Morning Word: Tests Go On Despite Protests

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ARCC testing is underway for New Mexico students despite protests and walkouts around the state. Newsman Tom Joles has apologized to KOB's staff and returned to his anchor chair. That, plus your daily legislative roundup in this quick Morning Word .

It's Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Students who walked out of class on Monday to protest the PARCC tests will be getting marked down for an unexcused absence.

See more at KOB 4.

Despite protests in Santa Fe last week, student testing went smoothly here on Monday.

Robert Nott has details.

After sending home a PARCC opt-out form to parents, a teacher in Farmington has been put on paid leave.

See why here.

State Sen. Bill Soules, D-Las Cruces, who is also a public school teacher, talked to New Mexico Political Report about the tests and the protests.

See the video interview here.

Republican Aubrey Dunn isn’t the first public lands commissioner to decide to put an oil pump jack in front his state building in Santa Fe. Democrat Alex Armijo did it in 1979 after a big fight with the city’s historic design review board. New York Sculptor James Taylor says he’s cool with the state moving his "The Brickhead: Hope" piece to another location as long as people can still view and enjoy it.

Read Staci Matlock's story here.

First Judicial District Judge Sarah Singleton doesn’t think Gov. Susana Martinez’ records custodian is adequately conducting searches for SFR’s public records requests. Singleton also invoked the Pentagon Papers when attorneys argued the paper had published stolen emails.

Justin Horwath has more on SFR's legal complaint.

Santa Fe City Councilor Signe Lindell’s measure to ban the sale of miniature bottles of alcohol to reduce their litter in city limits is headed to the full council, despite a tie vote in the finance committee yesterday.

Daniel J. Chacón has more.

A Santa Fe man who was busted for practicing dentistry here without a license has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison. “El Dentista” Eliver Kestler was also ordered to pay some of his victims restitution.

Blair Miller has details.

After a homeless man died in Taos in January, his Texas family is working to make sure others struggling on the street are not forgotten.

Andrew Oxford has the sad story of Miguel Gomez.

KOB anchor Tom Joles is back on the job after spending a week “cooling off” at home following a newsroom brouhaha with reporter Stuart Dyson. Before returning to the desk, Joles emailed an apology to co-workers for his role in the shouting match.

Read more at the ABQ Journal.

New Mexico Legislative News:

• A bill that would require more disclosure from lobbyists is headed to the House after it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee –
• Steve Terrell has the story. 
• The Senate also approved a bill that would allow home delivery of wine and beer with a restaurant food order –
• Deborah Baker reports.
• Nonviolent felons who have served their time may not have to notify prospective employers about their record in the future. The Senate has voted to expand a “Ban the Box” law –
• ABQ Journal
• .
• 
  
• Lawmakers have killed a bill that would have banned horse slaughters in New Mexico –
• Lauren Villagran has details.
• The New Mexico Senate has approved a hemp research and development bill –
• KOB
• .
• If your child attends a private school they still won’t be allowed to join public school athletic teams after a Senate vote on Monday –
• Santa Fe New Mexican
• .
• Investigative reporter and television anchor Chris Ramirez is really good at walking backward inside the roundhouse. Before strutting in reverse, Ramirez talked to Republican Majority Leader Nate Gentry, R-Albuquerque, about House bills languishing in the Senate –
• Only on 4
• .
• She may have lost her reelection campaign, but Albuquerque Firefighter Emily Kane is taking the city’s ban on employees running for state office to the State Supreme Court –
• Ryan Luby
• .

City slickers at The New York Times Magazine have no idea that New Mexico is a state. Artwork depicting a globe mislabels the state as Mexico. The snafu follows a similar mistake by a contestant on The Bachelor . See more at the ABQ Journal.  Fashion designers have upset quite a few people in the Navajo Nation with the “disrespectful” use of the Yei design in their new lineups.

Read more at the Navajo Times. 

Santa Fe Reporter