NM Senate Panel Votes No On Right-To-Work Bill - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal
A Senate panel has stopped the advance of a right-to-work bill that has drawn scores of people to the State Capitol for hours of hearings.
The Public Affairs Committee voted 5-3 yesterday to block a bill that prohibits requiring workers to join a union or to pay dues as a condition of employment and includes a 50-cent-per-hour minimum wage increase.
The GOP-controlled House passed the legislation 37-30 last month. The Democratic leadership in the Senate has said it's united in stopping the legislation.
Portales Residents Are Now Entering A Second Day With No Water – The Associated Press, KRQE, and The Portales News Tribune
KRQE-TV in Albuquerque reports that residents were lining up Wednesday to fill buckets with water from temporary sources.
City officials say crews are expected to finish repairs by later afternoon or early evening.
The Portales News-Tribune says the main break happened around 10 a.m. Tuesday when a contractor working on a wastewater project hit a water pipeline.
City manager Sammy Standefer says the town's water supply had to be turned off to isolate the leak.
Some local vendors as well as a Walmart have a limited supply of drinking water available and more limited supplies on the way.
Several businesses and schools, including Eastern New Mexico University, decided to close for the day.
NM House Panel OKs Bill To Allow Hemp Farming For Research – The Associated Press
A Senate bill that would allow farmers in the state to grow industrial hemp for research only has sailed through its first New Mexico House panel.
The Agriculture, Water and Wildlife Committee Wednesday unanimously approved and moved Albuquerque Democrat Sen. Cisco McSorley's proposed legislation to the Judiciary Committee.
McSorley's proposal would allow the New Mexico Department of Agriculture to set up regulations and fees for the processing of hemp for research and development, not for sale.
Hemp has a negligible content of THC, the psychoactive compound that gives marijuana users a high. Many products made from hemp, such as oils and clothing, are legal.
The federal government currently allows growing hemp for research. A bill pending in Congress, if passed, would approve cultivation for commercial production as well.
Sen. Udall Faces Scrutiny For Sweeping Chemical Bill – The Associated Press & The Albuquerque Journal
Sen. Tom Udall, an Albuquerque Democrat and environmental champion, is getting heat for co-sponsoring a bill that would overhaul 40-year-old federal regulations on the U.S. chemical industry.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that Udall and Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican, introduced Tuesday a bill that would rewrite of the Toxic Chemicals Control Act of 1976.
The New York Times published a story last week in which Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, described the Udall-Vitter bill as a gift to the chemical industry.
Udall rejected criticism and says the new legislation is tougher than existing law.
The bill would require the Environmental Protection Agency to make its assessments about chemical safety solely on measures of risk to public health.
Hotel Group Board Criticizes Albuquerque Convention Bureau – The Associated Press & The Albuquerque Journal
Controversy is brewing between the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau and a hotel industry group.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the Greater Albuquerque Innkeepers' Association's board has expressed "no confidence" in the bureau's top executives.
The hotel group's board also said in a letter the bureau's executives have expressed "negative attitudes" about Albuquerque's fitness as a destination. The letter doesn't specify what the group would like to be done about its concerns.
Bureau board Chair Laura Kesselman said she wasn't aware of the concerns before receiving the letter.
Bureau CEO Dale Lockett said he's a devoted champion of Albuquerque but that he's been frank about why some groups don't select Albuquerque for their meetings and conventions.
Lockett said that's not being negative but aimed at making Albuquerque more desirable.
Groups Sue Feds Over Drilling In Northwest New Mexico - The Associated Press
A coalition of environmental groups is suing the federal government over the approval of oil and gas drilling permits in northwestern New Mexico.
The groups filed their lawsuit Wednesday as they prepared to rally at the State Capitol. They contend that more development and hydraulic fracturing could harm the environment and sites such as the Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
The suit names the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Interior Department.
The BLM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The agency is in the process of updating its management plan for the San Juan Basin in the face of an expected shale oil boom, and the groups have been pushing the agency to stop approving new drilling permits until the plan is in place.
Arguments Heard In New Mexico PARCC Testing Contract Fight – The Associated Press
Lawyers have submitted arguments in a legal challenge to New Mexico's contract with a testing company that may halt a much-debated assessment exam in the state.
Santa Fe District Judge Sarah Singleton heard arguments Tuesday in a case that could overturn a contract awarded to London-based Pearson and potentially tangle up other states using the same test.
Last year, Pearson was awarded a contact given out by states belonging to a consortium for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers exam, or PARCC.
Thomas McGovern, a lawyer for the Washington-based American Institutes for Research, says New Mexico and the consortium unfairly helped shape bidding requirements crafted especially for Pearson.
But attorneys for New Mexico say the process was fair and AIR did not submit a bid.
Abortion Bills Assigned To New Mexico Senate Committees - The Associated Press
A bill requiring parental notification before a minor could have an abortion will go to two New Mexico Senate committees instead of being heard by the full chamber over the objections of Republicans.
The Senate on Tuesday voted 25-17 along party lines to reject the motion by Republican Sen. William Sharer of Farmington.
He and other Republicans said the issue was too important not to be heard by the full Senate. Democrats argued that the committee process should not be bypassed.
The New Mexico House on Friday approved the bill requiring that parents be notified at least 48 hours before a minor ends a pregnancy.
A separate effort by Sharer to have a related bill banning late-term abortions assigned to another committee also failed to muster enough votes.
GOP Leader Calls On Democrat To Apologize For Rape Comment - The Associated Press
A Republican legislative leader says a Democratic lawmaker should apologize for a comment he made about rape but the Democrat says he won't.
At issue is a statement by Rep. Kenny Martinez during a March 4 committee hearing on a bill to strip the parental rights of convicted rapists that "rape is defined in many ways and some of it's just drunken college sex."
