New Mexico Governor's Pick For Prisons Chief Opts Out – Associated Press
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's pick to run New Mexico's prison system says she can no longer accept the position, citing personal issues.
The governor had named Julie Jones last month as her appointment for corrections secretary. The post would have tasked Jones with overseeing a system with 7,300 inmates and 20,000 people serving time on probation or parole.
Jones had recently served as corrections secretary for the state of Florida.
In a brief letter to Lujan Grisham, Jones said Tuesday she was declining the appointment with a "heavy heart." She says she will no longer able to move to New Mexico because of unexpected personal issues.
She previously had been expected to start work in New Mexico in March.
New Mexico Expands Lawsuit Centered On Opioid Crisis – Associated Press
New Mexico is seeking a sweeping expansion of its ongoing lawsuit over the opioid crisis by targeting pharmacies and other companies that are part of the supply chain for the prescription medications.
State Attorney General Hector Balderas said Tuesday that Walmart, Walgreens, CVS and others have been profiting from the sale of opioids and should be reinvesting part of those profits into community treatment centers, education campaigns and law enforcement intervention programs.
The state filed its initial claim in state district court in 2017 against five of the nation's major opioid manufacturers and three wholesale distributors. Three more manufacturers were added to the lawsuit later that year.
The motion seeking to expand the list of defendants was filed Tuesday. The judge is expected to rule soon on the state's request.
California District Stalls West Drought Plan Over Lake Money – Associated Press
Work on a multistate plan to preserve a river that serves 40 million people in the U.S. West won't meet a federal deadline.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation gave seven Western states until Monday to complete a drought plan or it will step in to find a solution for the declining Colorado River.
The plan has hinged at various points on Arizona and California.
Arizona says it's moving at its own pace on agreements that must be signed among water users in the state.
The situation in California remains shaky.
The Imperial Irrigation District in southern California wants $200 million for a massive, briny lake that's become an environmental and human health hazard since less water has been flowing into it.
The district says it won't sign off on the drought plan without a funding commitment for the Salton Sea.
Proposal Seeks Memorial For US Civil War Site In New Mexico – Associated Press
A New Mexico lawmaker wants the state to honor Hispanic Civil War Union soldiers who helped win a key battle in northern New Mexico.
Sen. Linda Lopez of Albuquerque is pushing a proposal asking the state to create a task force that would suggest a plan for a memorial at the Battle of Glorieta Pass.
The site marks where Union soldiers beat back the advancing Confederate Army, ending the battle for the West during the Civil War. Hispanic soldiers from the New Mexico territory played a key role in that fight.
Under the proposal, the task force would be made of state officials, civil rights leaders and historians.
Currently, the site around 20 miles southeast of Santa Fe only contains a makeshift memorial.
February Is Mixed Bag For New Mexico Farmers, Ranchers – Associated Press
This winter has been a mixed bag for New Mexico farmers and ranchers as temperatures and precipitation have been sporadic.
Regional officials with the U.S. Agriculture Department say while there have been wide swings from one end of the state to the other, individual counties also have seen their share of disparate conditions.
Ranchers in some areas have reported that cold temperatures coupled with low body weights in mother cows following the dry summer created calving difficulties.
Hay supplies also are running low in some places due to an increased need for supplemental feeding.
February's weather pattern left an abundance of precipitation in the northwestern part of the state. Officials say that tapered off toward the southeastern corner, where many spots received less than 5 percent of normal moisture.
EXPO New Mexico Eyes New Arena For State Fairgrounds – KRQE-TV, Associated Press
EXPO New Mexico officials are finishing a feasibility study on the construction of a new arena on the state fairgrounds.
KRQE-TV reports EXPO New Mexico General Manager Dan Mourning said this week the idea for a new arena is something officials have been eying for years and comes as officials have noticed top tier acts passing up New Mexico for cities with larger venues.
The fairgrounds' aging Tingley Coliseum has been around since 1957 and holds only around 11,570. Officials want an arena that can hold at least 15,000 people.
Mourning says the study will be presented to the city of Albuquerque, but say in the end, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will have the final say.
More Counties Join Gun Sanctuary Movement In New Mexico – Associated Press
At least 18 of the 33 counties in New Mexico have adopted sanctuary resolutions that say they will not require local sheriffs to enforce a series of gun-control proposals sought by state lawmakers.
Sierra County Sheriff Glenn Hamilton said that Sierra County adopted a "sanctuary county" resolution on Tuesday in opposition to reforms that might infringe on the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms.
Legislators are considering bills designed to stem gun violence by expanding background checks to private firearms sales and removing guns from the hands of people who may be suicidal or bent on violence.
Thirty of the state's 33 county sheriffs are voicing opposition to those gun control initiatives. Top law enforcement officials in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces support background checks.
Gun Background Check Bill Advances – Associated Press
A proposal to expand background checks to nearly all gun sales in New Mexico is advancing as advocates and opponents clash in a final series committee hearings at the Legislature.
Republican Rep. Candy Ezzell of Roswell called into question the constitutionality of a Democratic bill on Tuesday while brandishing printed copies of the U.S. and state constitutions.
A House panel endorsed legislative amendments that would exempt sales between family members and limit fees for background checks to $35. The House and Senate have approved nearly identical background check bills, with the Senate version now advancing toward final approval.
