House rejects horse slaughter proposal

New Mexico lawmakers have rejected a proposal to study the feasibility of allowing plants to slaughter horses for food. 

The measure sparked a lengthy debate Monday in the House, which voted 36-28 against the measure to have a study by the state Department of Agriculture. 

A Roswell meat company has proposed resuming horse slaughtering and sued the federal government last year over inaction on its application.  

Supporters said a slaughter plant would provide a humane way for dealing with unwanted horses and those left to starve by owners who can't afford to feed them. They said the horses could be processed to provide meat for human consumption in overseas markets. 

Opponents said a better approach is to support private programs that care for unwanted or mistreated horses.

House rejects horse slaughter proposal

Griego indicted, judge wants to prosecute as adult

Nehemiah Griego

A Bernalillo County grand jury indicted Nehemiah Griego on Monday on five counts of first-degree murder, and District Attorney Kari Brandenberg said she intends to prosecute the 15-year-old as an adult. 

Bernalillo County Sheriff Dan Houston said Griego admitted to killing his family on Jan. 19. He is accused of killing his father, the Rev. Greg Griego, his mother, Sara, and his three younger siblings, Zehania, Jael and Angelina. 

Griego is being held without bond at the Juvenile Detention Center. Griego will be arraigned in district court but the date has not been set.

Griego indicted, judge wants to prosecute as adult

Newsbreak New Mexico 12 p.m. Webcast 2/4/13

Newsbreak New Mexico 12 p.m. Newscast with Vanessa Dabovich

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Legislature considers vote on min. wage
Hanna Skandera overrules PEC and approves charter school
Bill would reduce good time credits 

Newsbreak New Mexico 12 p.m. Webcast 2/4/13

NM Tourism Dept. wants their budget doubled

The New Mexico Tourism Department wants the Legislature to increase its advertising budget from $2.5 million to $5 million. 

Department Secretary Monique Jacobson says that doubling the ad budget would let the agency to carry its "New Mexico True" marketing campaign to Chicago and California and launch a more robust promotion of the state's fall and winter attractions. 

Gov. Susana Martinez is recommending the full increase, while the Legislative Finance Committee budget wants to hold the increase to $1.5 million. 

A study by a research firm found that the "New Mexico True" campaign has brought taxpayers $3 for every dollar spent. The campaign's aim was to create a brand that would help the state compete with tourism destinations like Colorado and Arizona.

NM Tourism Dept. wants their budget doubled

NM lottery sees and increase

Officials with the New Mexico Lottery say the last half of 2012 saw an increase in net sales of $7 million. 

 Lottery figures released this week show sales between July 1 and Dec. 31 totaled nearly $70 million. That's an 11 percent increase from the same period the year before.

 Officials say players also won more during the period. Winnings increased from $28.4 million in the first half of the previous fiscal year to more than $31 million.Mid-year profits for the Legislative Lottery Scholarship program also increased to just over $21 million.

NM lottery sees and increase

Newsbreak New Mexico 8 a.m. Webcast 2/4/13

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NM lottery sees and increase
Reese family gets re-trial
GMO bill dead in legislature

Newsbreak New Mexico 8 a.m. Webcast 2/4/13

Gun background check bill “back in the saddle”

From Capitol Report New Mexico -Five days after his bill aimed at establishing background checks at gun shows in New Mexico was deadlocked in its first committee hearing, Rep. Miguel Garcia, D-Albuquerque, announced Saturday night (Feb. 2) that the bill will be brought back to the House Judiciary Committee on Monday (Feb. 4).
“HB 77, ‘Firearm Transfer Act,’ is back in the saddle again,” Garcia wrote in an e-mail he addressed to “Gun Violence Prevention Advocates, Friends, Neighbors, Social Justice Allies.” Last Monday (Jan. 28), Rep. Garcia’s bill stalled in an 8-8 vote after hours of passionate debate from citizens who showed up at the Roundhouse a crowd so large that the Judiciary Committee had to move its hearing to the floor of the House and generating a split between all the Republicans in the committee who voted against the bill and nearly every Democrat who supported it.
The lone Democratic holdout was Rep. Eliseo Alcon of Milan who said many Native American constituents in his district objected to possibly having to go through background checks if they wanted to hand down weapons of historic or antique value to family members.
But Garcia announced Saturday night he’s crafted a substitute bill that he says addresses that issue as well as dropping the previous bill’s requirement that the Department of Public Safety would conduct the background checks. Instead, the substitute bill would have Federal Firearm Licensees (FFLs) handling the background checks at gun shows and also overseeing checks for individual private sales. “It is a better and sounder bill because of the changes,” Garcia said in his e-mail.
That will certainly be a matter of strenuous contention when the bill comes back Monday — although it appears the debate may not be as lengthy as last Monday’s 4 and-a-half-hour session. According to Garcia, House Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Gail Chasey, D-Albuquerque, “will briefly take testimony ONLY ON THE CHANGES to HB77, not on whether you are FOR or AGAINST background checks.” Read more

Gun background check bill “back in the saddle”

Lawmakers to take up Finance Authority changes

From KOB-TV.com -State lawmakers are expected to discuss possible changes at the New Mexico Finance Authority. The Senate Rules Committee in scheduled to take up the bill Monday. The proposal was introduced after our 4 On Your Side Team uncovered a fake audit that put the state's credit rating at risk. The measure aims to overhaul how members are chosen for the Finance Authority Board, which oversees the department. The proposal would require that board members meet some minimum qualifications. Read more

Lawmakers to take up Finance Authority changes

Democrat leader proposes increase in tax refunds for TV

A Democratic legislative leader proposes to increase tax refunds available for some television production in New Mexico.

New Mexico provides a 25 percent refund on certain expenditures on film and TV production. 

House Majority Whip Antonio "Moe" Maestas of Albuquerque introduced a measure Thursday to raise the tax subsidy to 30 percent for TV series that produce at least six episodes a year in New Mexico. 

The state provides no more than $50 million in tax credits each year. 

Under Maestas' proposal, subsidies that go unused under the cap could be carried over to the next year. That potentially makes more than $50 million available in some years. 

The state paid out about $9 million in subsidies in the last budget year and $21 million so far this year.

Democrat leader proposes increase in tax refunds for TV

Legalization of gay marriage passes first hurdle

A push to legalize gay marriage in New Mexico has passed its first hurdle.

 The bill would let voters decide the issue of same-sex marriage, but it also states churches would not be required to recognize the same-sex marriage bill. 

After hearing very different opinions and personal experiences, lawmakers decided along party lines to pass the bill, which moves it to the next committee. 

Rep. Brian Egolf said he's been contacted by hundreds of people who thanked him for sponsoring the bill. 

Nine states have legalized same-sex marriage, and 10 others have allowed civil unions for gay couples.

 If the bill passes, legalizing gay marriage would  appear on the ballot in November 2014.

Legalization of gay marriage passes first hurdle