News New Mexico

House approves Navajo gambling compact

The House has approved a tribal-state gambling compact allowing the Navajo Nation to open three additional casinos.

The proposal cleared the House Monday on a 36-30 vote. It goes to the Senate with the legislative session nearing an end. Lawmakers will adjourn Thursday.

The Navajos operate two Las Vegas-style casinos in New Mexico under a compact expiring next year and a third casino offers low-stakes gambling not subject to state regulation.

The proposed compact would permit the state's largest tribe to phase in three new casinos over 15 years.The gambling proposal is opposed by some other pueblos and tribes, which worry that their casinos will be hurt if the Navajos open more casinos.

The proposed compact must be approved by the Legislature and the Interior Department to take effect.

Senate approves Gov's Environment Secretary pick

Ryan Flynn

The Senate has approved Gov. Susana Martinez's choice to run the New Mexico Environment Department despite the objections of several conservation groups.

Lawmakers voted 30-11 Tuesday to confirm the nomination of Ryan Flynn as cabinet secretary of the agency. The governor appointed Flynn to the post last year after a retirement forced her to reshuffle leadership in two agencies. Flynn had previously served as the agency's general counsel for two years.

Flynn's confirmation followed a two-hour hearing in which environmentalists criticized him and the department over the development of regulations aimed at groundwater and copper mining.

Critics contend the department caved to industry interests in crafting the rules, which they say violate state law prohibiting water contamination above certain standards.

Flynn disputed the allegations and said his responsibility is to protect New Mexico's air, water and landscapes.

State Senate approves local liquor tax

The Senate has approved a proposal that would allow all New Mexico counties to tax liquor to finance programs for treating and preventing alcoholism.

Supporters of the measure said it would be left to counties to decide whether to impose a local liquor excise tax by the equivalent of five cents on a glass of wine, bottle of beer or cocktail.

The bill passed the Senate on a 27-14 vote Sunday and goes to the House for consideration.

State law currently allows only McKinley County to levy a local tax on liquor for alcohol programs, and supporters said the county has financed services that have reduced alcohol-related deaths.

If all counties imposed a liquor tax, it would generate nearly $44 million.

Information from The AP.

Fire near Belen 50% contained

A brush fire that started on Monday afternoon in Belen is nearly 50 percent contained, according to the Belen Fire Department.

Fire officials said a large brush fire got out of control on a private property near Highway 314 and I-25. The fire burned a shed and more than three acres of grass.

Burn restrictions were lifted in Belen on Saturday. The Belen Fire Department said they have received more than 115 requests for private burns on Monday.

This is the fourth area wildfire reported in two days.

Still no confirmation for Public Education Secretary

Hanna Skandera

A Senate panel has bottled up the nomination of Republican Gov. Susana Martinez's secretary for the Public Education Department.

The Rules Committee split 5-5 Monday on whether to send the nomination of Public Education Secretary Hanna Skandera to the Senate for a confirmation vote. The deadlock means that Skandera will continue to serve in her cabinet-level post without Senate confirmation, just as he has since 2011.

Skandera has drawn criticism because of the governor's education policies and critics contend she doesn't meet a constitutional requirement for the department secretary to be a "qualified, experienced educator." Skandera hasn't worked as a public school teacher or administrator. She was a deputy commissioner of education in Florida when Jeb Bush was governor.

Information from The AP.

NM Game Commission Chair resigns amid charges

Scott Bidegain

The chair of the New Mexico Game Commission has resigned amid allegations that he was an accessory to an unlawful killing of a cougar.

The Department of Game and Fish announced Monday that Scott Bidegain turned in his resignation over the weekend.

Officials say department officers filed a misdemeanor charge against Bidegain in Quay County Magistrate Court on Monday in connection with the cougar killing. Bidegain says he was present during "a hunting incident earlier this month" and he believed it was in the commission's best interest that he stepped down.

Officials say Vice Chairman Thomas Salopek will lead the commission.

What Does Mexico’s President Know That President Obama Doesn’t?

Commentary by Marita Noon - It is not often that Americans look south of the border for solutions, but Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto seems to have figured out a few things in his first year of power that has, in six years, eluded Obama.
Late last month, Peña Nieto spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. There, he highlighted his first-year achievements: “a legislative consensus with the two major opposition parties on the transformations and structural reforms that the country needed,” reports Mexico City’s The News. He pointed out that this has been achieved “in a climate of plurality and diversity.”
A few months ago, with great enthusiasm, I wrote about Peña Nieto’s proposed energy reforms—something his predecessor had been unable to achieve. (President Felipe Calderon’s critics believed his proposals violated the constitution.) The reforms passed on December 12, 2013, amend Articles 25, 27 and 28 of Mexico's constitution to allow profit- and production-sharing contracts, and licenses. The reforms also put an end to government monopolies in the operation of oil-and-gas fields, while maintaining the Mexican government’s ownership of the country’s resources.
“The current government’s ability to build coalitions puts Mexico on the verge of its biggest economic victory since the North American Free Trade Agreement,” states Arturo Sarukhan, who has served in Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry. Read full column

New state police cadet trainer defends changes

The man who oversees basic training for police cadets across New Mexico is defending his new curriculum, which includes giving officers more leeway to use deadly force.

Jack Jones, director of the state's Law Enforcement Academy, has come under some criticism since being given control in September of all basic training courses. Jones' changes include more training in traffic stops involving gunfire and use of possibly deadly force. He says officers need to be prepared for any violence. Jones says previous training models have been too restrictive.

The new training comes as the Albuquerque Police Department is under a U.S. Justice Department civil rights investigation. The department is facing allegations of excessive force and three dozen shootings by officers since 2010.

Information from The AP.

Bernalillo County Commisioners oppose "Cops" TV shooting

Two Bernalillo County commissioners are asking the county sheriff to reconsider allowing the long-running TV show "Cops" to film in the area.

In a letter sent to Bernalillo County Sheriff Dan Houston on Saturday, Commissioners Debbie O'Malley and Maggie Hart Stebbins says the show's "sensational focus on criminal activity" would portray the county as a dangerous place to work and live. They also argue members of the public may be reluctant to report crimes if they think a TV crew might show up with authorities.

Albuquerque's mayor banned the reality program from filmming in New Mexico's largest city more than a decade ago

. However, Houston announced Thursday that the show would start filming with his department in April for its 26th season. The episodes would air in the summer.

Senate panel approves budget package

A Senate panel has approved a $6.2 billion budget package and provided additional money for education initiatives of Republican Gov. Susana Martinez.

The Senate Finance Committee unanimously endorsed the budget on Sunday and sent it to the Senate for consideration.

The panel added $17.5 million for administration school programs. Republicans on the committee said the goal was to give the Public Education Department some flexibility to work with school districts on initiatives to improve educational performance.

The budget provides for a $293 million or 5 percent increase in spending in the fiscal year starting in July.

The committee's proposal is an attempt to break an impasse over the budget and avoid a possible special session.

A budget bill failed in the House, with Republicans saying it shortchanged Martinez's school proposals.

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