Medical Marijuana Rules Change For New Mexico Visitors -Associated Press
New Mexico has stopped issuing medical marijuana enrollment cards to people who live outside the state but will soon allow nonresident patients enrolled in other state programs to buy pot.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday reinstated a residency requirement for participation in the state's medical cannabis program by signing a measure passed by lawmakers.
At least 613 nonresidents have enrolled in the medical pot program since the residency requirement was dropped last year.
On July 1st, New Mexico will recognize medical marijuana cards issued by other states.
Officials say the goal of recognizing out-of-state cards is to allow patients to access cannabis just like other medications.
New Mexico Funnels Economic Development Dollars To Hemp Farm -Associated Press
The state is funneling more economic development dollars to the hemp industry, as another business plans to expand its operations in southern New Mexico.
The Economic Development Department said Friday it has committed $600,000 in local economic development funding to Natural ReLeaf. That will be matched by more than $5 million in private investment.
he company began growing hemp last year and is ready to expand its manufacturing capacity and add more greenhouses that would be capable of growing the crop year-round.
State officials say Natural ReLeaf is expected to create 56 jobs over the next two to three years.
Groups Want Cows Corralled To Protect Jumping Mouse Habitat -Associated Press
Environmentalists say U.S. land managers are failing to keep livestock and wild horses out of streams and other wetlands in Arizona's White Mountains, resulting in damage to the habitat of a rare species of mouse.
They are suing in federal court.
The battle over the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse has been ongoing for years. The mouse was listed as an endangered species in 2014.
That prompted the U.S. Forest Service to fence off streams and watering holes in New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado to protect habitat thought to be ideal.
Forest officials said Friday that work is continuing and disputed the allegations.
Gun Control Wins, Marijuana Loses At New Mexico Legislature - By Morgan Lee Associated Press
New Mexico's lawmakers have used a 30-day legislative session to bolster restrictions on firearms, underwrite college tuition, shore up a public pension fund and expand state oversight of vaping and e-cigarette sales.
Under a red-flag gun bill, state district courts will get the power to order the surrender of firearms from people deemed to pose a danger to themselves or others. Relatives, employers, and school administrators can alert authorities when they suspect gun owners are in crisis.
As she prepares to sign the bill, Governor Michelle
Lujan Grisham has reminded law enforcement about their new obligation to use the extreme risk firearms protection orders.
An effort to legalize recreational marijuana fell flat.
Lawmakers also approved significant new investments in public school education and agreed to license and regulate sales of vaping cartridges and other tobacco products.
The Legislature on Thursday concluded its second annual session since Democrats took control of the governor's office in 2018 and expanded their House majority.
Minority Republicans say a nearly 8% increase in state spending is unsustainable and unfair to taxpayers.
New Mexico Lawmakers Reach Budget Deal As Tense Session Ends – By Morgan Lee, Associated Press
New Mexico legislators forged a budget agreement Thursday that increases annual spending on government programs and school districts by more than a half-billion dollars, with new investments in early childhood education and college scholarships in a state afflicted by high rates of childhood poverty.
In the predawn hours, the state House endorsed a $7.6 billion general fund budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. It raises annual spending by $536 million, or nearly 8% — sending the bill to the governor's desk. The move came hours before lawmakers ended the 30-day session Thursday.
Lujan Grisham can veto any portion of the budget or the entire bill.
In the final hours and days of a rapid-fire 30-day session, legislators fulfilled several policy initiatives backed by the governor on health care and public safety.
A rooftop solar tax credit that expired in 2016 was reinstated to offset up to $6,000 for households and businesses that install solar energy systems. Another bill would place a monthly $25 cap on the amount diabetes patients pay monthly for insulin.
The Legislature's budget increases the public safety agency's budget by $10.4 million, or more than 7%. The budget bill provides $180 million in general fund spending on roads.
The House and Senate approved a measure that would reverse requirements that police destroy seized electronic evidence obtained through a search warrant when the investigation didn't target the evidence.
