Martinez adds millions to budget to replace outdated textbooks

From KOB-TV.com - by : Chris Ramirez, KOB Eyewitness News 4 - There is a battle brewing over books. Governor Susana Martinez announced Saturday that she is adding $9 million to her budget so that school districts across New Mexico can replace outdated textbooks.
     But the legislature may have a different vision on how to spend that money. "We’re comparing what the governor has proposed and what the legislature has proposed and it is quite significantly different when it comes to textbooks because there is a lack of understanding of how important it is that we don't give kids books that are 3 decades old," Martinez said.
     The governor’s budget adds $9 million more compared to last year for replacing old text books across the state. The total budget line item in 2014 is $30 million for new textbooks.
     But Representative Mimi Stewart, who sits on The House Education Committee, says it is the governor who lacks understanding. "It’s a funny year for the governor to ask for an increase in instructional materials because the books that schools have to buy for next year are for career and technical classes and driver's ed," said Stewart.
     Stewart says the state rotates subjects every year and history and science are not even on the rotation for next year. Stewart welcomes more funding to public education, but wonders if they money may be suited best elsewhere for this year. More

Martinez adds millions to budget to replace outdated textbooks

Swickard: The reason to vote for school bonds

© 2014 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. In 1975 I was working for the University of New Mexico. In front of the UNM library were 200 or so of the most coveted parking spaces on the entire UNM campus. In this parking lot people could park close to where they were going rather than miles away. 

     This parking lot was so attractive to some people that they came to work early just to get one of these fine parking spaces. It was quite a status symbol to go out to that center of the campus parking lot and nonchalantly get in your car. As you drove away you would wave to the less fortunate people who had to go quite a distance to get their car.

     As happens to all good things, one day the UNM leaders declared this wonderful parking lot would be closed forever. We were incredulous at the announcement. A friend complained, “The very idea of them using taxpayer money to turn our valuable parking spaces into, can you believe it, a duck pond. We have to do something.”

     The battle was not pretty. Signs on campus proclaimed, “We don’t need no stinking duck ponds, we need more parking lots.” Other signs said, “The taxpayers cannot afford to be building duck ponds.”

     The protests, including a rude song, President Bud Davis’s Duck Pond, luckily fell on deaf ears. The protests continued until the first day the water and the ducks and the sunshine made everyone feel great.

     Here is the point of my story: today the UNM Duck Pond and Commons Area is one of the defining campus symbols of UNM. Best I can tell, pretty much everyone cherishes the duck pond. In fact, if someone desires a beating all they have to do is go to UNM and propose turning the duck pond into 200 parking spaces. It might even be worse. They might be shot at sunrise on three consecutive mornings for just such a suggestion.

     The duck pond has attracted many new students to UNM. When they come for the campus visit it is one of the first places they go. So whatever the university spent on constructing the duck pond is more than covered by the money the additional students bring to UNM over the year. Therefore, it is good UNM officials had foresight and thick skins.

     The same syndrome applies at school bond election time. First, it is the mechanism to fund capital projects in school districts. We pass bonds for the future. Shortsighted people oppose bonds because that money does not provide personal benefit. read full column

Swickard: The reason to vote for school bonds

State officials to consider digital billboards

State officials may allow digital billboards along interstate highways and other federal routes in New Mexico. 

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that today the state Transportation Commission  is scheduled to consider rule changes that could legalize electronic billboards. 

States oversee off-site outdoor advertising along federal highways under agreements with federal agencies. Outdoor advertisers already use digital signs in some places in New Mexico, including within the city of Albuquerque. 

Critics say the signs are visual blight that damage the night sky. Outdoor advertising companies deny that their signs lighten dark skies.

State officials to consider digital billboards

WNMU making big cuts

Western New Mexico University is facing layoffs, higher tuition and consolidation of classes amid a budget crunch. 

The Albuquerque Journal reports that the Silver City-based university plans to slash spending by 4 percent and eliminate less popular courses. 

WNMU President Joseph Shepard says the changes are needed because a projected 5 percent increase in student enrollment did not materialize. He says the university by the end of this month will cut spending for the remainder of this budget year by more than $1.3 million. 

Officials say cuts will probably be a combination of layoffs and letting some vacancies remain unfilled.

WNMU making big cuts

Gun safety rally in Santa Fe

About 100 gun safety advocates rallied at the Capitol for a proposal to require criminal background checks of more people who buy firearms at gun shows. 

