Susana Martinez - Changing New Mexico and Looking Ahead

Susana Martinez

Human Events - When scheduling problems April 26 forced New Mexico’s Gov. Susana Martinez to cancel an interview with Human Events at the last minute, I was left disappointed, but also determined.  After repeated conversations with Martinez’s office in Santa Fe, an interview with her by cellphone from mountainous Bernalillo County finally took place last week. It is not so much that the 53-year-old Republican was avoiding the national press but, rather, that Susana Martinez is very much in demand as a speaker and a subject for interviews these days. Less than two years after her election as the nation’s first female governor of Hispanic heritage, conservative Republican Martinez is watched closely and reported on far beyond the borders of New Mexico. Like Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and fellow Governors Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Nikki Haley of South Carolina, former prosecutor Martinez is considered one of her party’s brightest future stars.  Many say that her life story and unique political role make her the most intriguing and attractive prospect to be Mitt Romney’s vice presidential running mate. Read More News New Mexico

Susana Martinez - Changing New Mexico and Looking Ahead

Governor Martinez Announces the "New Mexico Reads to Lead" Education Initiative

Susana Martinez

Alongside 3^rd grade students at Mission Avenue Elementary in Albuquerque today, Governor Susana Martinez unveiled and kicked off the “New Mexico Reads to Lead’ education initiative, which will implement several early childhood reading interventions designed to assist teachers and parents in identifying where our students are struggling in their literacy learning so that they can receive immediate and effective help.    

The “New Mexico Reads to Lead” initiative is the result of an $8.5 million direct investment in early childhood reading reforms in the FY13 budget.  Focusing on roughly 100,000 students from kindergarten through the 3^rd grade, the initiative will provide teachers with assessment tools that produce immediate information about where their students need assistance.  It will also provide parents and teachers with resources and strategies on reading instruction – available in hard copy and on the Internet in both English and Spanish.  And, as part of the program, up to 52 reading coaches will be hired throughout the state to support teachers in their efforts to help those students who are struggling to read the most. 

“Learning to read is the key to success, and it can often determine whether a student grows up frustrated and discouraged or empowered and confident,” said Governor Martinez.  “80% of our 4^th graders do not currently read proficiently, and the ‘New Mexico Reads to Lead’ initiative is a direct investment in challenging this unacceptable status quo with proven reading reforms aimed at helping those kids who need it the most.” 

Governor Martinez Announces the "New Mexico Reads to Lead" Education Initiative

Governor demands more choices for judicial vacancy

Susana Martinez

Real Clear Politics - Republican Gov. Susana Martinez, like her Democratic predecessor, wants a choice of candidates when it comes to appointing judges and she's flexing her gubernatorial power to make her point Martinez has asked an independent judicial nominating commission to go back to work and send her more than one candidate for a judicial vacancy in southern New Mexico. Former Gov. Bill Richardson took a similar approach in 2007, and the dispute ended up before the state Supreme Court. Richardson, however, never got the extra judicial candidates he sought. In New Mexico, the governor appoints district judges from candidates recommended by a bipartisan nominating commission, which is made up of judges, lawyers and members of the public who are not lawyers. Unlike many boards and commissions, the governor names only a few members of a nominating commission.

Judges, legislative leaders and a statewide organization of lawyers select most members. A screening commission last month interviewed four applicants for a judgeship in the 6th Judicial District that covers Grant, Hidalgo and Luna counties but recommended only one person Deming lawyer Jennifer DeLaney, a Democrat. All of the applicants are running for the judgeship in this year's elections two Democrats and two Republicans. Scott Darnell, a spokesman for the governor, said Martinez's request for more nominees "has nothing to do with the particular applicant who was submitted. The governor simply wants to uphold the separate constitutional duties assigned to the judicial nominating commission and the governor, respectively. State law affords her the opportunity to fill the vacancy as opposed to the judicial nominating commission, in effect, making the appointment," Darnell said in a statement. The commission is to meet on May 1 to consider the governor's request, but there's no guarantee the panel will send the governor additional names. Read More News New Mexico

Governor demands more choices for judicial vacancy

Johnson: Romney-Martinez would be 'Palin-esque'

