Panel Oks Revamped New Mexico REAL ID Bill With Fingerprints- Associated Press
A New Mexico Senate committee has passed a revamped New Mexico REAL ID bill with an immigrant fingerprint provision sought by House Republicans.
The Senate Finance Committee voted unanimously to add the provision despite opposition from immigrant advocacy groups.
The revamped bill would require immigrants in the country illegally to submit fingerprints before getting new "driving authorization cards."
However, immigrants in the country illegally who currently have New Mexico driver's licenses would be "grandfathered" from the fingerprint requirements.
Under the proposal, residents could apply for REAL ID compliant licenses or just "driving authorization cards." The bill would allow immigrants to allow for the driving cards.
The REAL ID Act requires proof of legal U.S. residency for those who want to use state identification to access certain areas of federal facilities.
New Mexico Auditor Finds $4.4 Billion In Unused Funds- Associated Press
New Mexico's state auditor has found $4.4 billion in unspent funds tucked away in hundreds of agency accounts.
State Auditor Tim Keller announced the findings Friday as the Legislature scours state accounts for unspent cash to make up for plunging state revenue forecasts linked to low crude oil prices and lower-than-expected sales tax receipts.
The Office of the State Auditor examined fund balances as of July 1, 2015, seeking to identify money that is sitting unnecessarily idle when it might otherwise be used to stimulate the economy and employment.
The idle funds cited in the report do not include employee salaries, operating costs or retirement and permanent trust funds. A report from the previous year found $4.2 billion in unspent funds.
New Mexico House GOP, Senate Dems Reach Deal On Bail Reform-Associated Press
New Mexico House Republicans and Senate Democrats are expected to announce a compromise on a bail reform proposal.
The two sides have scheduled a press conference Friday to announce a deal amid pressure to allow judges to deny bail to defendants deemed a flight-risk or danger to the public.
A proposal by Republican Rep. David Adkins that had been scheduled for a House floor vote in Santa Fe on Wednesday suddenly was put on hold as both sides began talks.
His constitutional amendment had countered a version first put forward by Sen. Peter Wirth, a Santa Fe Democrat, who garnered some bipartisan support for his proposal, and endorsements from criminal defense and district attorneys associations, and judges.
Head Of State Aging, Long-Term Services Agency Confirmed- Associated Press
The Senate has voted unanimously to confirm Myles Copeland as the secretary of the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department.
The vote came Friday, with less than a week remaining in the 30-day session.
It's expected that New Mexico will have the fourth largest percentage of people 65 and older by 2030, and Copeland said the state is moving forward to ensure elders and people with disabilities have the support they need.
Prior to his appointment as secretary in 2015, Copeland spent two years as the department's deputy secretary. He previously worked with the New Mexico chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.
Copeland, who was raised in Albuquerque and attended St. Pius High School, has degrees from s Whittier College and the University of New Mexico.