Moratorium On New Charter Schools Passes First Hurdle - By Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
No new charter schools would be allowed to open in New Mexico until 2022 under a proposal that has cleared its first legislative hurdle.
The bill has the support of Democrats and teacher unions. It passed the House Education Committee on a 10-3 vote Wednesday.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham also has voiced support for imposing a moratorium on opening new charter schools until state leaders have time to review how those in place are performing.
Some parents testified that putting the brakes on new charter schools would limit options for families in a state that has struggled for decades to boost success rates within the public school system.
The bill's supporters argue that charter schools siphon money from traditional schools and that the state is facing costly court mandates for improving opportunities for minority and low-income students.
New Mexico Oil And Gas Lease Sale Nets $35 Million - Associated Press
The State Land Office says this month's oil and natural gas lease sale has netted more than $35 million.
Officials say that includes the largest open bid sale in the agency's history, with numerous tracts in southeastern New Mexico closing at more than $12 million.
Most of the money generated by the State Land Office supports public education and other beneficiaries.
Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard says New Mexico is continuing to see the benefits of the boom in the Permian Basin, which straddles parts of New Mexico and West Texas.
Federal energy forecasters expect the United States to pump 12.4 million barrels of crude a day in 2019 and 13.2 million barrels a day in 2020. Most of the increase is expected to come from the Permian Basin.
Thousands Of Protests Submitted Against New Mexico Oil Sale - Associated Press
Thousands of protests have been lodged with U.S. land managers in opposition of next month's oil and natural gas lease sale despite a decision to remove from the offering several parcels near a national park in northwestern New Mexico.
Environmentalists say they turned in 33,000 protests to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday, the last day of the protest period.
It will be up to the federal agency to review the information ahead of the March 28 sale. The agency earlier this month deferred nine parcels that were within 10 miles of Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
Aside from ongoing criticism over development in the Chaco region, environmentalists also voiced concerns about parcels up for bid near Carlsbad Caverns National Monument in southeastern New Mexico.
BNSF Railway Plans $80 Million Investment In New Mexico - Associated Press
BNSF Railway plans to invest $80 million in New Mexico this year.
The freight company made the announcement Wednesday, saying the money will go toward maintenance projects as well as rail upgrades to ensure its network remains safe and reliable.
According to the company, nearly 4.5 million carloads of freight move along BNSF lines in New Mexico each year.
This year's maintenance program includes more than 850 miles of track surfacing and/or undercutting work as well as the replacement of about 20 miles of rail and more than 200,000 ties.
Plans also call for BNSF to extend its quadruple main tracks in Belen to boost capacity.
Over the last five years, BNSF has invested about $555 million to expand and maintain its network in the state.
New Mexico Weighs New Authority For Oilfield Regulators - Associated Press
New Mexico oilfield regulators would recover the authority to directly levy civil fines against well operators under proposed legislation backed by leading Democratic lawmakers and the administration of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Initial committee deliberations were scheduled Thursday on a bill that is being closely watched by industry representatives and advocates for tighter state oversight of oil wells and waste-water disposal sites.
State fines against sloppy oilfield operators in New Mexico have ground to a halt in the aftermath of a 2009 state Supreme Court decision that required the involvement of state prosecutors.
The bill from Sen. Richard Martinez of Española would give new authority to the Oil Conservation Division to pursue sanctions directly through administrative hearings or litigation. It would increase potential penalties from $1,000 a day to $15,000.
More New Mexico Counties Adopt Resolutions Against Gun Bills - Associated Press
Two more rural counties in New Mexico have passed resolutions saying they will not require their sheriffs to enforce a series of gun-control proposals that have gone before state lawmakers.
Commissioners in San Juan County in the state's northwest corner and in Eddy County in the southeast adopted "Second Amendment Sanctuary County" resolutions Tuesday.
Sheriffs in Curry, Quay, Socorro and Union counties recently presented similar resolutions that commissioners have adopted in response to the proposed state legislation.
The proposals include a bill that would expand requirements for background checks on gun sales. Another measure would allow for courts to order people who are deemed to be a threat to themselves or others to temporarily surrender their guns to law enforcement.
New Mexico County Says It Respects All Immigration Laws - Alamogordo Daily News, Associated Press
Otero County commissioners say the southern New Mexico county does comply with all state and federal immigration laws.
The Alamogordo Daily News reports the commission voted last week to adopt a resolution declaring that it is not a so-called sanctuary county.
The resolution states that the county has been "erroneously listed online" as a safe haven for people living in the country illegally, despite never making such a declaration.
Commissioner Lori Bies says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement handles immigration issues inside the county.
A number of New Mexico cities and towns have declared themselves sanctuaries over the last year.
State lawmakers are considering legislation that would prohibit state and local agencies from using resources to enforce federal immigration laws.