Bishops Want New Mexico To Restrict Late-term Abortions – The Associated Press
Republicans' new control of the New Mexico House has the state's three Roman Catholic bishops urging lawmakers to enact a bill to restrict late-term abortions.
The GOP now has a majority in the House for the first time in decades, while Democrats remain in control of the Senate.
Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe said New Mexico is among only a few states that don't restrict late-term abortions, often defined as those procedures occurring after 28 weeks of pregnancy
NARAL-Pro Choice of New Mexico President Ann Piper says a ban on late-term abortion would require support in both the House and the Senate, which historically has rejected anti-abortion legislation.
New Mexico GOP House Speaker Tripp 'Never Expected' Spot - The Associated Press
A California-born jeweler who only ran for a statehouse seat because he couldn't find another candidate is hoping to make his mark as New Mexico's first Republican House Speaker in 60 years.
Don Tripp of Socorro was elected this week as the new top leader in the New Mexico House of Representatives.
Tripp told The Associated Press he never expected to have the position.
The 68-year-old lawmaker says he's focused on passing a series of measures aimed at improving New Mexico's economy and educational system.
Tripp says he remembers as a 6-year-old boy listening to news on the radio about the election of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. That's the last time the GOP narrowly captured the New Mexico House before losing control by a wide margin two years later.
New Mexico Senator Wants To Modernize Telecom Law – The Associated Press
A state senator has introduced legislation aimed at modernizing New Mexico's 30-year-old telecommunications law.
Sen. Majority Whip Michael Padilla says his bill would create a level playing field when it comes to regulation.
By freeing up large carriers from outdated rules, he says the measure would also encourage more investment in broadband and high-speed wireless communications.
Similar legislation failed last year, but Padilla says he and other lawmakers met with stakeholders to resolve some of the issues.
Under the legislation introduced earlier this week, the state Public Regulation Commission would maintain its authority to regulate telecommunications companies on behalf of New Mexico's consumers.
Padilla says the existing law was adopted years before the widespread adoption of the Internet and wireless communication.
Offenders Who Fled From Work Detail In Albuquerque Sought – The Associated Press
Authorities are seeking two offenders who fled from a work detail in northwest Albuquerque.
According to the New Mexico State Police, the offenders fled on foot from a transport team Thursday night near the intersection of Fourth Street and Delamar Avenue.
They're identified as 18-year-old Michael DeHerrera from Albuquerque and 17-year-old Nicholas Davis from Fort Sumner.
Davis was in custody of the Children, Youth and Families Department's Camino Nuevo Youth Facility in northeast Albuquerque for taking a motor vehicle, while DeHerrera was in custody for army robbery.
DeHerrera is described as a Caucasian, 5-foot-2, 100 pounds and having brown eyes, black hair and several tattoos.
Davis is described as Caucasian, 5-foot-11, 165 pounds and having green eyes and brown hair. He has a tattoo on his right arm.
Voter ID Debate In New Mexico Takes High-Tech Turn – The Associated Press
The push to require New Mexico voters to present some form of identification at the polls has long divided Democrats and Republicans.
Now, one state senator wants to take the debate in another direction with a resolution that calls for the state's top elections officials to study the feasibility of bringing biometrics into the mix.
That could mean anything from retinal scans to the thumbprint-imaging technology used to access smartphones.
While other countries have adopted biometrics for identification purposes, the idea is relatively new among states. Oklahoma was the first last year to propose such legislation, but that measure stalled in committee.
In New Mexico, Senate Minority Whip William Payne says the technology is commercially available and he hopes his proposal can quell concerns of voter suppression while addressing the potential for fraud at the polls.
Murder Trial For Ex-New Mexico Deputy Set For September – The Associated Press
A New Mexico sheriff's deputy who authorities say killed a fellow deputy in an alcohol-fuel fight will stand trial for murder in September.
A Las Cruces District Court judge ruled Friday that former Santa Fe County sheriff's Deputy Tai Chan will be tried in the southern New Mexico city of Las Cruces for the death of Deputy Jeremy Martin.
Chan had sought to be allowed to return to Santa Fe to prepare for the trial.
Authorities say Chan fatally shot Martin at a Las Cruces hotel in October after they drank at a nightspot and got into a heated argument.
Police say the two deputies were staying at the hotel after dropping off a prisoner in Arizona.
Chan has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.
NM Attorney General Says Water Battle With Texas Is Critical - The Associated Press
New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas says his office needs more money for a legal battle with Texas over management of the Rio Grande.
Balderas told a House committee on Friday that he wants to dedicate more resources to the case, which is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Texas sued New Mexico in 2013, claiming the state failed to deliver water as required under the Rio Grande Compact.
