Tribal Officials In New Mexico Mark Return Of Cultural Items - By Mary Hudetz, Associated Press
Tribal officials are marking the return of dozens of cultural items to Acoma Pueblo, where leaders have spent years pressing for the repatriation of ceremonial items.
In a statement Wednesday, tribal Gov. Kurt Riley called the items' return a "great joy and relief."
They include what he and an attorney described to The Associated Press as six large items and dozens of smaller ones, with perhaps the most significant a sacred ceremonial shield that vanished years ago.
Riley says the shield is similar to one that remains at a Paris auction house more than two years after an international uproar halted bidding on it.
Riley says the now-repatriated shield had been listed for sale at a Montana gallery. The gallery voluntarily turned it over to authorities.
New Mexico Governor-Elect Makes More Cabinet Appointments – Associated Press
A Democratic legislator from southern New Mexico has been appointed to lead the state labor department.
Gov.-elect Michelle Lujan Grisham on Wednesday announced Bill McCamley as one of her latest cabinet picks as she prepares to take office Jan. 1.
McCamley's legislative term wraps up at the end of the year. He did not seek re-election to the seat because he bid instead for state auditor. He lost to Brian Colón in the primary.
A lawmaker since 2013, McCamley has chaired the House Labor and Economic Development Committee, which dealt with issues like increasing the minimum wage.
The other appointments include attorney Alice Liu McCoy to head the Aging and Long-Term Services Department and Jackie White to oversee homeland security and emergency management. White is a captain with Albuquerque Fire Rescue.
Arizona, New Mexico And Sonora Sign Plan For Natural Gas – Associated Press
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has joined Govs. Susana Martinez of New Mexico and Claudia Pavlovich of Mexico's Sonora state in agreeing to a cross-border plan to provide natural gas to Asia.
The three leaders announced the pact signed Wednesday morning at the Arizona state Capitol in Phoenix.
The memorandum of understanding calls for the states to develop a plan to export natural gas from New Mexico's abundant supply to Asian nations, which are leading importers of liquefied gas.
Sonora's ports are far closer to Asia than U.S. ports in the Gulf of Mexico to the east. Shipping gas from the Pacific coast also would not require a trip through the Panama Canal.
Both Arizona and Sonora have existing pipeline networks that could be used to help transport the fuel.
New Lawsuit Alleges Clergy Sex Abuse By Las Cruces Priest – Associated Press
Another lawsuit has been filed against the Catholic Church, alleging repeated sexual abuse of a minor by a now-deceased priest who once served at Our Lady of Health Parish in Las Cruces.
Attorneys for the victim filed the lawsuit Monday. It names the parish and the Diocese of El Paso, which used to oversee the southern New Mexico parish.
The attorneys say the victim, identified only as Jane Doe N, had been left in the care of the parish pastor, Joaquin Resma, and that she was raped on multiple occasions.
Resma was the basis of other lawsuits filed earlier this year by the same attorneys, but his name isn't among the former clergy who have been listed by regional church officials as having been credibly accused over the decades of sexually abusing children.
Racing Commission To Resume License Discussion Friday – Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press
The New Mexico Racing Commission has scheduled a special meeting, raising the possibility it may issue a license for a new horse-racing track and casino.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the meeting's agenda on Friday calls for commissioners to discuss the new license, as well as a court petition seeking to block the commission — at least temporarily — from making a decision on which of five competing companies will get the license.
The commission voted Dec. 6 to postpone any decision on the license until the court petition seeking to block it from taking such action has been resolved. A hearing on the petition before a state District Court judge in Albuquerque hasn't been scheduled, but there is no court order in place preventing the Racing Commission from issuing the license.
Spending Vote Delayed By Conservation Debate – Associated Press
A vote on a stopgap spending plan that would avoid a partial government shutdown is being delayed as senators debate whether to reauthorize a popular program that supports conservation and outdoor recreation projects across the country.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers, mostly from the West, are seeking to include language in the budget deal reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund. If that proves impossible, lawmakers hope to extend the program in a separate bill addressing a maintenance backlog at national parks and other public lands issues.
Republican Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, a leading advocate of the conservation fund, says he and other lawmakers are working to reauthorize the program before Congress adjourns for the year.
But he adds, "I'm not advocating closing down the government."
US Land Agency Appoints New Boss In Oil-Rich Region – Associated Press
The U.S. agency that oversees oil and gas development in one of the nation's most prolific areas has appointed a career employee as the region's new director.
The Bureau of Land Management says Tim Spisak will oversee New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.
The region covers 42 million acres of mineral estate that includes oil, natural gas and other deposits.
Ongoing interest in the Permian Basin, which straddles parts of New Mexico and Texas, recently resulted in the largest oil and gas lease sale in the agency's history. Federal geologists also identified more potential for the basin in a report released earlier this month.
Spisak has served as acting director since October. He previously was the agency's deputy assistant director for energy, minerals and realty management.
Baby Shot At New Mexico Motel In Coma – Associated Press
Authorities say an infant who was shot in the face at a New Mexico motel earlier this month is in an induced coma and will likely have severe health complications as a result of her injuries.
Gallup Police Officer Darius Johnson told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the 8-month-old girl was being treated at an Albuquerque hospital and appears to have lost hearing in her left ear and will likely lose her left eye.
Johnson was among those who responded to the shooting earlier this month.
The baby's mother, Shayanne Nelson, told authorities she and her boyfriend were in the shower when her 3-year-old son found a gun and accidentally shot the infant.
Lawyers for Nelson and Tyrell Bitsilly convinced a judge to postpone a preliminary hearing Wednesday to look over new evidence that includes video interviews and footage from a surveillance camera.
