News New Mexico

Senators Bingaman - Udall: Mimic Pelosi and Reid

Jeff Bingaman

Mirroring a vote cast by Nancy Pelosi in the U.S. House of Representatives and walking lockstep with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall voted to reject a bill in the United States Senate today that would have repealed the recently ruled unconstitutional Affordable Health Care for America Act.

Tom Udall

Better known as Obamacare, a law Bingaman once called the Obamacare, One of the most "carefully crafted" pieces of legislation he had seen in twenty-seven years in Washington D.C. the vote, which was cast on straight party lines, illustrates the deep divide between Democrats and Republicans, especially when it comes to trusting the federal government to micro-manage one of the largest segments of the U.S. economy.

Martinez Appoints Two D.A.'s to Bench

Susan Reidel

SANTA FE – Governor Susana Martinez announced today that she has made appointments to fill two vacancies on New Mexico’s Third Judicial District Court. Governor Martinez named Susan M. Riedel and Jacinto Palomino, both of Las Cruces, to fill the vacancies created by the retirements of Judge Jerald A. Valentine and Judge Stephen Bridgforth. Riedel and Palomino were both recommended for their positions by the Third Judicial District Court Nominating Commission. “Ms. Riedel and Mr. Palomino have dedicated their careers to protecting New Mexico’s children and families and upholding the law to the fullest extent,” said Governor Martinez. “Both have served capably as prosecutors and have proven themselves as tenacious and fair representatives of New Mexico’s legal system. I am confident that Ms. Riedel and Mr. Palomino will be fair and honest judges who will impartially apply the law." Susan M. Riedel currently serves as Chief Deputy District Attorney for New Mexico’s Third Judicial District, overseeing attorney training with a focus on the Children’s Court Attorney and the Probation Violation Division. Riedel previously served as the Child Support Enforcement Hearing Officer and Special Master for Family Violence Protection Hearings and Children’s Court Detention Hearings for the Twelfth Judicial District in Alamogordo. Prior to that, she served as an Assistant District Attorney for the Third Judicial District and a Deputy District Attorney for the Second Judicial District in Albuquerque. Riedel earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C.

Jacinto Palomino currently serves as Deputy District Attorney for New Mexico’s Third Judicial District, overseeing the Violent Felony Offense Unit. He also serves as Senior Defense Counsel for the Judge Advocate General of the United States Army Reserve. Prior to joining the District Attorney’s office, Palomino practiced family law and criminal defense as a private practice attorney in San Jose, CA. Prior to his legal career, Palomino served in the United States Marine Corps as a Heavy Vehicle Operator. He earned his law degree from the University of California at San Francisco Hastings College of Law in San Francisco, CA.

Property Tax Waivers Die in Committee

Miguel Garcia

Santa Fe, NM – The progress of two measures sponsored by Rep. Miguel Garcia (D-Albuquerque) that would exempt disabled citizens and the elderly from property taxes under certain conditions was halted by Republican House members in the House Voters and Elections Committee yesterday. Both measures would have exempted disabled property owners from paying their property tax liabilities based on disabilites, age, and income. Rep. Garcia said, “I was disappointed to see these important bills die in committee." The state faces the task of closing a $400 million budget deficit. It would appear the lack of support by the GOP members on the committee for the Garcia proposals was based on the fiscal realities related to offering property tax exemptions to property owners and their eventual heirs during a budget crisis.

Bill on Vet Funerals Moving Through House

Lee Alcon

Santa Fe, NM – A bill introduced by Rep. Eliseo “Lee” Alcon (D-Cibola and McKinley) that is designed to ensure that every person serving in active-duty military receive burials in accordance to their wishes worked one step closer to becoming a law today. HB 15 unanimously passed the House Judiciary Committee today. “I am extremely pleased that my fellow legislators understand how important it is to do things to make our military personnel’s lives better,” Rep. Alcon said after the vote. “Currently there are no rules in place to make sure a soldier’s wishes are seen through. Right now, any family member, spouse or even ex-spouse can make decisions about a soldier’s final arrangements. This can lead to conflict and a degrading of the sacrifice the soldier made.”

Amidst the Frigid Temps the Debate Gets Heated

Every now and then we run across something on Youtube that is absolutely priceless. With incredible drops in temperatures in New Mexico today that virtually paralized the state we thought it might be a good idea of you are snuzzled up by the warm solar panels to watch this debate on the scientific arguements in favor of and skeptical of the global warming and climate change push from the progressive movement. This is enlightening.

I Can Balance the Budget

John Stossel

Townhall - The Congressional Budget Office says the current year's budget deficit will be a record $1.5 trillion. It also says that over the next decade we're on track for annual deficits of "only" $768 billion. I suspect the CBO has hired Rosy Scenario to do the bookkeeping, but let's take that number at face value. I'm now going to balance the budget, with the help of some experts. Read full column here:

Jury System Burden on MIA's Families About to End

George Dodge

Santa Fe, NM – A bill sponsored by Rep. George Dodge, Jr. (D-Santa Rosa) that would remove MIA and deceased military members from the master jury database every six months unanimously passed the House of Representatives today. Responding to grieving New Mexican military families who have had to prove the loss of a loved one to the jury system, Rep. Dodge introduced HB 181a to not only streamline the bureaucracy, but to prevent military families from being burdened to provide the required documentation. The bill passed with a vote of 64-0. Rep. Dodge said, “This is a valuable mechanism to prevent families of missing or deceased military members from re-experiencing the anguish of their loss by having to provide death certificates months down the road. Being a veteran and having a son in the Navy, I can empathize with these families and hope to see this legislation make it to the governor’s desk.”

Global Warming in Chicago

One of our friends from the windy city shared this picture of Lake Shore Drive with us this morning. The word is that like most of New Mexico the city of Chicago has also come to a standstill. However, we have not heard of any rolling blackouts there as a result of the latest cold spell. Naturally, when people are out and about in their cars when a storm hits, it is their problem. When a rolling blackout hits the homes it is a government energy policy problem. It would seem that regional energy shortages are more of a New Mexico issue these days, particularly with the effects of global warming hitting our area.

Lives Threatened by Blackouts

EXTREME COLD temperatures have led to rolling power outages in the State of New Mexico. Rolling power outages created a cascade effect that has disrupted life in the state. The News New Mexico radio show was knocked of off the air on Wednesday morning. While News New Mexico apologizes for the inconvenience to our listeners, we cannot resist the temptation to ask if the recent "Cap and Tax" rules passed by the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board represent "best practices." Given the obviously thin margin of electrical generating capacity available in the southwest, and the frozen pipes and threats to human life posed by the lack of energy supplies, one must bring the entire radical environmental approach to energy management into question. The entire nation has experienced extraordinarily low temperatures again this week. Accordingly, we must wonder if under the progressive E.I.B rules, our "environment" will "improve."

The critical shortage of energy supplies and cold temperatures are a wake up call. They should serve as reminders to all members of the House Energy Committee, particularly, Chairman Brian Egolf. Egolf's solution to these dire conditions seems to be to call on unqualified energy policy witnesses (who do landscaping work) to offer opinions supporting lame-brained policies that will increase the frequency of the blackout experiences felt all over New Mexico today. In the face of some of the coldest weather this state has seen in many years it might be a good idea to let your elected officials hear from you. You can find their contact information at the top of our website.

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