New Mexico Solitary Confinement Bill To Go Before Committee - The Associated Press
A New Mexico House panel is expected to revisit a solitary confinement reform proposal a week after a heated exchange sparked by a Democratic member ended a meeting.
The House Safety and Civil Affairs Committee is set Tuesday to discuss a measure that would ban the use of solitary confinement on juveniles and inmates suffering from mental illness.
New Mexico Senate Approves Bill To Eradicate Bullying – The Associated Press
The New Mexico Senate has approved an anti-bullying bill spurred by the 2013 suicide of a teenager who was bullied at school.
The bill approved unanimously Tuesday calls for the creation of a five-member board to oversee grant applications to eradicate bullying in New Mexico schools, colleges and communities.
The Carlos Vigil Memorial Act would create a fund to be administered by the University of New Mexico Board of Regents.
Bill sponsor Sen. Jacob Candelaria of Albuquerque says bullying is an issue that "warrants a state response."
A Twitter post by 17-year-old Carlos Vigil of Los Lunas about enduring bullying garnered widespread media attention after he committed suicide.
Among the act's purposes is to "cultivate a statewide culture where bullying is not accepted."
New Mexico Governor Settle Open Records Case -The Associated Press
Gov. Susana Martinez has agreed that monthly reports detailing the spending of security officers relates to public business and falls under the state Inspection of Public Records Act.
That is according to a settlement between Martinez and The Associated Press. The parties filed papers on Tuesday to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the AP.
The news organization sued the governor in 2013 for refusing to release records about her work and travel schedules, cellphone calls and the expenses of her security detail.
As part of the settlement, Martinez agreed to release monthly procurement card statements — similar to credit card records — for the security officers who travel with her.
Account numbers, names and arrival and departure dates were redacted for security reasons.
69 Dismissals So Far From Speedup Of Bernalillo County Cases - The Associated Press & KOAT
The Albuquerque area's top prosecutor says dozens of criminal cases have been dismissed at least temporarily since new state-mandated deadlines kicked in about a month ago.
According to KOAT-TV, the 69 dismissed cases cited by Bernalillo County District Attorney Kari Brandenburg include ones against people charged with sex crimes involving children.
Under the state Supreme Court's rules that so far apply only to Bernalillo County, cases must move through the courts more quickly than has been the case previously. If the cases don't, they are dismissed, but they can be refiled.
Part of the intent of the rules is to ease jail crowding.
Brandenburg has asked the Legislature for a $2 million increase in her budget to hire additional workers to keep up with the mandates.
'One-Man Health Hazard' Dentist In New Mexico Gets Prison – The Associated Press
A man known as "El Dentista," who authorities say operated an unsanctioned mobile dentistry service in Santa Fe, is going to prison.
State District Court Judge Glenn Ellington sentenced Mexican national Eliver Kestler on Monday to six years after calling him a "one-man health hazard" to Santa Fe residents.
Prosecutors say Kestler didn't use gloves or anesthesia while working on patients and carried his tools in a dirty toolbox. Authorities say he preyed on the disadvantaged, especially immigrants.
A former patient told the court Monday he got an infection that harmed his eyesight after Kestler removed four teeth that were in good condition.
Kestler pleaded guilty to four counts of practicing dentistry without a license and one count of forgery.
He told police he had a dentistry license in Mexico but no license in the U.S.
Judge Postpones Hearing In Albuquerque Police Shooting Case - The Associated Press
A court date to decide whether District Attorney Kari Brandenburg should be taken off a high-profile police shooting case has been postponed.
District Judge Alisa Hadfield rescheduled the hearing for March 12 after an attorney for the former detective charged in the case said he needed more time to discuss a court filing.
Lawyers for Albuquerque SWAT team member Dominique Perez and former detective Keith Sandy are seeking to remove Brandenburg from the case due to a conflict of interest.
The lawyers say that bribery allegations made by Albuquerque police against Brandenburg tainted her efforts to proceed without the appearance of bias.
Brandenburg has called the arguments "absurd."
Brandenburg drew national attention in January for seeking murder charges against Perez and Sandy for the shooting death of a homeless man.
New Mexico Students Walk Out Over New Tests Contested In US - The Associated Press
Students frustrated over a new standardized test are walking out of schools around New Mexico in protest.
A few hundred students at Albuquerque High School defied warnings from administrators that they would not graduate and could face discipline. They walked out Monday morning, carrying signs and chanting as supporters honked their horns.
The backlash comes as millions of U.S. students start taking new, more rigorous exams aligned with Common Core standards.
In New Mexico, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC tests, started Monday.
PARCC tests have generated controversy across the country, with many parents and students opting out of the exams. Others are lobbying lawmakers and education officials for change.
