New Mexico Encourages Mail-In Balloting Amid Virus Concerns – Associated Press
New Mexico election regulators are encouraging registered voters to request mail-in ballots ahead of the state's June 2 primary election in light of a public health emergency concerning the coronavirus.
Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver on Friday announced that absentee ballots can be requested through an online portal. New Mexico has "no fault" absentee balloting in which mail-in ballots can be requested for any reason.
Primary election absentee ballots are sent out to voters starting on May 5. The final day to request an absentee ballot is May 28. I
n the 2016 presidential primary, New Mexico voters sided with Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders.
Coronavirus Cases In Arizona Climb, First Death Reported - By Jonathan J. Cooper And Bob Christie Associated Press
About 200 members of the Arizona National Guard have been activated to help with food distribution, as daily life becomes increasingly restricted by efforts to contain the coronavirus.
Arizona and Maricopa County public health officials Friday evening reported the state's first death from the virus, a man in his 50s with underlying health problems.
Earlier in the day Gov. Doug Ducey extended school closures, delayed the tax filing deadline and made it easier to file for unemployment.
The head of the National Guard in Arizona, Maj. General Michael McGuire, said the operation is still largely in the planning phase and more guardsmen will probably hit the streets next week.
Over 10,000 New Mexico Residents File For Unemployment – Associated Press
More than 10,000 residents of New Mexico have filed for unemployment benefits in less than a week, potentially doubling the number of recipients amid economic upheaval linked to the coronavirus pandemic.
The state has waived work-search requirements temporarily for people receiving unemployment benefits of up to $461 a week. Claims are paid out of a trust with a current balance of about $465 million that is supported by payroll taxes.
New Mexico provided unemployment benefits to as many as 60,000 people in the aftermath of the Great Recession, but that enrollment built gradually.
The number of infections statewide increased Friday to at least 43 with positive tests in the Gallup and Las Cruces areas.
State Gives Residents More Time To File And Pay Taxes – Associated Press
New Mexicans will have extra time to file and pay their taxes as the state looks to ease the economic hardships brought on by the coronavirus.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has put limits on public gatherings as restaurants have moved to pick-up or delivery service only and casinos have closed.
Personal state and federal tax returns will now be due July 15 — 90 days later than the usual deadline. The state also is pushing back deadlines for corporate taxes and for employers to remit taxes they withhold from workers' paychecks.
Nonprofit Helps Company Ramp Up Hiring For Remote Jobs - KUNM
A nonprofit jobs program in Grants is working with a business services company to provide more opportunities for work-at-home customer services positions.
Solo Works Cibola says it is leading a weeklong hiring event from March 16 to 23rd for Concentrix.
Solo Works Executive Director Shelly Fausett said her group is processing applications rapidly with Concentrix for jobs paying $12 per hour.
The positions are seasonal lasting into April, but Fausett said those hired will have the option of transitioning to another client.
More than 10,000 residents of in the state have filed for unemployment benefits in less than a week.
Public Officials Go Into Self-Quarantine As Virus Spreads – Associated Press
As the number of people with positive COVID-19 tests rose to 43 in New Mexico, Democratic U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small of Las Cruces has gone into isolation as a precaution, though she is not exhibiting any symptoms of the coronavirus.
Earlier this week, Rep. Ben Ray Luján, D-Santa Fe, said he would self-quarantine after a brief interaction with an individual who later tested positive.
In southern New Mexico, District Attorney Dianna Luce of the 5th Judicial District said she and several colleagues were under self-quarantine after coming into proximity with a public defender who was being tested. She said the situation highlights the need for further precautions in the state judiciary.
The New Mexico Supreme Court has issued orders limiting courtroom attendance to 25 people and suspended jury trials with limited exceptions. Luce said those precautions appear to be insufficient and that remote communication technology can further reduce exposure without jeopardizing due process guarantees.
Bernalillo County District Attorney Raúl Torrez notified the Supreme Court that his prosecutors will no longer appear in person for hearings that can be conducted by video, starting Monday.
The governor had ordered all nonessential state personnel to work from home, but the state Corrections Department said its entire staff — including office workers — are considered essential and cannot work from home, in some instances because of technological limitations.
Across the state, prisons and county jails have suspended visits with inmates.
Endangered Mexican Gray Wolf Death Prompts Investigation – Associated Press
U.S. wildlife managers are investigating the death of a Mexican gray wolf found last month in Arizona.
Officials with the wolf recovery team announced the death Thursday but didn't provide any details about how the endangered animal might have died or exactly where it was found.
The latest death follows three others that were reported in January, all of which were in Arizona.
A subspecies of the Western gray wolf, Mexican wolves have faced a difficult road to recovery that has been complicated by politics and conflicts with livestock. The latest survey documented at least 163 wolves in the wil