New Mexico Lawmakers Confront Reduced Revenue Forecast – Associated Press
State revenue projections are shrinking as New Mexico lawmakers begin to hammer out budgetary priorities for the upcoming legislative session.
New Mexico's top finance officials outlined the latest projections during the Legislative Finance Committee's meeting Monday in Santa Fe.
According to the testimony, declining revenues from oil and gas production have been offset by slow but stable growth in the state economy.
However, finance officials say New Mexico is still on track to have less revenue than expected by the end of the current fiscal year, and projections for new money the following year have been trimmed to $232 million.
State Finance and Administration Secretary Tom Clifford says revenues could be bolstered by increases in federal spending and lower retail gasoline rates could result in more spending by consumers.
State Pushing Again For Food Stamp Work Requirements – Santa Fe New Mexican
A state agency is renewing efforts to require those getting federal food benefits to work.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that administration officials have argued this will help people find employment and get off public assistance. But advocates say the result will be denying needy people access to food in a state with one of the highest poverty rates in the nation.
Last summer officials with the Health and Human Services Department sought to require those with children age 6 or older to work a certain number of hours at a job or a volunteer program in order to access the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Officials have tweaked the proposed rules to up the age to 13.
At a public hearing Monday only one person came to make comment about the changes. In the past, proposals have faced vocal criticism saying the rules would unfairly disadvantage those who need SNAP benefits.
Another public hearing will be on Dec. 14.
Federal rules exempt parents, those younger than 18 and those older than 59 from work requirements, but states have options to structure employment and training programs for recipients.
The Martinez Administration’s proposal would require anyone from 16 to 59 and parents with children older than 12 to meet the work requirements. It would exempt pregnant women and those who live in a county or tribal area with an unemployment rate of 20 percent or more.
New Mexico Dem: Gov. Martinez Acts Like Trump Over Licenses – The Associated Press
New Mexico's top Senate Democrat is comparing Gov. Susana Martinez to GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump because of her opposition to the state's immigrant driver's license law.
Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez said Tuesday in his Los Lunas office the Republican governor's actions were "almost Trumpism" since they were dividing New Mexico residents. He says Martinez is repeatedly telling "lies" about pending Real ID requirements.
Sanchez says Martinez is falsely telling residents they will need passports for commercial air travel in January, though the federal government has not announced when those requirements will be adopted.
Martinez, who has tried to repeal a state law that allows immigrants to obtain driver's licenses regardless of status, is calling on state lawmakers to revise the law.
Her office is reviewing Sanchez's comments.
New Mexico Ties University Funding To Performance – The Associated Press
Higher education officials in New Mexico are urging lawmakers to tie more funding for universities, colleges and specialized schools to performance goals.
State Higher Education Secretary Barbara Damron recommended Tuesday that the Legislature increase the percentage of funding linked to performance goals from to 8 percent from the current 6.5 percent.
Gov. Susana Martinez has said the state's universities need to increase counseling efforts and reduce undergraduate degree programs to 120 hours to help students graduate on time.
Damron also was expected to provide members of the Legislative Finance Committee with an update on the state's lottery scholarship program.
Officials have been concerned in recent years because lottery proceeds that fuel the scholarship program haven't kept pace with rising college tuition and demand for financial assistance.
NM Judges Weigh 'Speedy Trial' Changes For Bernalillo County – The Associated Press
New Mexico justices are hearing from prosecutors, public defenders and law enforcement officials as they weigh changes to a state Supreme Court rule meant to cut down the backlog of criminal cases awaiting trial in Bernalillo County.
Critics argue that what's known in the law enforcement community as the "speedy trial rule" is overtaxing the local District Attorney's office and allowing more criminals to evade prosecution.
The rule was implemented in February.
Supreme Court justices and administrators held a meeting with District Attorney Kari Brandenburg, Chief Public Defender Jorge Alvarado, Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden and others Tuesday to discuss the rule.
While there's no deadline for the Supreme Court to act on recommendations discussed during the meeting, judges are expected to decide on rule changes within the next month, or soon after the New Year.
NM Trial In Deaths Of 2 Homeless Men Goes To Jurors – The Associated Press
Attorneys on both sides have rested their cases in the jury trial for a 20-year-old Albuquerque man charged with beating two homeless men to death.
Attorneys delivered closing arguments Tuesday morning after four days of testimony from witnesses and experts.
During the trial, jurors were shown photographs of one of the victim's injuries, and heard testimony from forensic experts, police detectives and a 16-year-old boy who says he took part in the July 2014 beating.
Authorities say the 16-year-old, another teenager and 20-year-old Alex Rios, who was on trial this week in Albuquerque, attacked the victims as they slept in a vacant lot and beat them with cinder blocks and other objects before stabbing them.