Enhanced sentences for gun possession by felons or in the commission of a felony were sent to the governor for approval.
New Mexico Sues Google Over Collection Of Children's Data – Associated Press
New Mexico's attorney general sued Google Thursday over allegations the tech company is illegally collecting personal data generated by children in violation of federal and state laws.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque claims Google is using its education services package that is marketed to school districts, teachers and parents as a way to spy on children and their families.
Attorney General Hector Balderas said that while the company touts Google Education as a valuable tool for resource-deprived schools, it is a means to monitor children while they browse the internet in the classroom and at home on private networks. He said the information being mined includes everything from physical locations to websites visited, videos watched, saved passwords and contact lists.
The state is seeking unspecified civil penalties.
Google dismissed the claims as “factually wrong,” saying the G Suite for the Education package allows schools to control account access and requires that schools obtain parental consent when necessary.
New Mexico's claim cites violations of the state's Unfair Practices Act and the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which requires websites and online services to obtain parental consent before collecting any information from children under 13.
New Mexico Official: Flu Is More Pressing Concern Than Corona Virus – Associated Press
It's more important in New Mexico for residents to be concerned about the flu than the virus receiving global attention, the state Health Department said Thursday.
The COVID-19 virus should be subject to "heightened awareness"" but the flu “remains a more significant illness" in New Mexico, the department said in a statement.
There haven't been any cases of the virus in New Mexico but the flu season “continues with many cases still being reported at New Mexico’s clinics and hospitals," Health Secretary Kathy Kunkel said. “Flu is the more pressing health risk in our state right now.”
The department advises that people get a flu vaccination annually “and practice common sense habits like washing your hands frequently and covering your mouth when you’re sick and have to cough."
New Mexico House Republicans Say They See Path To Majority - Associated Press
New Mexico House Republicans say voter anger over a red-flag gun bill and overspending will help them reclaim the majority in 2020.
House Minority Whip Rod Montoya said Thursday that Republicans will take back the New Mexico House in 2020 and challenge Democrats in key swing seats.
Republicans captured the House in 2014 for the first time since the President Dwight Eisenhower era. Democrats retook the House in 2016.
The New Mexico legislative session ended Thursday after the Democratic controlled-body passed a $7.6 billion budget with significant spending increases.
Rep. Jason Harper, R-Rio Rancho, said Republicans are working on a strategy to explain to voters the effects of over overspending.
If Republicans don't make inroads they could be redistricted into a permanent minority with redistricting coming up, Harper said.
Navajo Nation, San Juan County To Pursue Freight Railroad - Associated Press
The Navajo Nation and New Mexico's San Juan County have entered into an agreement to pursue a freight railroad to serve the Four Corners area.
Thursday's agreement means cooperation between both governments to pave the way for rail service and the improvement of the local economy.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer plus San Juan County Commission Chairman Jack Fortner all signed the document to move forward with planning for the possibility of a privately owned freight railroad.
Over the last few decades, there have been several feasibility studies to examine proposed alignments of freight rail service to Four Corners.
The Four Corners consists of the southwestern corner of Colorado, the southeastern corner of Utah, the northeastern corner of Arizona and northwestern corner of New Mexico.
The rail system would be a short line intended to carry freight from the area of San Juan County, south through the Navajo Nation and to the established Interstate 40 corridor railroad.
Out-Of-State Applicants Increase At University Of New Mexico – Associated Press
The University of New Mexico has confirmed an increase in the number of nonresident applications for the coming school year.
There are 5,694 out-of-state applications, a 56% increase from last year at this time, when the school had received less than 3,700 out-of-state applications,the Albuquerque Journal reported Wednesday.
But in-state student applications for the next school year are down about 6%, University President Garnett Stokes told the Board of Regents during a presentation Tuesday.
“I would like to think it’s because New Mexico is doing a better job of talking about what a great location this state is,” Stokes said. “I see it as very positive. One of the challenges is that these states are actively recruiting New Mexico students to go there. We’re in competition.”