Santa Fe Police Chief Ray Rael spoke in favor of the measure at Wednesday's rally. Supporters are urging Republican Gov. Susana Martinez to add the gun proposal to the Legislature's agenda. The Legislature is restricted to considering the budget, tax measures and proposals allowed by the governor.

 A bill failed in the Legislature last year to mandate background checks for firearms purchased at gun shows from private sellers. Federal law requires those checks for sales by licensed dealers in their stores and at gun shows. 

Opponents contend that background checks won't stop shootings like one this month at a Roswell school.

Gun safety rally in Santa Fe

New tax bracket, fewer deductions for wealthiest people

From The Carlsbad Current Argus - by Carole Feldman, Associated Press - A new top tax rate, higher Medicare taxes and the phaseout of deductions and exemptions could mean higher tax bills for wealthier Americans this year. Legally wed same-sex couples, meanwhile, may find the true meaning of the marriage penalty.
      All taxpayers will have a harder time taking medical deductions.
      In other changes for the 2013 tax year, the alternative minimum tax has been patched — permanently — to prevent more middle-income people from being drawn in, and there's a simpler way to compute the home office deduction.
      Tax rate tables and the standard deduction have been adjusted for inflation, as has the maximum contribution to retirement accounts, including 401(k) plans and individual retirement accounts, or IRAs.
      The provisions were set by Congress last January as part of legislation to avert the so-called fiscal cliff of tax increases and spending cuts. “We finally got some certainty for this year,” said Greg Rosica, a contributing author to Ernst & Young's “EY Tax Guide 2014.”
      Nevertheless, the filing season is being delayed because of the two-week partial government shutdown last October. The Internal Revenue Service says it needs the extra time to ensure that systems are in place and working. People will be able to start filing returns Jan. 31, a week and a half later than the original Jan. 21 date.
      “People who are used to filing early in order to get a quick refund are just going to have to wait,” said Barbara Weltman, a contributing editor to the tax guide “J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax 2014.”
      No change in the April 15 deadline, however. That's set by law and will remain in place, the IRS says. Read more

New tax bracket, fewer deductions for wealthiest people

Study shows large number of NM students need remediation

A new study says more than half of the New Mexico students attending the state's colleges and universities aren't ready academically and that it's costly for the state. 

The student study released by the Legislative Finance Committee says 51 percent of the students needed remedial courses last year and that the cost was $22 million. 

According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, the study says remediation rates haven't changed in the past seven years. Nearly half of the remedial coursework is in math. Most of the rest was in English and reading.

Study shows large number of NM students need remediation

NM ranks last in child well being for 2nd time

As in 2013 when the Kids Count Report came out, New Mexico was yet again ranked last in terms of child well-being for 2014. 

The report was released Tuesday, a day in which legislators gathered at the Roundhouse for Gov. Susana Martinez’s State of the State Address. Many of them the say state needs to move up in these rankings. 

New Mexico Voices for Children executive director Veronica Garcia says the legislature needs to make the appropriate investments in children. 

Nearly one-third of New Mexico’s children live in poverty, according to the report. Sixty percent live in low-income families. More than a third have parents without secure employment. 

The report was released at the state capitol Tuesday in an effort to get lawmakers’ attention.

NM ranks last in child well being for 2nd time

State SUPCO to review abuse and neglect law

The New Mexico Supreme Court has agreed to review a recent court decision narrowing who must report suspected cases of abuse and neglect. 

State law requires "every person" to contact authorities about suspected abuse and neglect. 

However, the state Court of Appeals ruled last November in an Albuquerque case that the law's wording means the requirement only applies to 10 categories of people, including physicians, teachers and nurses. 

The Albuquerque Journal reports that the Supreme Court granted a request by the state Attorney General's Office for a review of the Court of Appeals ruling. 

Meanwhile, Gov. Susana Martinez has said she wants the Legislature to change the law immediately to clarify the reporting obligation.

State SUPCO to review abuse and neglect law

Sec. of Interior to visit southern NM

Sally Jewell

On Friday, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will join New Mexico Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich in a visit to the Organ Mountains region of south-central New Mexico. 

While there, Jewell will spend time exploring the area and will attend a public meeting hosted by Senators Udall and Heinrich regarding the community’s vision to preserve, protect and enhance some of the public lands located in Doña Ana County.  

At the invitation of the two Senators, Jewell will join Udall and Heinrich, as well as Principal Deputy Director at the Bureau of Land Management Neil Kornze, for a public listening session on the community’s conservation priorities in the area. 

 The community meeting will take place Friday at 3pm at the Ramada Palms Las Cruces.

Sec. of Interior to visit southern NM