The federal government intervened and said groundwater pumping in New Mexico is tapping the shallow aquifer that should drain back into the river and flow to Texas.
Balderas says the lawsuit is critical and that the federal government is trying to take control of the water rights.
His office has requested more than $18 million in general funding for the 2016 fiscal year.
Court Order Setting Navajo Election Before Jan. 31 On Hold – The Associated Press
Navajos won't be electing a new president this month.
The tribe's high court had ordered the presidential contest between Joe Shirley Jr. and Russell Begaye to be held by Jan. 31. But the court has put a stay on the order after being asked to strike down legislation that allows a do-over of last year's primary election.
The last of the briefings in the case are due Feb. 6.
The court rejected requests to hold lawmakers who approved that legislation in contempt along with election officials.
Navajo lawmakers plan to consider another bill next week to rescind the special election, but it has little support.
The presidential election was thrown into turmoil after a candidate was disqualified because he wasn't fluent in the Navajo language.
President Ben Shelly is serving as the tribe's top leader until the mess gets sorted out.
New Mexico Prisons Boss Gets Raise, Shelves Plan To Retire – The Associated Press
New Mexico's corrections boss is staying on the job and not retiring as he'd planned..
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that Gov. Susana Martinez has given Secretary Gregg Marcantel a $16,000 raise that boosts his salary to $123,750.
Marcantel has headed the Department of Corrections for more than three years.
The 54-year-old said he had prepared his retirement paperwork because his state salary caused his pension benefits from a previous government job to decline.
But he says he's decided to remain on the job because the pay raise will offset what he says he's losing in pension benefits.
New Mexico GOP House Speaker Tripp 'Never Expected' Spot - The Associated Press
A California-born jeweler who only ran for a statehouse seat because he couldn't find another candidate is hoping to make his mark as New Mexico's first Republican House Speaker in 60 years.
Don Tripp of Socorro was elected this week as the new top leader in the New Mexico House of Representatives.
Tripp told The Associated Press he never expected to have the position.
The 68-year-old lawmaker says he's focused on passing a series of measures aimed at improving New Mexico's economy and educational system.
Tripp says he remembers as a 6-year-old boy listening to news on the radio about the election of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. That's the last time the GOP narrowly captured the New Mexico House before losing control by a wide margin two years later.
New Mexico Veterans' Home In Line For Federal Funding – The Associated Press
The State Veterans' Home in south-central New Mexico is in line to receive nearly $16 million in federal funds for an expansion project.
Members of New Mexico's congressional delegation announced the conditional funding from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday. They say the Veterans' Home still needs to meet certain conditions to receive the funds.
The money would go toward a new 59-bed facility and a rehabilitation area.
The plans also call for 39 beds for Alzheimer's patients.
The $30 million project has been in the planning stages since 2008. The Veterans' Home has already secured $12.5 million in state money and plans to request additional funding during the legislative session.
The State Veterans' Home is the only nursing facility in New Mexico dedicated specifically to serving veterans and their families.
Train Route Through Northern New Mexico Not Allocated Funds – The Associated Press
New Mexico lawmakers have not allocated funding for the upkeep of tracks along a historic passenger train route through northern New Mexico.
That puts the state at risk of losing the Amtrak Southwest Chief passenger train route. The train stops in Raton, Las Vegas and Lamy.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that neither Republican Gov. Susana Martinez nor the Legislative Finance Committee have sought to allocate the estimated $4 million a year it will cost to maintain the route over the next decade.
Rep. Roberto "Bobby" Gonzales, D-Taos, said lawmakers will seek state capital outlay funds and federal transportation grants to cover the cost.
The Martinez administration says the state is coordinating with towns and counties to pursue grants and that the state supports keeping the route.
Man Accused In A 2006 Killing Is Extradited To New Mexico – The Associated Press
A man accused in the 2006 killing of a woman in New Mexico has been extradited from Mexico.
U.S. marshals booked Eduardo Estrada-Garcia into a Dona Ana County jail Thursday after the state attorney general's office coordinated his transfer.
Estrada-Garcia is accused in the death of Emely Corina Howard-Ianni of El Paso, Texas.
Authorities say the 31-year-old's body was found near a highway in Chaparral in November 2006.
Estrada-Garcia was arrested last June in Baja California, Mexico after local authorities received a tip. A Dona Ana County grand jury later indicted him on a murder charge. He was one of the state's most-wanted fugitives by the New Mexico district of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The United States' extradition treaty with Mexico allows extraditions of violent offenders or child predators.