Lawmakers Asks Why Some State Tax Refunds Are Being Delayed – Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press
A New Mexico lawmaker says attempts to crack down on tax refund fraud is delaying money to legitimate taxpayers throughout the state.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that Rep. Debbie Armstrong, of Albuquerque, is demanding Taxation and Revenue Secretary Demesia Padilla disclose how regulators choose which taxpayers to scrutinize.
Armstrong says she believes elderly people are being targeted, as most people with delayed returns that she's spoken to have been seniors — including her mother.
Taxation and Revenue Department spokesman Ben Cloutier says the department just received Armstrong's request and will review it.
Cloutier says the department is taking a closer look at some returns because of high rates of identity theft and return fraud. He says the department has stopped about 11 percent of all returns.
Navajo Nation Plan New Alert System In Wake Of Girl's Death – The Associated Press
The Navajo Nation's president is reacting to concerns raised by the abduction and death of an 11-year-old girl by setting a 60-day goal for establishing a new tribal alert system.
Eight hours passed between the initial May 2 missing-persons report by the family of Ashlynne Mike to tribal police and the May 3 issuance of an Amber Alert by New Mexico State Police at the FBI's request.
Tribal President Russell Begaye announced Monday he has created a task force headed by the tribe's telecommunication director and the director of the Department of Public Safety.
Begaye says tribal officials will consult with telephone companies and are testing a text-message alert system.
A search began the evening the girl was reported missing. Her body was found the next day.
Sandia Peak Tramway Rings In 50th Anniversary With New Cars – The Associated Press
The Sandia Peak Tramway got a new set of wheels for its 50th anniversary of providing transportation high above the Sandia Foothills.
Gov. Susana Martinez and Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry were among the officials who helped unveil two new tram cars during a special ceremony Saturday.
CWA Switzerland, which built the original cars as well as tram cars installed during the 20th anniversary, built the new ones.
The new tram cars were christened with the smashing of a champagne bottle.
Officials say the new cars are roomier.
Visitors can take the tram cars from the foothills on the edge of Albuquerque for a 2.7-mile ride that ends at the top of Sandia Peak, approximately 10,300 feet above sea level.
The attractions include a ski area, overlook and hiking trails.
New Mexico Ban On Teachers Criticizing Tests To End – The Associated Press
The New Mexico Public Education Department says it will remove a rule that prohibits teachers from making disparaging remarks about standardized tests.
Department spokesman Robert McEntryre confirmed Monday that officials are working on getting rid of the rule and have never used it against any teacher anyway.
The move comes after the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico filed a lawsuit in March challenging a regulation that prohibits New Mexico teachers and other public school employees from criticizing standardized tests.
The ACLU said the provision against making disparaging statements could result in a license suspension or revocation for teachers and other educators.
ACLU-NM Staff Attorney María Mártinez Sánchez says the group is pleased the department is ending this "unconstitutional gag rule."
New Mexico Gov. Martinez Still Pushing Higher Ed Reforms – The Associated Press
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez still is pushing higher education reforms aimed at increasing college graduation rates.
The Republican on Monday told New Mexico college and university administrators at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque that they should work toward limiting degree paths to 120 credit hours.
She also wants them to consider new ways at helping high school graduates who aren't ready for college.
Last year, Martinez said New Mexico was "falling short" on graduating college students on time, and universities should consider a number of reforms to battle the state's high poverty rate.
She told administrators at a higher education summit that universities needed to increase counseling efforts and reduce undergraduate degree programs to 120 hours.
Residents Of Dulce Claim UFOs, Bigfoot Spotted In Area – The Associated Press & The Santa Fe New Mexican
When most people think UFOs and the unexplained in the state they turn to Roswell, but residents of a tiny town in northern New Mexico say they've also seen strange things.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that residents of Dulce, a small town on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation, say they've seen flying saucers, UFOs and fast moving lights moving back and forth in the sky. One resident says he's tracked Bigfoot.
Legend says space aliens are working with the U.S. government at the so-called "Dulce Base" underneath the flat-topped Archuleta Mesa, a mountain that overlooks the town.
Dulce has been featured on the History Channel's "UFO Hunters" television show and employees at the town's casino and hotel say they get visitors who are in search for UFOs.
State Proposes Changing Air Quality Penalty – The Associated Press & The ABQ Journal
The state environment secretary is proposing changes to an air quality penalty that he said was used to fund inappropriate projects under the Bill Richardson Administration.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the changes are related to penalties under the Environment Department’s Air Quality Bureau Civil Penalty Policy.
Called Supplemental Environmental Projects, these are typically completed by a company that violated air quality rules and are meant to benefit a community that was impacted by the violation.