Gary Johnson

Politico - Mitt Romney may be able to win New Mexico if he chooses Gov. Susana Martinez as his running mate, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson said. But beyond that, the Republican-turned-Libertarian sees little value in putting his successor on a national ticket. “This is a Sarah Palin-esque kind of choice. She’s served as governor of New Mexico for about the same amount of time,” Johnson said. “I think there were lessons learned [from 2008.]” Martinez, one of the rock-star GOP governors elected in 2010, has been viewed as a politician with national potential due to her reformer's profile and potential appeal to Latino voters. The former county prosecutor has mostly avoided the D.C. spotlight so far. If Johnson has his druthers, it'll stay that way. The former governor said he recently watched the HBO film “Game Change” – and previously read the book – and thought the whole Palin experience reflected terribly on John McCain for choosing an underprepared running mate for political reasons. “I thought it was an incredible indictment” of McCain, Johnson said. UPDATE: A Republican reader emails to point out that -- in addition to whatever other differences Martinez has with Palin -- the New Mexico governor has firmly ruled out running for the vice presidency in 2012. She said just this week: "I'm totally, completely focused on being governor and fulfilling my promises ... It's humbling, but I'm not interested." Read More News New Mexico 

Johnson: Romney-Martinez would be 'Palin-esque'

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez for vice president? She says no

Susana Martinez

Las Cruces Sun-News -  It's not the first time it's happened, but it is the most recent. National political pundits over the weekend again discussed New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez as a possible vice presidential pick of GOP contender Mitt Romney. Martinez up until now has said her sights aren't set on that role. Her stance doesn't appear to be changing much. "I'm totally, completely focused on being governor and fulfilling my promises," she said during a visit Monday to Las Cruces. "It's humbling, but I'm not interested." Martinez said none of the Republican presidential hopefuls has reached out to her. One CNN report Monday discussed nine possible Romney runningmates, including Martinez; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin; Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Martinez was described by Candy Crowley, CNN chief political correspondent, as having a "trifecta of political assets. She is female, Hispanic and the governor of a swing state." But her drawbacks were that she's "untested and unknown on the national scene." New Mexico state Rep. Terry McMillan, R-N.M., said the fact Martinez's name is still being bandied about is "not a surprise," considering she's got some executive experience and other politically positive attributes. Read More News New Mexico

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez for vice president? She says no

Gov. Martinez OKs bill creating medical marijuana fund

Susana Martinez

Carlsbad Current-Argus - SANTA FE - Neither Ripley nor countless New Mexico residents would believe it, but Republican Gov. Susana Martinez signed a marijuana bill on Monday. Martinez, who was a prosecutor for 25 years, spent half her lifetime fighting the war on drugs. She took office as governor after the state already had a law permitting marijuana to be used for select medicinal purposes. Now Martinez has signed Senate Bill 240, creating a medical cannabis fund to cover the program's costs. Producers of marijuana for medical treatment pay the state fees of $10,000 to $30,000 a year, said Sen. Cisco McSorley, who sponsored the bill. Rather than the money going into the state's general spending account, it will be maintained by the Department of Health as a specific fund to pay for administration of the medical marijuana program. "It means the few New Mexico taxpayers who objected to their money going toward the medical marijuana program no longer have to worry," said McSorley, D-Albuquerque. He said he worked on the bill with Martinez's secretary of health, Dr. Catherine Torres, but had no contact with the governor regarding the bill. Read More News New Mexico

Gov. Martinez OKs bill creating medical marijuana fund

The kerfuffle over the hair sylist and the Governor

Susana Martinez

Capitol Report New Mexico - By now, you’ve probably heard about the Santa Fe hairstylist who has announced he won’t cut the hair of Gov. Susana Martinez because she does not advocate for same-sex marriage. The first question that popped into my mind was that while I think it’s a proprietor’s perogative to serve a customer, would the sylist also refuse to cut the hair of President Obama if the president stopped by his salon a campaign trip? After all, President Obama flatly said on numerous occasions on the2008 campaign trail that he was opposed to gay marriage and now, four years later, he still has not come out in support of it, with White House communications officials saying only that his stance on the issue is “evolving.” Read More News New Mexico

The kerfuffle over the hair sylist and the Governor

Susana Will Take Redistricting Reversal To The US Supreme Court

Capitol Report New Mexico - Capitol Report New Mexico has learned that attorneys for Gov. Susana Martinez will appeal the recent decision by the New Mexico Supreme Court to reverse a redistricting judge’s decision concerning the state’s House of Representatives all the way to the US Supreme Court.

“We believe there are serious federal concerns,” Jessica Hernandez, general counsel for the Republican governor told Capitol Report New Mexico in an interview on Tuesday (Feb. 14), adding that the New Mexico Supreme Court’s reversal “raises important and unique questions the [US] Supreme Court will want to weigh in on.”

It’s unclear when the appeal to the highest court in the land will occur but Hernandez said “It’s just a matter of doing the research and getting the necessary paperwork done.” Read the full story here: News New Mexico

Susana Will Take Redistricting Reversal To The US Supreme Court