New Mexico Lawmakers Convene To Forge Budget – Associated Press
New Mexico's Legislature is convening in Santa Fe to hammer out a budget agreement amid faltering revenues and to tackle thorny issues from immigrant driver's licenses to major public safety reforms.
Political stakes are high as the session begins on Tuesday at noon. Every legislative seat comes up for election in November, and Republicans want to extend their control of the House to the Democrat-led Senate.
Lawmakers are largely in agreement with a $6.5 billion budget plan from Republican Gov. Susana Martinez that increases spending on Medicaid and early childhood education. Teacher pay increases may be put on hold as low oil prices drive down state revenues.
Martinez and Republican lawmakers back a list of criminal justice measures in response to a string of high-profile crimes last year.
Gov. Martinez Wants Driver's Licenses Fixed – The Associated Press
Gov. Susana Martinez is taking aim again at New Mexico's practice of issuing driver's licenses to people suspected of being in the country illegally.
She used her State of the State address on Tuesday to urge lawmakers to resolve the long-standing stalemate over the policy and establish a path forward so New Mexico driver's licenses will be acceptable under the federal government's tougher Real ID requirements.
Martinez says immigrants who are in the country illegally should not have preferential treatment at the expense of U.S. citizens.
Some federal military installations already have said New Mexico IDs alone are not enough to access their facilities. And starting in 2018, federal officials say Real ID compliant identification will be required to board commercial flights.
New Mexico Poll Weighs Support For Campaign Finance Reforms – Associated Press
Results of a statewide poll about proposed campaign finance and ethics reforms in New Mexico show broad support among registered voters for more public disclosure of political funding sources.
Common Cause New Mexico commissioned the survey and published results Tuesday as the Legislature convened for a 30-day session that may include campaign finance and ethics initiatives.
The poll finds that about 91 percent of registered voters support requirements for public disclosure of large political contributions from individuals, corporations, political action committees, nonprofits and unions. About 7 percent opposed the idea.
The poll is from Albuquerque-based Research & Polling Inc. The firm conducted a random sampling of 452 registered voters by telephone and cellphone between Dec. 28 and Jan. 6 and has an error margin of 4.5 percentage points.
Advocates Push New Mexico Lawmakers On Child Poverty – Associated Press
Advocates are pushing New Mexico lawmakers to address the state's dismal ranking when it comes to child wellbeing and the number of kids who live in poverty.
New Mexico Voices for Children released the annual Kids Count Data Book on Tuesday as the Legislature geared up for a 30-day session focused on the budget, education and public safety.
According to the report, the number of children living in poverty decreased slightly to 30 percent from 2013 to 2014. However, New Mexico still has the highest child poverty rate in the nation.
The report also found that the rates are highest among Hispanic and Native American youth.
And since the start of the 2008 recession, the number of children living in poverty in the state has increased 29 percent.
Albuquerque Official Wants To Buy Land, Preserve Petroglyphs – The Associated Press & The ABQ Journal
An Albuquerque official wants the city to buy 60 acres of land to preserve the nearby Petroglyph National Monument.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that City Councilor Isaac Benton is sponsoring a proposal that would make the land known as "La Cuentista" immediate priority for purchase by the city.
The bill would also overturn a council recommendation to purchase the northern sand dunes. Benton says La Cuentista is in more immediate danger of development.
He says owning the land would also make it harder for people to trespass at the national monument filled with prehistoric rock carvings
Benton says it's expected to cost more than $1.5 million. His proposal would set aside about $893,000 in bonds and he says the rest could come from impact fees on local development.
APD Officer Improperly Used Crime Database – Albuquerque Journal
The short suspension of an Albuquerque police officer who used a criminal database for personal reasons is being criticized by a civilian oversight board.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that officer Regina Sanchez accessed the National Crime Information Center database and gave information to her brother-in-law. According to an investigation by the Police Oversight Board, she also lied about her actions.
Sanchez admits accessing the database but maintains she did not give the information to anyone. Albuquerque Police Department Chief Gorden Eden said there was no evidence she had done so and suspended Sanchez for just 40 hours.
The investigation began with a citizen complaint to the Oversight Board by Tammy Martinez, who alleged Sanchez gave her ex-husband her address. Martinez had a restraining order against him.
This was the first citizen complaint heard by the oversight board. Board member Joanne Fine told the Journal the punishment seemed light considering Sanchez broke the law.
Poll Shows Majority Support Licenses For Undocumented Immigrants – KOB-TV
A new poll indicates most registered voters in New Mexico support driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants.
KOB-TV reports that the national research group Latino Decisions, led political science professor Gabe Sanchez at the University of New Mexico, found 69 percent of voters approve of giving licenses and 29 percent oppose the idea.
The poll also found that 56 percent of voters favored a compromise bill that passed the state Senate last year that would have created a two-tiered license system.
Gov. Susana Martinez has pushed for six years to halt the practice of giving licenses to undocumented immigrants and plans to do so again in the legislative session starting today.
Martinez’s office issued a statement on the poll saying “every poll has been consistent and the outcome of the last election emphatically proved that point.” Republicans took control of the state House of Representatives in 2014 after more than 60 years in the minority.
Albuquerque Official Wants To Buy Land, Preserve Petroglyphs – Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
An Albuquerque official wants the city to buy 60 acres of land to preserve the nearby Petroglyph National Monument.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that City Councilor Isaac Benton is sponsoring a proposal that would make the land known as "La Cuentista" immediate priority for purchase by the city.
The bill would also overturn a council recommendation to purchase the northern sand dunes. Benton says La Cuentista is in more immediate danger of development.
He says owning the land would also make it harder for people to trespass at the national monument filled with prehistoric rock carvings
Benton says it's expected to cost more than $1.5 million. His proposal would set aside about $893,000 in bonds and he says the rest could come from impact fees on local development.
Search Continues For Missing Treasure Hunter – Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press
Volunteers will join officials this morning to continue to search for a missing man from Colorado who was searching for treasure near Santa Fe.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that 54-year-old Randy Bilyeu was reported missing last Thursday. Bilyeu's dog and an inflatable raft were found along the Rio Grande about 9 miles downstream from his car.
Searchers hunted for Bilyeu over the weekend on foot, by air and by raft. Police say Bilyeu, of Broomfield, told a friend on Jan. 4 that he planned to travel on the river. His ex-wife told the newspaper that he was fixated on finding author Forrest Fenn's hidden treasure.
Fenn's 2011 book, "The Thrill of the Chase," features clues about a cache of coins and artifacts worth nearly $2 million.