New Mexico Education Secretary Hanna Skandera has defended the exams.
Judge: NM Governor's Calendars Aren't Public Record - The Associated Press
A state district judge has sided with Gov. Susana Martinez on whether her calendars are considered public information.
Judge Sarah Singleton ruled last week that the calendars kept by Martinez don't meet the definition of public records in state law and don't have to be released by the governor's office.
The ruling came in an ongoing lawsuit filed by The Santa Fe Reporter, a weekly newspaper that sought access to calendars that included political, personal and other entries not on the governor's list of public events.
Attorneys for the Reporter say the public has a right to know how the governor spends her time during normal work hours.
Martinez's attorneys argued the calendars aren't public records because they are maintained by Martinez and not a government agency.
NM House Leader Expresses Concern Over Senate Inaction - The Associated Press
New Mexico House Majority Leader Nate Gentry is concerned that bills passed by his chamber are being left to languish in the Senate.
Gentry wrote to Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez on Monday asking that the House bills be given a prompt committee referral since the legislative session is in its final stretch. It wraps up March 21.
Republicans took control of the House for the first time in decades, but Democrats still have an edge in the Senate. That has made for a session where gridlock and showdowns on contentious bills have become the norm.
In his letter, Gentry mentions bills that would end social promotion for third-graders who aren't proficient readers and repeal driver's licenses for those in the country illegally.
Sanchez has yet to respond to the letter.
New Mexico House Panel Tables Horse Slaughter Bill - The Associated Press
A panel of House lawmakers has tabled a measure that would prohibit the slaughter of horses and the transportation of horse meat in New Mexico if it's intended for human consumption.
The House Agriculture, Water and Wildlife Committee took up the measure Monday along with a proposal that called for adding horses to the state's animal cruelty law. That was also tabled.
The sponsor, Democratic Rep. Gail Chasey of Albuquerque, told the committee there are ways other than slaughter to address horse overpopulation. She pointed to limiting breeding and expanding shelters.
Opponents argued it's cruel to leave starving horses on the landscape and banning slaughter would lead to enforcement challenges for state livestock officials.
Congress effectively put the brakes on horse slaughter in December by not including money for federal inspectors in a $1.1 trillion spending bill.
NM Senate Oks Bill To Allow Hemp Farming For Research - The Associated Press
The New Mexico Senate has given a thumbs up to allowing farmers in the state to grow industrial hemp for research only.
The Senate voted 33-8 Monday to approve Albuquerque Democrat Sen. Cisco McSorley's legislation.
The federal government currently allows growing hemp for research while a bill pending in Congress, if passed, would approve cultivation for commercial production as well.
McSorley says the state will be poised to capitalize on hemp as a cash crop once federal restrictions are lifted.
His proposal would establish fees and set up regulations for the processing of hemp for research and development, not for sale.
Hemp has a negligible content of THC, the psychoactive compound that gives marijuana users a high. Many products made from hemp, such as oils and clothing, are legal.
Body Of Missing Deming Man Found In Southern Hidalgo County - The Associated Press
The body of a missing Deming man has been found in southern Hidalgo County near the U.S.-Mexico border but authorities aren't calling the death suspicious.
Hidalgo County sheriff's Deputy Javier Peru says there are no indications of foul play in the death of 72-year-old Frank James Callari.
The Deming Headlight reports that U.S. Forest Service workers working near Cloverdale found Callari's body near his vehicle and about five miles north of the border.
Callari had left his home Saturday morning and his wife reported him missing later that day.
Luna County sheriff's Cpt. Kelly Gannaway says the state Office of Medical Investigator will conduct an autopsy to determine cause of death.
Police: Suspect In Fatal Shooting In Albuquerque Arrested - The Associated Press
Authorities say one of two suspects in a fatal shooting in Albuquerque in November is in custody.
Albuquerque police say 18-year-old Julius Toney was arrested Monday.
They say he was wanted in the Nov. 24 shooting of two men.
One of the victims died. He's been identified as 37-year-old Ervin Gallas.
Police say they received a tip about Toney's whereabouts and that led to his arrest.
They say the other 18-year-old suspect still is being sought.
Southeastern New Mexico Highway Ranks High On Needed Fixes – The Associated Press and Hobbs News-Sun
A new study says a busy a highway in southeastern New Mexico's oil region ranks high on a state list of highways needing repairs.
The Hobbs News-Sun reports that a new study by a national transportation research group found U.S. 82 to be the highway in greatest need of an overhaul in the state.
U.S. 82 in Lea and Eddy counties sees a high volume of traffic due to the oil industry in the region.
The number one ranked U.S. 82 project, which involves expanding the roadway into four lanes with frontage roads, is estimated to cost $180 million.
The group used information sent by the N.M. Department of Transportation.