Group Raises Concerns Over New Mexico's Landmark Energy Law
Natural gas and coal proponents say emails exchanged among environmentalists and a key member of New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's cabinet represent a conflict of interest as the state was creating landmark legislation that set ambitious new renewable energy goals.
In one email, state energy secretary Sarah Cottrell Propst asked a renewable energy trade group to review some of the bill's language.
Officials with the organization Power the Future say the emails show the secretary was coordinating with several groups that included the same renewable energy firm she led before taking her job with the state. They argue the Energy Transition Act will result in higher electricity prices and cost industry jobs.
Cottrell Propst is defending her role, saying the administration has been clear about prioritizing its renewable energy agenda.
New Mexico Unemployment Rate Declines In April From March
Mexico's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined in April, dipping to 5% from 5.1% in March.
The unemployment rate in April 2018 was 4.9%, and the state Department of Workforce Solutions reports that total nonagricultural payroll employment grew by 13,000 jobs, or 1.5%, between April 2018 and April 2019.
The department says the growth in the private sector accounted for all of the year-over-year employment increase as the public sector lost 800 jobs.
In the private sector, goods-producing industries added 5,800 jobs and service-providing industries were up by 8,000 jobs.
Mining and construction reported the largest employment increase with a gain of 5,500 jobs, or 7.7%.
2 Shootings By State Police In Albuquerque Spur Concern
Police reform advocates say they're concerned state police patrolling Albuquerque are not being held to the same use-of-force and training standards as Albuquerque police.
The group APD Forward, which includes the American Civil Liberties Union, issued its statement Friday, following two shootings a day earlier by state police. The shootings happened within an hour of each other.
APD Forward noted the shootings came less than a week after Mayor Tim Keller outlined a coordinated public-safety push in the city across agencies amid a crime wave. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham assigned 50 state police to bolster law enforcement's presence in Albuquerque.
APD Forward called for the mayor and governor to ensure state police follow the same protocols as Albuquerque police.
Albuquerque police in recent years have undergone an overhaul of their policies as a result of a federal settlement agreement.
New Mexico Awards Funding To Schools To Extend Learning Time
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The Public Education Department says more than 101,000 New Mexico students will gain access to a variety of extended learning opportunities beyond the traditional school year starting this summer.
Public Education Secretary Karen Trujillo announced Friday funding approval and enrollment figures for two programs at the core of state reforms to improve student achievement.
A second program that extends the elementary school year by five weeks is expected include nearly 24,000 students, up from 18,000.
State legislators set aside enough money for 90,000 students to participate in that "K-5 Plus" program if school districts, teachers and parents are willing.
State lawmakers and education officials say low-income students consistently miss out on enriching educational activities, and that research demonstrates the effectiveness of more learning time with their year-round teachers.
New Mexico Panel Rejects Reconsideration Of Facebook Bill
New Mexico regulators have declined to reconsider their decision for the state's largest utility to bill Facebook $39 million for a new transmission line.
The state Public Regulation Commission unanimously voted Thursday to reject motions by the Public Service Company of New Mexico and two other groups asking regulators to rehear arguments.
The commission in mid-April ordered the utility to charge Facebook nearly half the cost of the $85 million transmission line to its data center in Los Lunas.
The commission said ratepayers could not be charged for the project because the line wouldn't benefit retail customers.
The utility says the transmission line upgrades its network, so it does benefit wholesale and retail customers.
The utility says it's disappointed by the decision and is reviewing options for how to proceed.
Las Cruces Woman Suffers Burns In Mobile Home Fire
Las Cruces officials say a 56-year-old woman suffered second- and third-degree burns in a mobile home fire that apparently started when she smoked a cigarette while on supplemental oxygen.
Officials say firefighters successfully performed CPR after finding the woman unconscious in a bedroom that was engulfed in flames early Friday morning.
The woman was initially transported to a Las Cruces hospital before being flown to a hospital in Lubbock, Texas, for advanced care.