Pregnant women advised to get whooping cough vaccine

Health officials in New Mexico are recommending that all pregnant women get a vaccine to guard against the spread of whooping cough. 

The recommendation on Monday by the New Mexico Department of Health is intended to prevent the spread of the disease to children who are vulnerable to whooping cough. 

Eight hundred seventy-four whooping cough cases were reported to health officials in New Mexico in 2012. That's three times more cases than were reported in 2011. New Mexico had two whooping cough-related deaths in 2012. 

The New Mexico Department of Health recommends that all pregnant women receive the Tdap booster after the 20th week of pregnancy.

Pregnant women advised to get whooping cough vaccine

Discussion continues over min. wage bill

Voters could decide whether to increase New Mexico's minimum wage for inflation under a proposal backed by Democratic lawmakers. 

The House Voters and Elections Committee is scheduled to consider the proposal today. It's already cleared one House committee on a party-line vote, with Democrats favoring it and Republicans opposed. 

The state's $7.50 an hour minimum wage has been in effect since 2009. A proposed constitutional amendment would allow voters to decide whether to require automatic cost-of-living increases in the wage rate each year. 

Business groups have opposed the legislation. 

The measure goes to the 70-member House if it's endorsed by the Voters and Elections Committee.

Discussion continues over min. wage bill

Lawmakers squash liquor tax bill

From the Santa Fe New Mexican - by Julie Ann Grimm  - It’s been more than 20 years since the state Legislature allowed voters in McKinley County to decide whether to increase taxes on alcohol to help pay for substance abuse treatment programs. Six times since then, voters there have opted to leave the tax in place. But state laws don’t allow voters in other New Mexico counties to have the same debate: Would adding 4 cents to the cost of a bottle of beer be worth an increase in funds to help rehabilitate substance abusers?
A measure proposing a local-option liquor excise tax has once again died in the New Mexico House of Representatives. The House Taxation and Revenue Committee last week tabled House Bill 212 on a late-night vote, and the proposal is unlikely to see the light of day again during this legislative session.
Year after year, county and city officials — including Santa Fe city councilors and county commissioners — have asked for the local taxing authority that McKinley County already has. They want to raise more revenue to provide steady funding for alcohol and substance abuse prevention and treatment. But the result has been predictably similar: State lawmakers aren’t going for it.
Rep. Jim Trujillo, D-Santa Fe, said he objected to the law because it would put an “undue burden” on liquor distributors who would have to change computer systems to charge different tax rates in different counties. Excise taxes are tacked on to delivery invoices, he said, not at the cash register. The other reason he cited for rejecting the proposal was that it would increase the cost of alcohol to the point where people would stop buying it in stores.
“Moonshine is being made and we are not getting any revenues from that,” Trujillo said at the hearing. “The more expensive it is, the more moonshine you are going to see being made in homes.” Read more

Lawmakers squash liquor tax bill

Cartoon by A. F. Branco



From Legal Insurrection.com



Cartoon by A. F. Branco

Newsbreak New Mexico 8 a.m. Webcast 2/18/13

Newsbreak New Mexico 8 a.m. Newscast with Vanessa Dabovich

                                       Listen here:
 

Gov. comments on "veiled blackmail"
Leg. works on Lottery shore up bill
State launches corrections dept. probe 

