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Steve Pearce Has $682K Stockpiled for Re-election

From therepublic.com -Republican Congressman Steve Pearce holds a large fundraising advantage over his Democratic challenger in the race for New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District seat. In his latest campaign finance disclosure filed with the Federal Election Commission, Pearce reported a cash balance of $682,200 in his re-election account at the end of March. Democratic challenger Evelyn Madrid Erhard of Mesilla had cash-on-hand of nearly $5,600. Pearce raised $208,900 from January through March, including $2,600 from Sunland Park racetrack and casino owner Stan Fulton. Pearce received $5,000 from a political action committee affiliated with Bass Brothers Enterprises Inc., a Texas family's investment company. Madrid Erhard netted contributions of nearly $11,600, including $1,070 from Mesilla Park retiree Aleta Wilson and $200 from former state Rep. J. Paul Taylor of Mesilla.

U.S. Senate Race Could Include Third Candidate

Jon Barrie

From ballot-access.org - Jon Barrie is likely to qualify for the November 2012 ballot for U.S. Senate candidate in New Mexico. If he does so, he will be the first non-Democrat, non-Republican candidate for U.S. Senate to appear on a New Mexico ballot since 1996, when a Green and a Libertarian each qualified. Independent candidates in New Mexico face a severe petition burden, 3% of the last gubernatorial vote. Therefore, Barrie created the Independent American Party of New Mexico, and submitted 5,900 signatures by the April 2012 deadline. That was almost twice as many signatures as were needed. But New Mexico forces qualified minor parties to submit separate petitions for each of their nominees. So he must also submit a petition of 6,018 valid signatures, by late June, to qualify for the ballot. The two petitions combined, requiring a total of 9,027 signatures, still total fewer signatures than the statewide independent petition, which requires 18,053 valid signatures. Barrie’s campaign web page is jonbarrieforsenate.com. Barrie is not opposed to having his party nominate like-minded candidates for other partisan office this year.

Navajo Sues Urban Outfitters Over Product Names

From foxnews.com -The Navajo Nation has sued Urban Outfitters Inc. months after the tribe sent a cease and desist letter to the clothing retailer demanding it pull the "Navajo" name from its products. The lawsuit filed late Tuesday in U.S. District Court in New Mexico alleges trademark violations and violations of the federal Indian Arts and Crafts Act, which makes it illegal to sell arts or crafts in a way to falsely suggest they're made by American Indians when they're not. The tribe has about 10 registered trademarks on the Navajo name that cover clothing, footwear, online retail sales, household products and textiles. Tribal justice officials said they're intent on protecting what they believe are among the tribe's most valuable assets. More News New Mexico

Conrad James Stays Put

Conrad James

Capitol Report New Mexico - State Rep. Conrad James (R-Albuquerque) told Capitol Report New Mexico Wednesday morning (Feb. 29) that he won’t run for the state Senate and, instead, run for re-election in District 24 in the state’s House of Representatives. Back on Monday, James told Capitol Report he was considering running for the state Senate to replace Republican Mark Boitano, who has announced that he is stepping down from the Senate after 16 years. “I’m pleased to announce that I will be running for re-election to House District 24,” Rep. James said in a text message. “Even though my new district is significantly less Republican, I believe that my message of economic freedom and personal responsibility will resonate with New Mexican voters across the political spectrum.” Under the latest redistricting map put forth by Judge Jim Hall, District 24 will go from a Republican-leaning district to one that is just about an equal 50-50 split between likely Republican and Democratic voters. James is finishing up his second year in the House. He replaced fellow Republican Janice Arnold-Jones, who served the district in the Northeast Heights for eight years. James ran unopposed in the 2010 election. Read More News New Mexico

High Gas Prices and Now THIS !

KOAT TV - It probably was not their idea of a dream wedding, but one Albuquerque couple had little choice when they were married at pump three of an Albuquerque gas station Thursday. Police said when they swarmed a gas station at San Mateo Boulevard and Indian School Road to arrest 28-year-old Caleb Rogers, they had no idea he was on his way to marry his fiance.

When they found out, they cut him a little slack.

"He was standing there in handcuffs. They were all standing around and I thought, 'What's going on? This is very bizarre,' because they're just standing around talking," gas station cashier Ellen Coffman said.

Police helped to organize a simple wedding for the couple at the gas station.

Officers said they kept the ceremony short and simple in order to make sure everyone was safe and secure.

