New Mexico Lawmakers Vote To Table Minimum Wage Increase - The Associated Press
A New Mexico panel of lawmakers voted along party lines to table two bills that called for raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour from the current $7.50.
One of the bills spread the increase over three years and provided for an annual cost-of-living increase.
The vote on both bills was 4-3, with Republicans in the majority.
The Legislature passed a measure to raise the wage to $8.50 during the 2013 session, but it was vetoed by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez.
Last year, an effort to amend the state Constitution to allow the minimum wage to increase annually at the rate of inflation passed the Senate but died in the House.
Court Refuses To Block New Mexico Teacher Evaluation System - The Associated Press
A state appeals court has refused to block New Mexico's teacher evaluation system.
A state Court of Appeals opinion issued Thursday upholds a District Court judge's refusal to stop implementation of the New Mexico Public Education Department's system.
The judge ruled that Secretary Hanna Skandera has the authority to carry out administrative rules such as the teacher evaluation program, and the Court of Appeals agreed.
The challenge was filed by a coalition that included a union, a union president and state legislators.
Albuquerque Police Report 22 Shooting Calls Since 2015 Began - The Associated Press
Albuquerque police says 2015 had gotten off to a troubling start in terms of violence in New Mexico's most populous city.
The Police Department said Monday it has responded to 22 shooting calls since the year began and that eight of those were deemed to be violent crime callouts.
That compares with four shooting calls during the comparable period last year, none of which were violent crime callouts.
The department says the 2015 shooting calls included four in the past two days that were deemed as violent crime callouts.
Immigrant Advocates Rally Amid New Mexico License Repeal – The Associated Press
Advocates have held a rally days after a New Mexico house panel voted to repeal an immigrant driver's license state law.
The "Immigrant Day of Action March and Protest" took place Monday outside the Statehouse as lawmakers told advocates not to give up.
A proposal to repeal a New Mexico law that allows immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally to obtain driver's licenses cleared its first hurdle last week.
After a more than four-hour hearing, the House Safety and Civil Affairs Committee voted 5-4 along party lines to move along the GOP-led proposal.
One Democratic lawmaker compared the repeal and the introduction of the federal Real ID act to the Holocaust.
A GOP lawmaker said the law opened up the state to a possible terrorist attack.
House GOP Rallies To End Social Promotion In New Mexico – The Associated Press
New Mexico House Republicans rallied in support of ending social promotion ahead of a committee hearing to consider a bill to keep children from moving into the fourth grade if they're not proficient readers.
Republican Gov. Susana Martinez's plan to end social promotion in New Mexico schools faces opposition from Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, who says student retention should be based on teachers' assessments, not reading test scores.
House GOP leaders held a news conference Monday to discuss the issue. They referred to social promotion as a "failed policy."
A bill by Albuquerque Rep. Monica Youngblood calls for retaining third-graders who are not reading proficiently and giving them intensive remediation. The bill also says kindergartners through second-graders may also be held back if they're struggling with reading.
Feds Reach $75M Settlement In Medicaid False Claims Case – The Associated Press
The U.S. Justice Department has reached a $75 million settlement with a Tennessee-based company and three New Mexico hospitals in a Medicaid false claims case that stemmed from a whistleblower's complaints.
Federal prosecutors announced the settlement Monday.
The case involved allegations that Community Health Systems Professional Services Corp. made illegal donations to county governments. Those donations were then used by the counties and subsequently the state to obtain federal matching payments for hospitals in New Mexico.
Prosecutors say the provider knowingly caused the state to present false claims for payments made under a now-discontinued program that supplemented Medicaid funds to hospitals in rural areas.
Community Health Systems officials did not immediate return a message seeking comment about the settlement.
The company manages more than 200 affiliated hospitals in 29 states.
Immigrant Advocates Eye Rally Amid New Mexico License Repeal - The Associated Press
Advocates are planning a rally days after a New Mexico house panel voted to repeal an immigrant driver's license state law.
The "Immigrant Day of Action March and Protest" is scheduled to take place Monday outside the Statehouse.
A proposal to repeal a New Mexico law that allows immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally to obtain driver's licenses cleared its first hurdle last week.
After a more than four-hour hearing, the House Safety and Civil Affairs Committee voted 5-4 along party lines to pass the GOP-led proposal.
Suspicious Death Reported At Albuquerque Intersection - The Associated Press
Albuquerque police are investigating what they're calling a suspicious death at an intersection in southeast Albuquerque.
Police say the incident occurred Monday morning at the intersection of Kathryn Avenue Southeast and Ortiz Drive Southeast.
Television video shows police tape blocking off a convenience store at the intersection.
According to police, few details are available but detectives are asking anyone who may have seen suspicious activity to contact police.
Albuquerque Police: Man Arrested In Restaurant Shooting - The Associated Press
A man sought in a fatal shooting in a northwest Albuquerque restaurant's parking lot over the weekend is in custody.
Albuquerque police say Sandoval County sheriff's deputies arrest 46-year-old Ernest Serna during a traffic stop early this morning.
The shooting occurred late Saturday night.
Toddler Wounds Both Parents With 1 Shot From Handgun - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal
Authorities say a 3-year-old boy got ahold of a handgun from his mother's purse and fired just one shot that wounded both his parents.
Albuquerque police say the toddler apparently reached for an iPod but found the loaded weapon.
The bullet first struck his father in the buttock and then hit the shoulder of his mother, who is eight months pregnant. His 2-year-old sister was present but unhurt.
Local media reports say police believe Saturday's shooting was accidental.
Police say the father was treated and released, while the mother was hospitalized in stable condition. They will be investigated for possible negligence charges.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the family was living in the motel room where the shooting occurred.
Police say child care officials are taking care of the children.
Balloon Pilots Arrive In New Mexico After Historic Flight - The Associated Press
The two pilots who completed a record-breaking flight across the Pacific Ocean in a helium-filled balloon have returned to New Mexico.
A large crowd greeted Troy Bradley of Albuquerque and Leonid Tiukhtyaev of Russia at the airport after they finished the historic journey a day earlier. The news conference was adorned with colorful balloon decorations to mark the occasion, and the event included a champagne toast.
Bradley had been planning the trans-Pacific flight for 15 years, and his wife said he was driven by a goal of doing something better than anyone else in the world.
San Juan County Jail To See Changes Following December Riot - The Associated Press and Daily Times
A New Mexico county jail administrator is pushing reforms following a violent December riot that involved drunken inmates.
The Daily Times reports that San Juan County Adult Detention Center Administrator Tom Havel says new policies will make it more difficult for inmates to conceal prescription medication and jailhouse liquor, or "hooch."
He also says there will be more patrols within the jail pods, and guards will receive more training.
The changes come after an investigation by the San Juan County Sheriff's Office revealed that the more than 30 inmates involved in the Dec. 28 riot at the jail were drinking jailhouse liquor.
One jail guard suffered a fractured eye socket, and several other guards and inmates suffered minor injuries. Four inmates face felony charges.