Departing Governor Says State Must Justify Any New Rules – Associated Press
Republican New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez is ordering state agencies, boards and commissions to provide additional justification for any proposed new rules.
Martinez announced the executive order Tuesday in a news release as she prepares to leave office. For each future proposed rule or rule change, state government entities must fill out a regulatory impact form that includes questions about the costs to affected industries and impact on public health and safety.
It was unclear if Democratic Gov.-elect Michelle Lujan Grisham supports the measure, which she could rescind after taking office Jan. 1.
The executive order from Martinez asserts that the accumulation of regulations over the past several decades has slowed economic growth, reduced employment opportunities and disproportionately harmed low-income households.
New Mexico Nets $13M In Monthly Oil And Gas Lease Sale – Associated Press
New Mexico has netted more than $13 million from this month's oil and gas lease sale.
The State Land Office says most of the proceeds from the December sale will go to public schools and the rest to other state trust land beneficiaries.
Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn says the office has generated nearly $100 million from lease sales over the past six months and that he's proud of the work his team has done in recent years.
Dunn's term wraps up at the end of the year. He'll be succeeded by Democrat Stephanie Garcia Richard, the first woman to hold the office.
A total of 31 tracts were offered in this month's sale. The parcels covered more than 8 square miles in Lea and Eddy counties.
New Mexico Debt To Filmmakers Inches Toward $250M - Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
Officials say New Mexico's debt to the film industry could hit $250 million by summer and reach $700 million in four years.
The Albuquerque Journal reports Jon Clark, chief economist for the Legislative Finance Committee, told state lawmakers Monday that New Mexico is on track to reach a "breaking point" eventually under the current system, which offers movie companies a 25 percent tax rebate but limits the state's annual payout to $50 million.
The state is reaching the limit each year, running up an unpaid tab of film incentives.
No consensus emerged Monday on how to address the cost.
Clark says it would take the state 14 years at $50 million annually to pay off a $700 million backlog.
Lawmakers Call For Probe Into Guatemalan Child's Death – Associated Press
Lawmakers visiting the Border Patrol station where a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl was taken hours before her death are demanding an investigation into the response by federal agents.
Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus spoke Tuesday outside the Border Patrol station in Lordsburg, New Mexico.
Jakelin Caal and her father were taken into custody Dec. 6 at the Antelope Wells port of entry in rural New Mexico. She began vomiting and later stopped breathing while being transported to Lordsburg.
U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz, a California Democrat and doctor, questioned whether the Border Patrol should have called for an air evacuation as soon as Jakelin's father reported her distress.
She was eventually air-lifted to an El Paso, Texas, hospital, but died hours later.
New Mexico City Backs Assisted Suicide Legislation – Associated Press
Las Cruces has become the latest New Mexico city to endorse the idea of allowing terminally ill patients to end their lives with help from doctors.
The Las Cruces City Council voted Monday in favor of a bipartisan resolution to support legislation that will be introduced during the upcoming session. Albuquerque has voiced its support along with a majority of Santa Fe councilors.
In 2016, the New Mexico Supreme Court declined to overturn the state's existing assisted suicide law, meaning that aiding such deaths remained a fourth-degree felony. A legislative effort to overturn the law in 2017 was unsuccessful.
Rep.-elect Micaela Lara Cadena of Mesilla will be co-sponsoring the 2019 bill.
The District of Columbia and several other states — California, Oregon, Colorado, Montana, Vermont, Washington, and Hawaii — allow assisted suicide.
Medical Marijuana Producer Sues New Mexico Over Rules – Associated Press
New Mexico's largest medical marijuana producer is suing the state health department over regulations that govern edibles, salves, lotions and other products infused with cannabis.
Ultra Health contends the department doesn't have the authority to license legal cannabis manufacturers, which take the raw material from producers and turn it into baked goods, beverages, candy and other products that can be sold in the producers' dispensaries.
The manufacturer category resulted from rules adopted by the state in 2015.
The lawsuit says producers like Ultra Health have to pay fees of up to $90,000 a year, while manufacturers of cannabis-infused products only have to pay $1,000 a year.
Lawyers for Ultra Health say the goal is to come up with a fair fee structure.
The department declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Bill Would Create Early-Education Agency In New Mexico – Associated Press
New Mexico legislators are considering the creation of a new state agency to oversee early childhood education and other services for preschool-aged children.
Democratic state Sen. Michael Padilla of Albuquerque on Tuesday announced a bill that would create a new Cabinet-level department focused on the needs of children before kindergarten including at-home intervention services.
Democratic Gov.-elect Michelle Lujan Grisham campaigned on pledges to provide universal access to preschool to better prepare children for elementary school and improve childhood wellbeing.
Padilla says an Early Childhood Education and Care Department is needed to provide consistency and accountability to those efforts.
Lawmakers are confronting a court order to provide more public-education resources to help students from low-income and minority families. Padilla's bill reserves an assistant-secretary position for a Native American community representative.
Navajo Lawmakers Meet In Three-Day Special Session – Associated Press
Navajo Nation lawmakers are meeting in a special session with a lengthy agenda.
The three-day session begins Wednesday in the tribal capital of Window Rock. It will be streamed live online.
The 24 lawmakers on the Navajo Nation Council will consider 20 bills, including several for road repairs, construction and telecommunications services.
Other bills seek approval for expenditure plans for youth and justice centers.
Delegate Kee Allen Begay Jr. is asking his colleagues to support legislation to establish a medical examiner's office under the tribe's Division of Public Safety. Right now, the tribal president appoints criminal investigators to serve as coroners.
Begay's legislation says the added duty further strains an already short-handed agency and should be performed by people trained to determine the cause and manner of a death.