"Obviously they had the compassion to go ahead and allow the ceremony, but we were also safe about it. He was under arrest and handcuffed," Albuquerque Police Department Officer Mark Aragon said. Read full story here: News New Mexico

N.M. To Hold Tours Of 1980 Pen Riot

From koat.com -New Mexico's Corrections Department is opening to the public the site of the violent 1980 riot at the state's penitentiary near Santa Fe. The state will begin offering public tours Thursday of the infamous "Old Main" prison building. That's the anniversary of one of the nation's worst prison riots in history that claimed 33 people before National Guard units were called. Corrections Department spokeswoman Rosie Sais said the idea for the tours followed Gov. Susana Martinez's request that all state government departments organize public events in connection with the state's Centennial celebration this year. More News New Mexico

Activists Protest End to Drivers License for Illegals

From koat.com -About 400 immigrant-rights activists surrounded the capital Tuesday morning to protest what they said was a controversial push by the governor to do away with driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. With the exception of one counter-protester, all were in favor of letting illegal immigrants continue to have driver's licenses, which they said improves the driving standards on our streets. "We can't tell people that they can't have a driver's license. This is a safety issue. They need it to get to work. What is going on?" protester Sharon Argenbright said. More News New Mexico

Former N.M. Contractor Arraigned on Tax Evasion Charges

From therepublic.com - A former state contractor is in trouble with the federal government over taxes.
Prosecutors say Shelda Sutton-Mendoza has been arraigned on five counts of tax evasion. She pleaded not guilty during a hearing earlier this month. If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison and a $100,000 fine. At the time of the crimes alleged in the indictment, Sutton-Mendoza owned NYSNC Environmental, a cleanup and testing service. More News New Mexico

N.M. Legislature:Taking On "Citizen United"

Rep. Steve Fischman

From publicbroadcating.net -Fred Martino spoke with one of our local legislators proposing a bill that takes on a national issue. Senator Steve Fischmann says the US Supreme Court decision known as "Citizens United" that allows unlimited corporate political contributions should not stand. Fischmann also announced on KRWG-TV's Your Legislators that he will not accept corporate donations for his reelection campaign next year. If approved, Fischmann's bill would lend the New Mexico legislature's support for a constitutional amendment to repeal the "Citizens United" decision. Fischmann says .this is important issue for everyone, because public funds are invested in corporations that can make these political donations under Citizens United. Fischmann also plans to support legislation tackling economic issues including a bill to prevent foreclosure it would require mediation for mortgages that can be salvaged. He also supports changes in the Gross Receipts Tax to eliminate taxes on purchases between businesses. He says that measure could be paid for by eliminating tax loopholes.

Governor Releases Budget Message

Today, Governor Susana Martinez announced her Fiscal Year 2013 budget proposal, which continues the Governor’s commitment to responsible budgeting while calling for targeted and significant investments in important priorities for New Mexico’s children and families.
“I am proud to announce to New Mexicans that our fiscal house is back in order,” said Governor Martinez. “A year ago, we made a commitment to balancing our budget without raising taxes, while protecting core priorities like classroom spending and health care for those most in need. Thanks to responsible budgeting and an intent focus on cutting excess costs in government, we are now able to take another step forward by making important investments in the education of our children, as well as economic reforms to improve New Mexico’s long-term fiscal health and ability to compete for jobs.”
Just fourteen months ago, reserves for FY11 were projected to total just 3.5 percent of the state budget by the end of that fiscal year, and the state was facing a staggering structural budget deficit. After significant cost-cutting measures that included selling the state’s luxury jet, reducing the number and salaries of political appointments, placing a moratorium on state vehicle purchases, renegotiating state office leases, eliminating hundreds of unused or unnecessary cell phones, and passing a budget that critically assessed funding needs throughout state government, New Mexico closed FY 2011 with general fund reserves at well over 9 percent of the state budget, and FY12 reserves are also projected to finish at nearly the same level. Read rest of message here: News New Mexico

Former Sandia Labs Scientist Was Making Bombs

From washingtonpost.com -A retired Sandia Labs scientist was apparently busy building bombs and possibly a new type of explosive at a rural eastern New Mexico home before he died.
Torrance County Sheriff Heath White tells KOB-TV David O’Keefe, 81, spent his retirement on the outskirts of Estancia, 60 miles east of Albuquerque, continuing his work up until his death a few months ago. More News New Mexico

NMSU Scientists Developing Drought-Tolerant Alfalfa

From sfgate.com - Scientists at New Mexico State University are trying to help by using genetic analysis and traditional plant breeding practices to come up with more drought-tolerant varieties of alfalfa. The research is important because two-thirds of hay produced in the U.S. is grown in drought-prone areas of the Great Plains or the western U.S., said Ian Ray, the professor who runs NMSU's alfalfa breeding and genetics program. More News New Mexico

N.M Rated Among Worst in Nation in Child Homelessness

From washingtonexaminer.com -A new report by an advocacy group says the problem of homeless children in America is growing rapidly, with one in 45 children experiencing homelessness in a year. The study released Tuesday by the National Center on Family Homelessness in Needham, Mass. The last 10 were Georgia, Florida, Nevada, Louisiana, New Mexico, California, Arizona, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama. The study found those states have more families living close to the poverty line, with one-fourth or more of their families paying more than 50 percent of their income for rent. Many of the states fell short on planning to deal with the problem of homeless children and lacked programs to provide affordable housing. More News New Mexico

More NM Parents Opting Out of Child Immunizations

From koat.com -New data reveals that there's been a 300 percent increase in the number of New Mexicans choosing not to immunize their children over the last 15 years. Officials with the New Mexico Department of Health said it's an alarming trend. The health department said people tend to opt out in clusters. In some New Mexico schools, the number of parents choosing not to get their children vaccinated is as high as 50 percent. More News New Mexico

You May Be Financially Responsible For Your Parents

Yesterday on NewsNM we spoke about current laws in 29 states that hold you financially responsible for your parents, these laws are known as filial laws which date back as far as 17th century England. Information on filial responsibility laws can be seen here and a list of each state that participates can be seen here.