Senate bill sponsor Richard Martinez of Española says he is asking the state attorney general for an opinion on the bill and urged sheriffs who have protested the initiative to review their oaths to uphold state law.
New Mexico Wants To Protect Cars And Animals From Each Other – Associated Press
New Mexico might build highway underpasses for wildlife to safely travel through as it looks for new ways to protect large mammals such as elk, antelope, bear and pronghorn sheep from road traffic, and vice versa.
The state Senate on Monday approved bill sponsored by Democrats that would order state agencies overseeing highways and big-game animals to develop a list of projects to protect passenger vehicles and wandering wildlife. The initiative from Sen. Mimi Stewart of Albuquerque now moves to the House for consideration.
Stewart estimates the financial cost of collisions between cars and animals in the state at about $20 million a year, including property damage and medical expenses.
A Senate amendment to the bill added language designed to protect private property owners from potential eminent domain proceedings.
New Mexico's Limit On Medical Marijuana Plants Set To End - Associated Press
New Mexico's limit on the number of plants medical marijuana producers can grow as part of their licensed operations will expire Friday.
A district judge recently denied the state Department of Health's request to extend the 450-plant limit while it updates its rules.
A judge struck down the per-producer limit in November, giving the department 120 days to study the issue and establish a new plant count that compiles with legislative mandates.
The judge ruled the limit was arbitrary and not based on reliable data.
The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit that claimed the agency wasn't meeting its obligations to ensure an adequate supply of medical marijuana.
Department spokesman David Morgan says the agency is "assessing next steps" regarding the plant count.
New Mexico Seeks Oversight Of Short-Term Health Insurance- Associated Press
Minimum standards for short-term health care plans would be set by New Mexico insurance regulators and not just the federal government under a bill passed by the state House of Representatives.
The bill sponsored by Rep. Micaela Lara Cadena of Mesilla passed the House 67-0 on Monday and now moves to the state Senate for consideration.
Congress' repeal of the tax penalty for individuals who forgo health insurance may lead more consumers toward short-term policies that can exclude coverage for pre-existing medical conditions or major benefits such as maternity care.
The House-approved bill would give state insurance regulators authority to establish minimum standards for benefits under short-term and limited-benefit health plans in New Mexico. The state also would ensure a sufficient amount of premiums are spent on patient care.
New Mexico Bill Advances To Bankroll Small Loans- Associated Press
The New Mexico Senate has passed a bill that would provide $50 million to the state's Small Business Investment Corporation to provide loans to small enterprises not served by traditional banks.
The bill was approved in a 36-0 vote of the Senate on Monday and now advances to the House. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham supports the bill to double capitalization of the state's Small Business Investment Corporation using money from a multibillion-dollar state trust known as the Severance Tax Permanent fund.
Profits from the lender's small loans would be returned to the roughly $5 billion Severance Tax Permanent Fund. That fund originates from taxes on oil and mineral extraction and provides about $200 million a year to the state general fund.
6 Overcome By Fumes At A Las Cruces Pecan Processing Plant- Associated Press
Authorities say six employees of a Las Cruces pecan processing plant are recovering after being overcome by toxic fumes.
City firefighters say four people required advanced medical treatment and were transported to local hospitals, but their conditions aren't considered life-threatening.
Firefighters were dispatched to a hazardous material call at the pecan processing plant around 5 a.m. Sunday.
The employees are part of a cleaning crew.
Firefighters ultimately determined the employees' symptoms were a result of two gas-powered pressure washers that were used inside the enclosed building, which resulted in a buildup of carbon monoxide.
Bill Aims To Preserve Tax Revenue From New Mexico Labs- Associated Press
Legislation that would allow New Mexico to continue taxing the contractors that manage national laboratories operating in the state — even when they have nonprofit status —has cleared another legislative hurdle.
The state House of Representatives voted unanimously Sunday in favor of the measure. Since the House amended the proposal, the Senate must still sign off before sending the bill to the governor for consideration.
At stake are tens of millions of dollars in gross receipts taxes paid annually by the contractor running the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the contractor that oversees Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque.
Nelson Mandela's Grandson Urges On New Mexico Legislature- Associated Press
The New Mexico Legislature is seeking inspiration from a grandson of anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela as it seeks to expand career and educational opportunities for minority youth.
Ndaba Mandela fielded questions Monday from New Mexico legislators who specialize in education, at a forum in the state Capitol.
Mandela highlighted his efforts to cultivate pride, confidence and career skills in young people in his native South Africa and across the continent through his foundation Africa Rising. He also described a crisis of youth unemployment across much of Africa.
Initiatives are advancing through the New Mexico Legislature this year to dramatically reform and increase spending on public education.
Mandela said he wants to make sure the world has more leaders like those in New Mexico and not like President Donald Trump.
New Mexico House Passes Justice And Parole Reforms- Associated Press
The New Mexico House of Representatives has passed two criminal justice reform bills aimed at reducing recidivism and better integrating prison inmates back into society.
The votes on Sunday by the House sent the initiatives to the Democrat-controlled Senate for consideration.
One far-reaching initiative from Democratic Rep. Antonio Maestas of Albuquerque would create a framework for counseling and addiction treatment to help prison inmates make the transition back to their communities. Other provisions address drug-overdose situations to provide some immunity from prosecution for people who call in medical professionals.
A second bill would provide new approaches to probation and parole programs. It would require parole after 30 years of incarceration for life sentences unless the state Parole Board decides otherwise.