Rios faces numerous charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, in the deaths of 44-year-old Allison Gorman and 46-year-old Kee Thompson.
Court Releases Letters Related To Duran Case – The Associated Press
U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce wants a state district judge to consider former New Mexico Secretary of State Dianna Duran's years of public service before sentencing her next week.
A letter from the Republican congressman to Judge T. Glenn Ellington was among the correspondence released by the court after a hearing Tuesday.
The board chair of the state Public Employee Retirement Association, Patty French, and former Otero County Democratic Party Chair John Wheeler also were among those seeking leniency for Duran.
They made references to Duran's compassion for her community and family.
Two other letters from residents in Albuquerque and Santa Fe and a recorded phone message left with the judge's office expressed frustration with government corruption and asked the judge to impose a stiff sentence.
Disgraced State Official Wants Mental Health Records Sealed – The Associated Press
A New Mexico judge says mental health records will remain under seal concerning former Secretary of State Dianna Duran ahead of a sentencing hearing Monday that could hinge on evidence concerning Duran's self-professed gambling addiction.
Duran has pleaded guilty to felony embezzlement and four misdemeanors related to siphoning thousands of dollars from her election account amid a gambling spree.
Defense attorney Erlinda Johnson is urging the court to keep private mental health records and a handwritten letter from Duran to the court.
Johnson said during a hearing Tuesday in Santa Fe that her client's gambling problem dates back to 2010 and got worse in 2012 and 2013 for undisclosed reasons.
District Judge T. Glenn Ellington agreed to keep those records private, along with a cover letter to the health report.
Man Sues San Juan County Sheriff Over Seized Pot Plants – The Associated Press & The Farmington Daily Times
A licensed marijuana grower is asking a judge to order the San Juan County Sheriff's Office to reimburse him for dozens of pot plants that were seized from his property.
The Farmington Daily Times reports that Gilbert Oldfield filed a lawsuit on Dec. 1 that claims a sheriff's office deputy took 43 marijuana plants from his residence during a May 2014 raid illegally.
Oldfield says the deputy knew he had a New Mexico marijuana grower's license at the time of the raid. He is seeking more than $51,800 for the plants as well as unspecified punitive damages.
San Juan County Sheriff Ken Christesen says not all of the facts are available in the case, but that he is not in the business of giving drugs back.
New Mexico Gets Funding For Storm, Flooding Damage To Roads – The Associated Press
Members of New Mexico's congressional delegation have announced federal transportation funding to repair and rebuild roads and highways damaged by storms and flooding in September 2014.
The delegation supported the state's request for disaster recovery assistance following Hurricane Odile.
The funding includes $8.6 million to the state for road and highway repairs and $1.1 million for repairs of National Park Service roads in Sandoval County.
Money also is being provided for repairs to Bureau of Indian Affairs roads in Sandoval County, Forest Service roads in San Miguel and Catron counties, and Bureau of Land Management roads in Luna, Sandoval and Socorro counties.
Doña Ana County Mental Health Center Sees Staffing Shortages – Las Cruces Sun-News, Associated Press
A staffing shortage is plaguing a new mental health service center in southern New Mexico.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports La Clinica de Familia in Doña Ana County also is struggling to gain a financial foothold since taking over as the area's main provider of Medicaid-funded behavioral health care.
La Clinica took over from former Arizona-based provider La Frontera, which pulled out of Doña Ana County July 31 after financial problems.
Executive Director Suzan Martinez de Gonzales says for months the center has had about 55 positions open for prescribing psychologists, for psychiatrists and for licensed personnel for counseling.
However, she says the demand from clients remains strong, which is leading to burnout for existing staff.
Police: Albuquerque Man Arrested After Stealing Mom's Posole – Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
Police say an Albuquerque man wanted this mother's traditional New Mexican stew so much he broke into her home and stole it.
The Albuquerque Journal reports 23-year-old Jonathan Ray recently was arrested after he ignored his mother's commands to stay away from her posole and ran off with the holiday dish.
According to a criminal complaint, Ray texted his mom that he wanted some of her posole but she told him no.
The complaints say the Ray's mom later found her gate and garage broken. Police say a pot of the posole also was gone.
Ray was later arrested on a residential burglary charge.
It was not known if he had an attorney.
Researchers Say 2 Mountain Ranges Provided Wood For Chaco – Associated Press
University of Arizona researchers have concluded that wood used to construct large buildings at what is now Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico came from two different mountain ranges.
According to the university's Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, most of the wood for the building projects in Chaco's arid setting came from the Zuni Mountains before the year 1020. That mountain range is about 50 miles south of Chaco and located southeast of Gallup.
However, the researchers say the Chuska Mountains became the main wood source became by 1060. The Chuskas are located about 50 miles to the west of Chaco.
