Bill Would Reward School, Local Government Whistleblowers – The Associated Press
Whistleblowers who report public school and local government fraud would be rewarded under a measure approved by a New Mexico Senate committee.
The bill calls for expanding the Fraud Against Taxpayer Act to include schools and local governments. State agencies, departments, boards and commissions are already covered.
The act is a series of statutes designed to protect the state from potential fraud and abuse. It rewards a percentage of the penalized amount to the whistleblower, or the person exposing the fraud.
The bill by Senate Minority Whip Bill Payne of Albuquerque was approved Tuesday. It now goes to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Payne says fraud would be discouraged in schools and local government if officials knew employees and others were being encouraged to report wrongdoing.
Bill Wwould Reward School, Local Government Whistleblowers - The Associated Press
Whistleblowers who report public school and local government fraud would be rewarded under a measure approved by a New Mexico Senate committee.
The bill calls for expanding the Fraud Against Taxpayer Act to include schools and local governments. State agencies, departments, boards and commissions are already covered.
The act is a series of statutes designed to protect the state from potential fraud and abuse. It rewards a percentage of the penalized amount to the whistleblower, or the person exposing the fraud.
The bill by Senate Minority Whip Bill Payne of Albuquerque was approved Tuesday. It now goes to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Payne says fraud would be discouraged in schools and local government if officials knew employees and others were being encouraged to report wrongdoing.
Bill Would Limit Vaccine Exemptions For New Mexico Children - The Associated Press
A proposal by a New Mexico lawmaker would tighten rules that currently allow parents to seek vaccine exemptions for their children over religious beliefs.
The measure sponsored by Democratic Rep. Deborah Armstrong of Albuquerque would still allow for waivers to be approved for others reasons, including medical conditions.
Armstrong tells the Albuquerque Journal she's not attacking religious beliefs and that the measure would in effect eliminate the parental ability to assert that a child's religious beliefs clash with immunization.
Religious reasons would still be grounds for an exemption, but only if a clergy member affirmed in an affidavit or written statement that teachings call only on reliance of prayer or spiritual means for healing.
Childhood vaccine has become a hot topic amid a measles outbreak that has hit more than 140 people across the nation.
Ride-Sharing Service Comes To Las Cruces - The Associated Press
The ride-sharing service Uber has found its way to southern New Mexico.
Operations began in Las Cruces on Wednesday following the calls for service from thousands of potential riders in the area.
The general manager for Uber in New Mexico and Arizona, Steve Thompson, tells the Las Cruces Sun-News that the level of interest has been high. The company already operates in Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
A state district judge earlier this year refused to bar Lyft, a similar ride-sharing service, from operating in the state because the Public Regulation Commission's authority was unclear.
Both companies use smartphone technology to line up passengers for their contracted drivers. Those drivers use their own vehicles to provide rides.
The companies compete with traditional cab companies, which are regulated by the commission.
Bill Would Give Less Weight To Tests In Teacher Evaluations - The Associated Press & The Albuquerque Journal
Less weight would be given to standardized tests in New Mexico teacher evaluations under a bill that passed the House Education Committee.
The measure sponsored by Republican Rep. James Smith of Sandia Park passed on an 8-3 vote Tuesday. It now goes to the full House for a vote.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the legislation proposes a teacher evaluation system similar to one the Public Education Department put in place last school year by administrative rule.
The key difference from the current system is the weight that would be given to student test scores, reducing it from 50 percent to 40 percent.
Another 40 percent would be based on administrator observations and 20 percent on "multiple measures" that include things like attendance and parent surveys.
New Mexico Tribe Urges Lawmakers To Approve Compact – The Associated Press
Leaders with the Jicarilla Apache Nation are urging New Mexico lawmakers to approve a new gambling compact negotiated by tribes and Gov. Susana Martinez's office.
The proposed compact would have to be approved by the Legislature and then the U.S. Interior Department. It would cover gambling operations by the Jicarilla Apache, the Mescalero Apache, the pueblos of Acoma and Jemez and the Navajo Nation.
The proposal will have its first committee hearing next Tuesday.
Lawmakers are under more pressure this session because the current compact expires later this year.
Jicarilla Apache President Ty Vicenti issued a statement Wednesday, asking that the Legislature act swiftly. Vicenti says the compact with his tribe will preserve hundreds of jobs in northern New Mexico.
The 60-day legislative session has almost reached the midway point. Adjournment is set for March 21.
