and heroin epidemic.
The administration plans to seek a $1 billion increase over two years to expand access to treatment.
It will also seek more money for programs that help states and local governments execute drug prevention strategies and improve access to naloxone, an overdose-reversal drug.
Sens. Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall say the epidemic has devastated some New Mexico communities.
Heinrich says more New Mexicans died in 2014 of drug overdoses than in any other year on record.
That year there were about 547 people who died in the state due to drug poisoning, including deaths from prescription opioids and heroin overuse.
Urban Outfitters Squaring Off Against Navajo Nation In Court – Associated Press
The Navajo Nation is seeking potentially millions of dollars from Urban Outfitters Inc. over clothing, jewelry and other merchandise that bore the tribe's name.
The popular clothing chain will ask a federal judge in Santa Fe on Wednesday to limit how far back in time the tribe can go to seek money over the company's products. The tribe wants revenue from sales dating to 2008.
Urban Outfitters has sold necklaces, pants, a flask and underwear with the "Navajo" name. Some of those items were sold by the company's subsidiaries, Anthropologie and Free People.
The tribe's sued the clothing retailer in 2012, alleging violations of state and federal laws. Urban Outfitters says "Navajo" is a generic term for a style or design.
Efforts to settle the case have failed.
Voters Approve Bond Measures For APS, CNM – Albuquerque Journal
Voters approved about half a billion dollars for projects at Albuquerque Public Schools and Central New Mexico Community College on Tuesday through a bond and mill levy election.
The Albuquerque Journal reports CNM succeeded with an $84 million bond proposal, while voters also voted in favor of a $375 million mill levy and a $200 million general obligation bond for APS.
Turn out was 7 percent and more than 30,000 people voted. That’s about twice as many as the average school bond election.
CNM will use the funds for numerous projects. That includes building a joint high school and renovating an existing building. APS will build new schools and improve existing facilities.
MLK Commission Cuts Job Of Director Facing Fraud Allegations – Associated Press
The Martin Luther King Jr. Commission has voted to eliminate its executive director position, a decision that cuts payroll costs and ousts its top staffer amid fraud and embezzlement allegations.
The commission voted 8 to 3 during a meeting Tuesday to remove executive director Kimberly Greene's position and that of a programming coordinator who works on the commission's budget.
Commissioners say there's no longer funding for the positions because the agency has exceeded its budget.
The commission promotes diversity and organizes events around Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The state attorney general is investigating the commission and search warrants show what's believed to be a forged invoice for more than $51,000 and checks issued to Greene.
The state auditor says the commission has been on an "at-risk" list for two years for failing to file required audits.
Former Los Alamos Laboratory Workers Ask For Fraud Probe – Associated Press
Three former employees of Los Alamos National Laboratory are asking federal prosecutors to reopen a fraud case at the lab and investigate the death of a former lab deputy director.
The whistleblowers sent a letter Tuesday to New Mexico U.S. Attorney Damon Martinez. They say the probe is needed to ensure the lab runs smoothly as the Department of Energy looks for a new contractor to manage operations.
The lab was rocked by a purchasing scandal in 2002 that led to at least 18 senior managers being dismissed, demoted or transferred. Former lab director John Browne resigned after the investigation.
The whistleblowers also suspect there's more to the death of former deputy director Richard Burick, which police said was from a self-inflicted gunshot wound a year after he retired.
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Over Who Owns Roads On Tribal Lands – Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit in a decades-old dispute over who owns roads crossing tribal lands used to access private property adjacent to San Ildefonso Pueblo.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that U.S. District Judge James Browning ruled on Saturday that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the complaint.
The ruling doesn't end the dispute. The plaintiffs, a group called Northern New Mexicans Protecting Land, Water and Rights, can refile the suit in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims or appeal the decision.
The suit comes as the San Ildefonso Pueblo has been seeking payments for a range of rights of way including roads across tribal land. The residents who use those roads say the roads belong to the county and that they have "implied easements" to the roads.