California, Texas, Arizona and Colorado have the most out-of-state applications this year, said Dan Garcia, vice president for university enrollment management.
It is unclear how many of the students who applied will end up enrolling.
“These are preliminary results; it’s not over till it’s over. But we’re encouraged,” Regent President Doug Brown said.
The university has admitted about 10% more students so far this year, or 6,639 compared to 6,057 at this time last year, university officials said.
“We need to be careful we’re not preferring out-of-state students over in-state students because it’s local taxpayers that pay our support,” Brown said. “We’re trying to do our best on both fronts.”
New Mexico Counties Partner To House Juvenile Defendants – Associated Press
The San Juan County Juvenile Detention Center will soon house youth from two more New Mexico counties.
The county commission this week approved contracts with Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties to keep youth at the facility in Farmington at a cost of $225 per individual per day.
San Juan County already has agreements with McKinley and Cibola counties.
The Farmington Daily Times reports that youth from Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties currently are housed at Santa Fe County's juvenile detention center but that facility is limiting who it takes in and could close in the future.
There are six juvenile detention centers in New Mexico and two may close.
San Juan County Juvenile Services Administrator Traci Neff said the state may move to having regional juvenile detention centers. If that happens, San Juan County would service the northwest part of New Mexico.
Since juvenile detention centers have to meet more requirements and can be costly to operate, Neff said some counties save money by closing their centers and transporting youth elsewhere.
New Mexico has seen a more than 80% drop in its youth incarcerations over the last decade due to reforms aimed at less restrictive placements and early intervention, according to legislative analysts.
NM House OKs Bill To Stop Forcing Police To Erase Evidence – Associated Press
A measure that would stop police from having to destroy seized electronic evidence obtained through a search warrant but not the target of an investigation has unanimously passed the New Mexico House.
The proposal approved early Thursday seeks to fix a bill passed in 2019 that required law enforcement to wipe out some digital evidence. The requirement may have affected some pending cases in Albuquerque.
The bill now heads to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is expected to sign it. The law would take affect immediately.
Democratic Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto of Albuquerque said the change is needed because law enforcement has no choice under current law but to eradicate certain digital evidence after 30 days.
“The problem is that law enforcement oftentimes has multiple investigations against the same person,” Ivey-Soto said.
The new bill allows police to seal the seized electronic evidence and get a court order to use it in another unrelated investigation.
The measure gained steam in the final days of the New Mexico legislative session after district attorneys and representatives from the city of Albuquerque and the American Civil Liberties Union urged lawmakers to fix the 2019 law that has sparked confusion among police and prosecutors. That measure was passed through the “rocket docket,” a bundle of bills that were fast-tracked to the governor's desk.
Police Say Human Bones Discovered In New Mexico City Field – Associated Press
Human bones were found in a field near a city street in New Mexico but there are no clear indications about the deceased person's identity, police said.
The Carlsbad Police Department responded to a report of the discovery around 10 p.m. Tuesday, The Carlsbad Current-Argus reported.
Detectives and evidence technicians responded early Wednesday morning and began processing the scene in the southeast New Mexico city.
Officers found skeletal remains as well as weathered pieces of clothing and other articles that may assist the investigation, authorities said.
Carlsbad Police spokesperson Lt. Jaime Balencia could not say whether the remains were related to any missing person case.
“We are keeping all options open at this time. This is still very new information we have come across over the past 12 to 14 hours,” Balencia said.
Groups Demand Cattle Be Corralled To Protect Mouse Habitat - By Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press
Environmentalists say U.S. land managers are failing to keep livestock and wild horses out of streams and other wetlands in Arizona's White Mountains, resulting in damage to habitat that a rare species of mouse depends on.
They are suing in federal court.
The battle over the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse has been ongoing for years. The mouse was listed as an endangered species in 2014, prompting the U.S. Forest Service to fence off streams and watering holes in New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado to protect habitat thought to be ideal.
That spurred criticism from ranchers and others that the federal government was trampling private access to public lands.