Los Alamos Rated Nation's "Brainiest" Mid-Sized City

From bizjournals.com -Los Alamos is No. 1 in New Mexico in On Numbers' new rankings of the smartest places with populations between 10,000 and 49,999. The home to Los Alamos National Laboratories came in at No. 48 among 3,012 communities in the category. Almost 38 percent of its residents have earned a graduate and/or professional degree. More News New Mexico

Pearce: Obamacare is Unconstitutional

Steve Pearce

Washington, DC (November 14, 2011) Today, Congressman Steve Pearce issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to consider whether or not the Obama Administration’s healthcare law is constitutional: “The previous Congress, led by Democrats, overstepped its constitutional boundaries in passing the Patient Accountability and Affordable Care Act,” said Pearce. “President Obama’s healthcare law forces the American people to buy healthcare and gives significantly more power to government bureaucrats. Washington is already taking too much from hardworking American businesses and families without the two dozen new or higher taxes the healthcare law imposes. The current Republican-led House of Representatives fulfilled our promise to Americans to repeal this law, but it was not considered by the Democrat-controlled Senate. For too long, party politics have overruled what is good for the American public. By taking up this case, we can hope that the Supreme Court will thoroughly review the implications of the Obama Administration’s healthcare policies and find them to be unconstitutional. We must protect our businesses, our communities, and our families by ensuring that the quality and affordability of healthcare is not impeded by governmental red tape,” Pearce continued. “Washington must stop taking actions that make the lives of Americans more difficult and start delivering on promises to return America to the land where success is rewarded and opportunities are unlimited. It is time to start taking steps toward healthier families, a healthier society, and a healthier economy.” The Patient Accountability and Affordable Care Act requires all Americans to purchase health insurance. Today, the Supreme Court has agreed to make a ruling on the constitutionality of the law.

Race-based Studies on Teaching

New Mexico Independent - 58 percent of New Mexico teachers are white, despite minorities constituting an overwhelming majority of the state’s student body. The findings come out of a set of reports published by a Washington, D.C. think tank that examined the dearth of minority teachers in states having a student body less than 50 percent white. New Mexico’s student-teacher race disparity ranked in the top 12 nationwide, according to the report. The state’s scored a “29,” meaning the percentage of minority students was 29 percentage points higher than the number of minority teachers. California scored the highest: 72 percent of the state’s students are of color while only 29 percent of teachers identified as non-white. In Texas, Two-thirds of students are non-white yet only one-third of teachers have similar backgrounds. Read full story here: News New Mexico

MVD Workers: Foreign Nationals Strain the MVD System

From koat.com Taxation and Revenue Secretary Demesia Padilla told state lawmakers Wednesday that around 300 to 400 foreign nationals a week apply for licenses through in-person appointments at Motor Vehicle Division field offices across New Mexico. She said one or two employees at each office are dedicated to handling the applications, and that takes away from customer service. More News New Mexico

House Redistricting Passes........House

Andy Nunez

UPDATE - Representative Andy Nunez will appear on the show Friday morning at 8:00am to give his perspective on the Special Session of the legislature including the bill that was passed by the House of Representatives with his vote.
Santa Fe New Mexican - Lawmakers in the state House of Representatives passed a plan to redraw boundaries and legislative districts after the legislation barreled through two legislative committees Wednesday. The bill was approved in a 36-34 vote. The sudden movement of House Bill 39 follows days of internal struggle among lawmakers to cobble together the 36 votes necessary to push the bill through the 70-member House. In the span of six hours, the plan passed the House Voters and Elections and Judiciary committees. Both votes were along party lines. The swift movement came after Independent Andrew Nuñez of Hatch appeared to change his mind about supporting the redistricting plan.
With 36 Democrats, 33 Republicans and one Independent (Nuñez), the House had been at a stalemate all week as Nuñez and Democratic Rep. Sandra Jeff opposed all plans to redraw state House district boundaries, creating a 35-to-35 tie. That meant neither side, Democrat nor Republican, had enough votes to push any particular plan.

But Nuñez's switch gave House Speaker Ben Luján the 36 votes needed to run the legislation through the committees on Wednesday, with a discussion on the House floor following Wednesday night. It was unclear why Nuñez changed his mind to support the redistricting plan or what he got in return for that switch. His support for the plan might have cleared a legislative logjam, but it didn't end the intrigue surrounding the legislation. Jeff remained opposed to the plan Wednesday, saying all the changes requested by the Navajo Nation had not been made. But Rep. Ray Begaye, D-Shiprock, also a Navajo lawmaker, said the changes requested didn't come from the Navajo Nation as a whole, as Jeff has said, but from a "certain select few. It's an internal Navajo struggle," said Begaye, who supports the bill. Read full story here: News New Mexico

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