Legislative committee recommends salary increase for state workers

State workers would receive a 1 percent salary increase next year — their first raise since 2008 — and state police officers would get a 3 percent pay hike under a legislative committee's budget recommendations.

The Legislative Finance Committee released budget proposals Wednesday for spending about $5.9 billion on public education and government programs in the 2014 fiscal year starting July 1. That's an increase of about 4 percent or $232 million. 

The panel's recommendations serve as a foundation for budget decisions during the legislative session that starts next week. The salary increases would cost about $32 million.

Legislative committee recommends salary increase for state workers

Gov. expands Medicaid program

Gov. Martinez

Republican Gov. Susana Martinez says New Mexico will follow provisions of a federal health care law to expand the state's Medicaid program to potentially provide medical services to 170,000 low-income adults. 

New Mexico will join at least 15 other states and the District of Columbia in broadening eligibility for the health care program under terms of a health care overhaul championed by President Barack Obama. 

Martinez made the announcement Wednesday during a speech in Albuquerque. 

The expansion in 2014 will make adults eligible with incomes of about $26,000 for a family of three or $15,400 for an individual.

Gov. expands Medicaid program

Newsbreak New Mexico 5pm Webcast 1/9/13

Newsbreak New Mexico 5pm Newscast with Vanessa Dabovich

                                     Listen here:

ABQ losing jobs and people
Water protection measure gets dropped
New Mexicans have problems with new unemployment site
Ibex hunting licenses available 

Newsbreak New Mexico 5pm Webcast 1/9/13

Gov. asks for $13.5 million for reading

Gov. Martinez 

Gov. Susana Martinez proposes to increase spending next year on programs to help New Mexico children learn to read. 

Martinez said Tuesday she'll recommend the Legislature provide $13.5 million to improve reading skills of students in kindergarten through the 3rd grade. 

That's an increase of $5 million over current spending on early reading initiatives. About $9.5 million will be requested for reading coaches and other services to help struggling students, $3 million for tests to identify students with reading problems and $1 million for professional development for educators to help students. T

The governor is expected to release her proposed state budget later this week.

Gov. asks for $13.5 million for reading

Newsbreak New Mexico 12pm Webcast 1/9/13

Newsbreak New Mexico 12pm Newscast with Vanessa Dabovich

                                     Listen here:

New Mexicans have problems with new unemployment site
U.S Fish and Wildlife exclude part of Rio Grande for bird 
Gov. asks for #13.5 million for reading 
HP in Rio Rancho lays off 200 

Newsbreak New Mexico 12pm Webcast 1/9/13

Hewlett Packard lays off 200 in Rio Rancho

Two hundred workers in Rio Rancho are getting pink slips. 

Computer company Hewlett Packard announced the layoffs on Monday. The company is consolidating its workforce and New Mexicans are paying the price. 

KOAT reports that when they tried to talk with employees, they would not respond.  They have received strict instructions from their bosses to not talk to the media about the layoffs.

 Hewlett Packard officials said all customer support currently delivered from Rio Rancho will be transitioned to Alpharetts, Ga.   

Rio Rancho and the state gave millions of dollars in tax incentives to Hewlett Packard to create jobs, not take them away. 

According to research conducted by the New York Times, between the years of 2008 and 2011, Rio Rancho gave more than $14 million to Hewlett Packard, all of that grant money. 

Hewlett Packard said the first phase of layoffs will happen over the next few weeks. The last round of layoffs will come by the end of October.

Hewlett Packard lays off 200 in Rio Rancho

Video conferencing proposed in DWI cases

New Mexico's fight against drunken driving is entering a new phase as state officials look to end a technicality that is causing cause to be thrown out of court. 

The reason the cases are being thrown out is that many analysts are not available to testify in person at DWI trials. Gov. Susana Martinez has suggested using video conferencing as a simple solution to the problem. 

When police arrest a DWI suspect, that person's blood has to be tested by a certified analyst at state crime labs. However, by law, that analyst must appear in court to testify. The requirement is creating a backlog. Those trials can take days and the governor said analysts must sometimes shuffle subpoenas and choose which trial to testify at, meaning other cases would get thrown out. 

The governor would have the analysts step into a video conferencing room when they need to testify. The governor said she'll push for a law that allows video-conferencing when the legislative session starts next week.

Video conferencing proposed in DWI cases

Legislator introduces bill to prevent double dipping

Ray Begaye

New Mexico legislators wouldn't be allowed to get reimbursements for the same expense from more than one source under a bill filed in reaction to a travel scandal involving a now-former lawmaker.

 Republican Rep. Nate Gentry of Albuquerque filed his bill in response to expense double-dipping by former Democratic Rep. Ray Begaye of Shiprock.

 Attorney General Gary King's office concluded that Begaye on five occasions was reimbursed for out-of-town trips by both the state and the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Legislator introduces bill to prevent double dipping

Newsbreak New Mexico 8am Webcast 1/9/13

Newsbreak New Mexico 8am Newscast with Vanessa Dabovich

                                     Listen here:

Gov. asks for $13.5 million for reading 
HP in Rio Rancho lays off 200
New DWI proposal for upcoming session
Legislator introduced bill to prevent double dipping

Newsbreak New Mexico 8am Webcast 1/9/13

Feds want louder hybrid cars

From KOB-TV.com - By: Joe Vigil, KOB Eyewitness News 4 - The Federal government wants hybrid and electric cars to make a lot more noise. The cars are extremely quiet at low speeds when the battery is engaged instead of the louder motor. Albuquerque resident Art Schreiber, who is blind, said he was almost hit by a hybrid car that he did not hear downtown. He walked right in front of it.
Schreiber said the cars aren't a hazard only for the blind. People have been hit in parking lots. "You could be putting groceries or parcels into the trunk of your car and step back right into the path of a hybrid because you can't hear it," Schreiber told KOB Eyewitness News 4.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration wants hybrid and electric cars to make more noise, under 18 miles per hour, to warn pedestrians, bicyclists and the visually impaired. It is estimated that 2,800 pedestrian and bicycle accidents could be prevented every year. The changes will not impact electric and hybrid cars that are currently on the road. Read more

Feds want louder hybrid cars