NMED Secretary Ryan Flynn contends under Richardson, some of these projects were donations to unrelated things like the Western Climate Initiative and a school and a community center.
Flynn also raised issues of a conflict of interest regarding a former state senator and the former environment secretary in terms of how certain donation recipients were chosen.
Richardson called Flynn a “political hack” and declined to comment.
The proposed changes include banning donations under the projects program and barring NMED from proposing supplemental projects. The proposals are open for public comment through June 5.
Coalition Pushes For Paid Sick Leave Law In Albuquerque – Albuquerque Journal
A coalition is working to enact paid sick leave via a ballot initiative in Albuquerque.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the proposed Healthy Workforce Act would require employers to let employees earn one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked. The campaign would apply to all employers and organizers estimate it would cover more than 100,000 workers without paid sick leave
Companies with at least 40 employees would have to provide up to seven paid sick days annually under the initiative. That would drop to five days for smaller companies.
Business advocates such as the New Mexico Restaurant Association and the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce oppose the plan.
The campaign must get more than 11,000 signatures from voters by July 8 to get the initiative on the ballot in November.
The groups pushing for the law include OLÉ New Mexico, the SouthWest Organizing Project and El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos.
New Mexico GOP Drops $100 Fee For Press Attending Convention – Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press
The Republican Party of New Mexico is dropping a $100 fee for media seeking to cover its state convention.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports state GOP officials backtracked Friday on requiring news organizations pay $100 a piece for press credentials to the May 21 convention.
State GOP spokesman W. Tucker Keene says the idea of a fee was to help defray costs, not discourage media from attending.
New Mexico Democratic Party officials criticized the fee as a tactic to duck questions from journalists.
Keene refuted that claim, saying the convention welcomes all press.
The Republican National Committee for the first time is charging a $150 access fee for seats on the press stand at this summer's national convention in Cleveland.
Albuquerque Police Officers Cleared In Fatal 2014 Shooting – Associated Press
Two Albuquerque police officers will not face criminal charges for fatally shooting a knife-wielding man who reportedly attacked his girlfriend and another man.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that prosecutors announced Friday that the May 2014 shooting of Ralph Chavez was justified.
According to the District Attorney's Office report, both officers were carrying out their duties under the law.
Police video and audio shows Officers Brian Fuchs and Ryan Graves had backed away from Chavez across lanes of traffic before firing.
Graves can be heard ordering Chavez to put his knife down.
However, there was no complete video because Fuchs' lapel camera was not turned on and Graves' was blocked by his uniform.
Police say Chavez had a blood alcohol content of 0.28 at the time of his killing.
Man With Gunshot Wound Left At Albuquerque ER Dies – Associated Press
Police in Albuquerque are investigating after a group of people dropped off a man with a fatal gunshot wound at an emergency room and left.
Police spokesman Simon Drobik says the victim was left at Kaseman hospital's ER around 5 a.m. Saturday.
He had what appeared to be a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
According to Drobik, he was accompanied by two women and two men.
All four then left the area in one vehicle.
Police have not released the victim's identity.
Anyone with information is asked to contact them.
Sandia Peak Tramway Rings In 50th Anniversary With New Cars – Associated Press
The Sandia Peak Tramway got a new set of wheels for its 50th anniversary of providing transportation high above the Sandia Foothills.
Gov. Susana Martinez and Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry were among the officials who helped unveil two new tram cars during a special ceremony Saturday.
CWA Switzerland, which built the original cars as well as tram cars installed during the 20th anniversary, built the new ones.
The new tram cars were christened with the smashing of a champagne bottle.
Officials say the new cars are roomier.
Visitors can take the tram cars from the foothills on the edge of Albuquerque for a 2.7-mile ride that ends at the top of Sandia Peak, approximately 10,300 feet above sea level.
The attractions include a ski area, overlook and hiking trails.
Shiprock Marathon Runners Honor Slain 11-Year-Old Girl – Associated Press
A marathon race in Shiprock took a much somber tone as the death of an 11-year-old girl weighed on runners' minds.
Organizers say the 33rd annual Shiprock Marathon and half-marathon drew more than 2,000 participants Saturday.
Many of them were wearing yellow, Ashlynne Mike's favorite color.
Brother and sister Alvin and Alvina Begay, who both finished first in their respective half-marathons, say they dedicated their runs to Ashlynne.
Authorities say 27-year-old Tom Begaye Jr. persuaded Ashlynne and her 9-year-old brother to get into his van.
He allegedly sexually assaulted her and then hit her twice in the head with a crowbar.
Her body was found the next day.
The marathon course runs about 3 miles from where Ashlynne's body was found.