Newsbreak New Mexico 8 a.m. Webcast 2/18/13

Alb business owner not paying new minimum wage

From KOB-TV.com - An Albuquerque restaurant owner admits he is not paying his employees the city’s new minimum wage. He claims his employees agreed on paper to work at the old wage. One employee says he agreed out of fear of losing his job. "I'm a good server. I enjoy serving. This is what I've been doing," said Kevin O’Leary.
O’Leary was looking forward to the boost Albuquerque’s minimum wage increase would give him. That is, until he says his boss at Route 66 Malt Shop approached him with an ultimatum. "I asked him, 'what is this? What's this form all about?' And he said, 'well, it's just that you're agreeing to the $2.13 an hour.' So I signed it," said O’Leary.
Owner Eric Szeman said he warned employees of layoffs when the ordinance was proposed and admits he approached O’Leary and his tipped workers with an employment contract. "It was an attempt to save everyone's job, which we did,” said Szeman. “We worked out a compromise that saved everyone's jobs.”
"I would like to comply,” said Szeman. So why won’t he? “We can't afford it,” he exclaimed. “We don't have the money. We don't make the money. The option is I'll get my keys right now I'll kick all the customers out and I'll lock the doors. That's the only other option we have," said Szeman.
The City of Albuquerque says it is not legal for a business owner to draw up a contract, paying employees below the minimum wage. But, the city says, ‘The city is not responsible for enforcing this because it is a “self help” ordinance.” An employee could potentially file a lawsuit against his or her employer. Read more

Alb business owner not paying new minimum wage

House approves public meeting agenda legislation

New Mexicans will have more notice about public meetings under legislation approved by the House. 

Governmental groups, ranging from school boards, county commissions and state agencies, would be required to make their meeting agendas publicly available 72 hours in advance. 

Currently, they must give a 24-hour notice of a public meeting agenda. T

he legislation unanimously passed the House on Wednesday and goes to the Senate. Supporters say the proposed change will improve governmental transparency.

House approves public meeting agenda legislation

Gun bill clears House

More people buying firearms in New Mexico will undergo a criminal background check under legislation approved by the House. 

The measure will require background checks for private sales of handguns, rifles and shotguns at gun shows. 

The House approved the bill Wednesday on a 43-26 vote and sent it to the Senate for consideration. 

Federal law requires background checks for sales by licensed dealers, including at gun shows, but doesn't cover private gun sales. 

Supporters of the legislation contend that expanded background checks will help prevent sales of firearms to people prohibited from having them, including convicted felons and individuals with a history of mental illness.

Gun rights activists say the measure won't stop criminals from acquiring firearms.

Gun bill clears House

Swickard started in talk radio on this day in 2002

My start in daily talk radio came eleven years ago today. It likewise was a Thursday and it had nothing to do with Valentine’s Day. Rather, we wanted to try the show for Thursday and Friday and then have two days to make adjustments, if need be. Actually, we were fine.

     In the years of talk I have gained lots of stories and interviewed hundreds upon hundreds of people. The time has passed very fast but I would be remiss to not thank some people who have been essential to my development as a talk show host.
     First is the General Manager of Radio of Las Cruces who saw something in me that no one else saw. My friends thought I had lost all of my good sense stepping away from being a college professor to be a radio talker. Al Lumeyer, for better or worse, allowed me to develop into who I am on the radio. I also have been very supported by friends and family. Even when I was quite rough around the edges those first months… or years… they stuck with me.
     Most of all I could not be a talk show host if no one listened. Thank you for listening and caring.

Swickard started in talk radio on this day in 2002

New Santa Fe courthouse has something missing

From KOB-TV.com - By: Joseph Lynch, KOB Eyewitness News 4  - The Santa Fe County Courthouse hasn't opened on time or on budget. Now, after a County Commission vote last night, taxpayers are being told there's something else they might not be happy about. No parking. It's an issue for anyone at anytime in the "city different". Kathy Green has a business in the downtown area a lot. She figures it to go from bad to much worse with the court opening. "Oh, yeah. I circle the block probably three times and then I hope I have quarters," Green said. She might need a lot of quarters. There will be NO public parking at the new courthouse.
Security concerns led the Santa Fe County Commission to vote against public parking. County commissioner Liz Stefanics voted against parking. She had some advice for would be court goers. "They will need to make a little time to walk 4 or 5 blocks if there are disabled people. There will be disabled spaces in those parking garages. And they can drop off people here at the entrance."
It still doesn't set well with Melander-Dayton. "It seems to me that they should be able to address the legitimate security concerns and have a place for the public to park. This is the public’s building. You know, this is my courthouse." The new courthouse is due to open in March or April. It replaces the old courthouse, which is old and considered unsafe. Read more

New Santa Fe courthouse has something missing