NM Senate Democrats Say Their Bills Will Create 73,000 Jobs – The Associated Press
Senate Democrats have pitched a lofty jobs bills package that promises 73,000 new positions in New Mexico in the next four to five years.
They say the more than 40 bills they have introduced this session address the need for increased employment and economic activity in the state.
Senate Majority Whip Michael Padilla says Democratic leadership is also united in stopping right-to-work legislation supported by the Republican-controlled House.
Democratic leaders announced what they billed as their "Ready to Work" package at a news conference Wednesday. It includes increased funding for job training through community colleges and $300 million in road funding paid for by an increase in the gas tax.
Republican Gov. Susana Martinez has also proposed increasing job training funds and spending on highway projects through severance bonds.
'Three Strikes' Bill Would Lead To Life Sentences – The Associated Press & The Santa Fe New Mexican
House Majority Leader Nate Gentry wants to clear the way for mandatory life sentences for offenders who are convicted of three violent crimes.
His legislation joins a growing list of tough-on-crime proposals being floated by the Republican majority.
Gentry tells the Santa Fe New Mexican there's a reason for the theme. Pointing to a recent report, he says New Mexico is the second most dangerous state in the nation when it comes to violent crime.
Democrats argue that the majority's motive for the anti-crime bills is political.
Rep. Moe Maestas of Albuquerque says most of the bills are just penalty enhancements and would prove costly for the state's corrections system.
Gentry defended his proposal as a common-sense measure to lock up offenders who have demonstrated that they're dangerous.
Bill Calls For 1980 Prison Riot Officers To Be Compensated - The Associated Press
It's been 25 years since one of the nation's deadliest prison riots erupted in New Mexico, and one lawmaker wants to compensate the guards who were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result.
The legislation sponsored by Democratic Rep. Eliseo Alcon of Milan is headed for its first committee this week.
The measure calls for setting aside $1.5 million for the state Corrections Department to compensate officers who were involved.
An independent review process would be established to determine eligibility. The officers would have to submit documentation from licensed health care providers that they're currently suffering from or suffered from PTSD as a result of the riot.
The violent clash included beheadings, amputations and burned bodies.
Thirty-three inmates were killed and dozens were injured. Fourteen officers were held hostage, assaulted or injured by rioting inmates.
Officials Not Saying How Felon Got Gun Stolen From Police - The Associated Press & The Santa Fe New Mexican
Authorities aren't saying how a convicted felon arrested in a drug case came to be in possession of a gun that had been reported stolen from Santa Fe police.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that a court document says federal agents found the Glock semi-automatic handgun when they searched a truck in which 29-year-old Phillip Lovato was a passenger last November.
Lovato was later arrested and accused in a criminal complaint of drug and weapons crimes. He's now jailed while awaiting trial.
Santa Fe and federal officials declined to discuss how Lovato obtained the gun that the criminal complaint said was stolen from the Santa Fe Police Department. The complaint didn't include details on the theft, including when the gun was stole.
NM House Oks Bill To Help Teachers Become Administrators - The Associated Press
The New Mexico House of Representatives has approved a bill that would streamline the process for teachers who want to become school administrators.
The measure passed on a 38-24 vote Monday. It now heads to the Senate for consideration.
The legislation allows quality educators to get an administrative license in a shorter time period and gives superintendents more flexibility to fill administrative positions.
New Mexico's current six-year licensing process is the longest in the nation.
Some teachers who now complete a Public Education Department-approved preparation program will have the ability to seek an administrative position.
Republican Rep. Tim Lewis of Rio Rancho called the favorable vote on his bill "a huge victory" for teachers and children.
New Mexico Senate Panel Oks Bill Limiting Police Drones - The Associated Press
A proposal that would ban the use of police drones from gathering evidence without a warrant in New Mexico has cleared its first hurdle.
The Senate Public Affairs Committee voted 6-2 Tuesday to move along a proposal outlawing unwarranted surveillance by unmanned aircraft in New Mexico.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino and Rep. Paul Pacheco, would prevent unwarranted material from being used in court and would allow targets of drones to seek civil action.
The move comes as police departments in New Mexico consider using drones in investigations.
Earlier this week, the federal government proposed drone rules for aerial photography and mapping, crop monitoring, and inspections of cell towers, bridges and other tall structures.
DA Wants To Stay On Albuquerque Police Shooting Case - The Associated Press
A New Mexico district attorney who drew national attention for seeking charges against two Albuquerque officers who killed a homeless man says she shouldn't be taken off the case.