House Republican caucus chairwoman Kelly Fajardo said Martinez should apologize. She said his comment was inexcusable and belittled rape victims and survivors.
Martinez called Fajardo's statement a political stunt and that he had nothing to apologize for.
He said his comment was made during a discussion of how terminating a convicted rapist's parental rights dealt with things such as child support and adoption cases.
Senate Passes Bill To Address Medicaid Fraud Allegations - The Associated Press
State officials would have to follow certain procedures before cutting off government funding for health care providers suspected of fraud or overbilling under a measure passed by the New Mexico Senate.
The legislation sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Mary Kay Papen cleared the chamber on a 32-8 vote Tuesday.
The measure was spurred by the state's handling of allegations of fraud and abuse involving nonprofits that provided behavioral health services to needy New Mexicans. Republican Gov. Susana Martinez's administration froze Medicaid payments to the providers while the attorney general's office launched an investigation.
The Human Services Department eventually replaced the nonprofits with companies from Arizona despite protests that the due-process rights of the nonprofit providers were violated.
Some lawmakers said the state needs a process to ensure services aren't disrupted during an investigation.
House Passes Bill To Limit Lobbying By Former Officials - The Associated Press
The New Mexico House has passed a measure that would keep former elected leaders and other state officials from lobbying for two years after leaving their government positions.
The bill sponsored by Republican Rep. Jim Dines of Albuquerque was approved Monday on a 57-10 vote. He says it's aimed at bringing more integrity to government.
Supporters say 32 other states already have similar lobbying limits in place.
The bill would cover former state legislators, statewide elected officials, public regulation commissioners and cabinet secretaries.
Gov. Susana Martinez has voiced support for the proposal. She imposed a similar moratorium to keep administration officials from lobbying executive state agencies or the Legislature for two years after leaving their jobs.
The legislation will now be considered by the Senate.
Appeals Court Upholds Decision In Santa Fe Wi-Fi Case - The Associated Press
The state Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court decision in the case of a Santa Fe man who claimed that a neighbor's wireless Internet system and other electronic devices damaged his health.
Anti-Wi-Fi activist Arthur Firstenberg sued his neighbor and landlord in 2010 contending that their use of wireless devices was making him sick because he has electromagnetic sensitivity.
District Judge Sarah Singleton ruled in 2012 that Firstenberg lacked sufficient evidence to support his claim.
The appellate court ruled last week that Firstenberg's vague and general arguments provided no basis for reversing Singleton's decision to dismiss his claims.
Firstenberg has another case pending that names the city of Santa Fe as a defendant. He's challenging plans to install a wireless system for reading water meters.
Rash Of Dog Thefts Seen In Albuquerque Area - The Associated Press
Authorities in the Albuquerque area say there's been a rash of dog thefts and that it may be related to dog fighting.
Bernalillo County sheriff's Sgt. Aaron Williamson said about a dozen dogs have been stolen in the area in the past two months.
The Sheriff's Department spokesman said some of the stolen dogs likely were taken for use as fighting dogs while others were intended to be used as bait in training fighting dogs.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that Williamson's advice for dog owners is to keep their animals inside if they can and to look outside kennels to make it difficult to steal dogs.
Spaceport Director Gives Update In Dona Ana County - The Associated Press
New Mexico Spaceport Authority executive director Christine Anderson says test flights of the spaceship being developed by anchor tenant Virgin Galactic are expected to resume later this year.
Anderson provided an update to Dona Ana County commissioners during their meeting Tuesday in Las Cruces.
She says work on the spaceship is about 80 percent done and that Virgin Galactic has also started construction on another spaceship.
A visitors' gallery at the spaceport is also expected to open next month.
Taxes imposed in Dona Ana and Sierra counties have helped pay for the nearly quarter-billion-dollar spaceport. Some state lawmakers say they're tired of taxpayers footing the bill.
Commission Chairman Billy Garrett says Dona Ana County is making a large investment but the project will eventually benefit the entire state.
New Mexico Senate Oks Reorganizing DPS - The Associated Press
A bill to reorganize the New Mexico Department of Public Safety has passed the state Senate.
The New Mexico Senate voted 31-9 on Tuesday to consolidate three Department of Public Safety divisions into one.
Under the proposal, Motor Transportation Division, Special Investigations Division, and the Training and Recruiting Bureau will be moved into one division under the New Mexico State Police Division.
Sen. Sander Rue, an Albuquerque Republican, said the change will lead to efficiencies.
The measure now goes before the New Mexico House.
Bill Revamping Base Realignment Commission Passes NM Senate - The Associated Press
The New Mexico commission that works to shield the state's military bases from federal realignment and closure would be streamlined under a measure passed by the state Senate.
The bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Bill Burt of Alamogordo would trim the commission from 17 to 12 members. It would also ensure members are from those counties that adjoin the bases.
Burt says retaining the missions of military bases is critical to New Mexico's financial future. He points to his own community, saying Holloman Air Force Base has an economic impact of more than $1 million each day.
Burt says it's possible the federal government could realign its bases again in 2017 or 2019.
By shrinking the commission, he says it will be more agile and able to react to what needs to be done to protect the bases.
Man Pleads Not Guilty To Charge That He Struck, Bit Child - The Associated Press
A man has been charged with assaulting a 3-year-old a child at a home on the Zuni Pueblo.
Terrence Fred Cachini, 28, has pleaded not guilty to the charge that he caused injuries on the child two weeks ago.
Authorities say they learned of the injuries after the child was brought to a hospital for treatment.
They say Cachini has since acknowledged striking and biting the child.
Cachini has been released to a halfway house until trial.