News New Mexico

NAACP files complaint with AG's office

From KRQE-TV.com - by Crystal Gutierrez - ALBUQUERQUE - The NAACP is filing a complaint with the state Attorney General's Office, claiming the state government isn't listening to them. The group says programs for youth enrichment and fitness receive very little funding.
The move stems from recent actions during the 2013 legislative session. The president of the Albuquerque NAACP says all three branches of government are guilty in denying local African Americans the basic right to enjoy the benefits of funding.
"We feel that the executive branch, the LFC, budge analysts and those involved in the process and distribution of funds should be held accountable for the distribution of public funds,” Dr. Harold Bailey the president of the NAACP said. Read more

NM ranks second in nation for violent deaths

When you think about New Mexico's state of health, violence plays a leading role in the statistics.

A new report from the state Department of Health says that New Mexico has the 2nd highest violent death rate in the nation. It also says that in 2011, homicide was the 3rd leading cause of death among people ages 15 to 34.

Lisa Rains' son, John Rains, is now part of those statistics. He was murdered in Grants in 2012. Lisa Rains says the high violence in New Mexico is because of the lenient laws.

"It's almost like there's a big huge sign posted 'if you're a murderer or want to commit a serious crime, come to New Mexico because you're going to walk away,'" Rains said.

The state Department of Health report attributes a lot of the state's health problems to the population's socioeconomic status.

From KOB.

Building code battle returns to court

Environmentalists are accusing state construction regulators of running afoul of the New Mexico Court of Appeals.

The court last week overturned a 2011 decision by the state Construction Industries Commission to revamp green building codes that former Democrat Gov. Bill Richardson's administration promoted as among the most environmentally friendly in the country.

The court said the commission failed to provide reasons for changing the construction standards. The case was ordered back to the commission for reconsideration and a new vote.

The Construction Industries Division says it will continue to enforce the codes until it determines whether to appeal the ruling. A decision is expected at a special meeting next week.

The New Mexico Environmental Law Center is now asking the court to hold the division in contempt for continuing to enforce the codes.

Senate committee approves Ken Gonzales for federal judge

Ken Gonzales

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday unanimously approved the nomination of U.S. Attorney Ken Gonzales as New Mexico's next federal judge.

The Albuquerque Journal reports the committee had delayed its vote on Gonzales since February over concerns by the panel's ranking Republican, Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, about Gonzales's handling of a Deming-area gun case.

Grassley said on Thursday that a committee inquiry into the matter allayed his concerns.

The nomination now goes to the full Senate for final approval. No vote has been scheduled but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said he wants to move quickly on a batch of stalled judicial appointments.

Gov. on the road to raise funds

Gov. Martinez

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez is in Colorado to raise money for her re-election campaign and speak to a business group.

Martinez political adviser Jay McCleskey said Thursday that the governor is holding a fundraiser in Denver and will appear at a separate non-campaign event.

Martinez will attend a reception by the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry at Coors Field. The owner of the Colorado Rockies baseball team will speak at the event and Martinez will talk briefly about an economic development package of tax cuts that was approved by the Legislature and signed into law.

McCleskey said the re-election campaign will pay for Martinez's travel and she will return to New Mexico Thursday evening.

NM Labs look OK under Obama's budget plan

Los Alamos National Laboratory would see a 7 percent budget increase while Sandia's spending would remain basically flat under the Obama Administration budget plan unveiled on Wednesday.

The Department of Energy spending proposal requests $1.96 billion for Los Alamos and $1.8 billion for Sandia in fiscal 2014. Total spending for cleanup of radioactive waste at Los Alamos would rise 16 percent to $215 million.

NNSA officials say that given the tight budget times, they are also going back to reevaluate what might be done to more affordably upgrade the plutonium research facilities at Los Alamos.

The administration last year proposed putting on hold any further work on a controversial $6 billion project known as the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement Nuclear Facility.

New report looks at health and economy

New Mexico health officials have released a report that looks at the effects of economic status on health.

Health Secretary Retta Ward says many factors can influence a person's health and those with low economic status often experience more barriers in receiving preventative health care.

The report shows more than one in four adults in New Mexico ages 45 and older has been diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases, such as arthritis and cardiovascular disease. The top reasons for inpatient hospitalization among those 65 and older are heart disease, influenza, and pneumonia.

The report also includes some positive findings. Suicide attempts among high school students have decreased since 2003 and teen smoking is on the decline, dropping from 30 percent in 2003 to 19.9 percent in 2011.

Alamogordo splits police and fire depts.

Alamogordo plans to split its Department of Public Safety into separate fire and police departments.

The Alamogordo Daily News reports that a city memorandum indicates that the split approved by the City Commission Tuesday night will produce net savings of nearly $230,000 in the coming fiscal year.

City officials say the separation should improve training, retention, recruitment and morale. According to city officials, police and fire personnel do not want to perform both tasks.

The new departments will come into existence on July 1 with the start of the next budget year.

New state law gives schools flexibility

A new state law will give school districts flexibility for another next year to cope with tight finances by having larger classes and taking other steps.

Gov. Susana Martinez signed legislation into law last week that will allow waivers of certain state educational mandates, such as teaching load requirements and the length of school days, to give districts more leeway in spending state aid and adjusting their budgets in the 2013-2014 school year.

Similar relief has been provided since 2009, when the Legislature cut state spending to cope with a budget shortfall after the economy soured. But that flexibility would have ended this year without legislation to extend it.

Legislative analysts say the new law can help districts with growing enrollments avoid hiring additional teachers.

Gov. vetos Nancy Lopez statue

Nancy Lopez

Gov. Susana Martinez vetoed money the city of Roswell sought for a statue of Hall of Fame golfer Nancy Lopez and her father, who taught her the sport in the southeastern New Mexico community.

The $150,000 for a bronze statue was among $4 million Martinez rejected last week in a measure financing capital improvements statewide.

Roswell Mayor Del Jurney said the statue was to be placed at a municipal course recently renamed in honor of Lopez, who won 48 LPGA Tour events.

A spokesman for the governor said Lopez's life story is inspirational but a primary purpose of state capital improvement financing is for critical infrastructure investments.

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