Chaco is a World Heritage site. The area was considered a ceremonial and economic center for the ancestors of many Native American tribes in the region.
Martinez Wants Judges Monitored In Drunken Driving Cases – Associated Press
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez wants to step up roundups of drunken-driving fugitives and have citizen watchdogs monitor judges who are routinely lenient on drunken-driving suspects.
Those are parts of new executive orders the Republican announced Monday to "crack down" on crimes related to drunken driving.
The moves comes days after police say a man accused of drunken driving killed three people in an Albuquerque crash. Authorities say he was previously arrested on a DWI charge, but prosecutors failed to make court deadlines and the case was dismissed.
Martinez says she has ordered an increase in state police presence along highways in Farmington and Gallup where the state sees its highest drunken-driving related crimes.
Last month, Martinez announced a $300,000 ad campaign featuring police officers telling stories about drunken-driving crashes.
Trial Resumes In Case Of Homeless Men Killed In Albuquerque – Associated Press
The trial of a 20-year-old man accused of fatally beating two homeless men in Albuquerque has resumed after a weekend break.
Alex Rios is facing 27 charges including two counts of first-degree murder in the July 2014 attack.
Two juveniles also were charged in the case. The youngest is taking a plea deal that offers him the possibility of release when he turns 21 in exchange for his testimony.
On Monday, defense lawyer Daniel Salazar continued to pick apart inconsistencies in statements the then 16-year-old initially gave to police about the killings of 44-year-old Allison Gorman and 46-year-old Kee Thompson.
Authorities say the homeless men were sleeping in a vacant lot when they were attacked with a wooden table leg, then with cinder blocks, a metal pole, branch and stones.
New Mexico Dairy Employee Sentenced In Animal Cruelty Case – Associated Press
A former employee at a New Mexico dairy has been sentenced to 364 days behind bars after pleading no contest to animal cruelty.
Prosecutors say Jose Luis Zuniga-Lira was one of four Winchester Dairy workers charged in April after undercover video showed them whipping cows with chains and wire cables and kicking and punching the animals.
Cases are pending for three other employees, who are facing a total of seven counts of animal cruelty.
Zuniga-Lira entered his plea last Friday in Chaves County District Court.
The dairy near Roswell ceased operations in September 2014 after an undercover investigation by Los Angeles-based Mercy For Animals.
Winchester Dairy subsequently halted milking operations, stopped shipments to all vendors and dispersed thousands of cows to other dairies with strong track records in animal welfare.
Credit Union's Name Will Adorn New Mexico's Tallest Building- Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
New Mexico's tallest building will display the name of a credit union, breaking a pattern of banks seeking signage rights on the state's skyscrapers.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union's name will replace the Bank of Albuquerque sign on the 22-story Albuquerque Plaza building in downtown.
The building is owned by an investment group led by local businessman Jim Long. He says he's thrilled to have U.S. Eagle FCU acquire the rights and says he's used the credit union for nearly five decades.
U.S. Eagle President and CEO Marsha Majors said in a statement that the signage rights are a unique opportunity for New Mexico's oldest credit union.
The Bank of Albuquerque has had its name on the building since the end of 1998.
Gov. Martinez: Obama 'Politicizes Tragedy' With Gun Control – Associated Press
Gov. Susana Martinez says President Barack Obama's call for stricter gun control only "politicizes tragedy" after the San Bernardino, California, shooting.
The Republican and nation's only Latina governor said Monday in Albuquerque that Obama's call to ban those on the federal "no-fly" list from purchasing firearms would have done nothing to stop the shooting. She says such gun control measures would only take firearms from Americans.
Martinez says some Americans also appear in the federal "no-fly" list by mistake.
Martinez, a rising star in the GOP and a gun owner, says Obama's address to the nation on Sunday night gave "no solutions, nothing new whatsoever" to fighting terrorism.
The president's speech followed Wednesday's shooting in San Bernardino, California, that killed 14 people and wounded 21.
'Breaking Bad' Photographer Set To Share Images From Show – Associated Press
A still photographer for the AMC-TV hit "Breaking Bad," and its spin-off prequel "Better Call Saul," is set to share her images at a special Albuquerque Museum event.
Ursula Coyote is scheduled Sunday to discuss her favorite images from the Albuquerque productions as both television shows continue to generate interest in the city where it was filmed.
"Breaking Bad" follows former high school teacher Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston, producing methamphetamine with a former student, Jesse Pinkman, played by Aaron Paul. It ended in 2013.
"Better Call Saul" follows Jimmy McGill, played by Bob Odenkirk, who later changes his name to Saul Goodman and becomes an attorney for drug lords in "Breaking Bad."
"Better Call Saul" is scheduled to begin its second season Feb. 15.