Bernalillo County District Attorney Kari Brandenburg said in a court filing this week that she saw no conflict of interest despite her office working closely with Albuquerque police on other cases.
Lawyers for Albuquerque SWAT team member Dominique Perez and former detective Keith Sandy filed a joint motion last month to remove Brandenburg from the case due to a conflict of interest.
James Boyd, who authorities later said suffered from schizophrenia, was shot during a standoff in March in the Sandia Mountains foothills. Video of the shooting showed Boyd appearing to surrender before Perez and Sandy opened fire.
UNM Unveils Nursing Course To Boost Care In Rural Area - The Associated Press
Professors at the University of New Mexico's College of Nursing are hoping a new online course will help boost health care in rural areas.
The college began offering its first open online course earlier this month. Officials say over 1,200 participants from more than 115 countries are registered for the course.
Professor Amy Levi says the college has deep roots in rural health care and the course provides an opportunity to share what the faculty and staff have learned over the years.
One of the challenges for rural health care workers is that they often feel isolated. Levi says she hopes the course can serve as a virtual community where they can exchange ideas and collect more tools for improving the lives of their patients.
Man Sought In Killing Of Former Colorado Woman In New Mexico - The Associated Press
Authorities in northern New Mexico say a 50-year-old man is wanted in the killing of a woman last summer.
Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said an arrest warrant charges Ivan Denning Cales Jr. with first-degree murder.
The victim was previously identified as 33-year-old Roxanne Houston. She had moved to the Taos area from Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Authorities had taken a missing person report on her in June. Hikers found her body Christmas Day in a shallow grave in the Carson area of Taos County.
Hogrefe said Cales is a homeless drifter. The sheriff said he can't release details on the killing until Cales is in custody.
Cales is described as 6-foot-2 and about 210 pounds. He reportedly walks with a cane and hunched over sometimes due to back problems.
$1m Bond For Man Accused Of Killing Girlfriend In Las Cruces - The Associated Press
Bond has been set at $1 million for a man accused of fatally stabbing his girlfriend in Las Cruces last month.
Prosecutors say 23-year-old Corey Franklin was arraigned in district court Monday.
Franklin was indicted earlier on charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and tampering with evidence.
Prosecutors say Franklin allegedly stabbed Graciela Hernandez multiple times on Jan. 21 and then dragged her to the bedroom where he left her for more than 18 hours.
During that time, Franklin allegedly went to buy more alcohol.
He reportedly told Las Cruces police that he had a domestic dispute with this girlfriend and she wasn't breathing.
Police say investigators responded to the home and found Hernandez dead.
7 Curry County Inmates Face Charges In Beating Of Prisoner - The Associated Press and Clovis News Journal
Seven Curry County jail inmates face misdemeanor aggravated battery charges accusing them of beating another prisoner during a previously undisclosed January incident.
The Clovis News Journal reports that officials hadn't disclosed the Jan. 13 incident but that Sheriff Wesley Waller confirmed it occurred after being told the newspaper had obtained documents Monday through a public records request after receiving a tip.
Jail staff reports obtained by the newspaper said the inmate who was beaten was rumored to be an informer.
None of the seven inmates acknowledged participating in the beating when questioned by jail staff.
Fires Set In Back Area Of Deming Newspaper's Building - The Associated Press
Somebody entered The Deming Headlight's building last weekend and set small fires in a back shop area.
The Headlight reported that the circulation workers discovered small piles of apparent newsprint ashes scattered in the carriers' work space.
That part of the building formerly housed a printing press and darkrooms but now is used for storage and sorting.
Circulation Manager Barry Webber said entrance might have been made through a door that he found partially open.
The newspaper's newsroom and other offices were not disturbed, but office administrator Stevey Almanza said she's worried that the whole business could have been burned to the ground.
Albuquerque Board Eyes Naming School After Latino Scholar - The Associated Press
A New Mexico school board is set to vote on a proposal naming a school after a noted Mexican-American scholar who is virtually unknown in his hometown of Albuquerque.
The Albuquerque School Board is scheduled Wednesday to vote on officially naming the new school in honor of George I. Sanchez.
The civil rights advocate was born in Albuquerque in 1906 and worked as a teacher before becoming one of the nation's most influential Latino scholars. His 1940 classic "Forgotten People" was one of the first studies to document how Hispanics were losing land and influence to poverty.
A political fight later forced him out of New Mexico. He died in 1972.
A dozen or so schools in Texas and California are named after Sanchez, but there are none in New Mexico.