Morning Word: Rodella Likey to Stay Locked Up

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nother day and a couple more demands for apologies from lawmakers. A "bid-rigging" challenge heads to the State Court of Appeals today. And marijuana is one step closer to being decriminalized in New Mexico. Is it just a pipe dream?

It's Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Former Rio Arriba County Sheriff Tommy Rodella, who was sentenced to prison for 10 years and one month for violating the civil rights of a motorist, will likely stay locked up during his appeal. US District Court Judge James O Browning says he’s considering the motion to release him but would likely deny it. Read more at the Santa Fe New Mexican. The state’s highest court says anybody who suspects or witnesses child abuse is obligated by law to report it.

See more at KRQE.  Former Gov. Bill Richardson has decided to send his collection of documents to the Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas. That’s upset his followers in New Mexico, but Richardson says the University of New Mexico never asked to store his papers in their Southwest Research and Special Collections. Read more at the Albuquerque Journal.  The American Institutes for Research, a Washington-area testing company, continues to challenge the multi-year contract awarded to Pearson to conduct PARCC tests for the state. The New Mexico Court of Appeals will hear the case today. Read it at New Mexico Political Report. Journalist Joey Peters took a long look at the dispute between the two testing companies last year. Read it SFR.  It looks like some political appointees are eligible for unemployment insurance after all. The state Supreme Court says Workforce Solutions erred in denying their benefits. The Associated Press has details.  Members of the Southwestern New Mexico Audubon are learning how forests recover after wildfire. Read it at the Silver City Sun-News.  New Mexico Legislative News:

• To break the cycle of poverty in New Mexico, US Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, is encouraging state lawmakers to invest more in early childhood education programs and workforce training programs –
• Dan Boyd.
• A bill that would have amended "double dipping" rules to allow retired police officers to return to patrol was tabled by the Senate Judiciary Committee –
• Albuquerque Journal.
• A bill to decriminalize possession of up to eight ounces of marijuana in New Mexico is moving to a full vote in the Senate –
• SFR
• .
• New Mexico Corrections Department Secretary Greg Marcantel has been reconfirmed –
• Los Alamos Daily Post. 
• Rep. Rep. Stephanie Maez, D-Albuquerque, wants House Majority Leader Nate Gentry, R-Albuquerque, to apologize for passing a picture of her around a House Judiciary Committee meeting with “xoxo” and “thanks for your vote Paul.” Maez has introduced a bill to limit the time suspects should spend in jail before being formally charged with a crime. Maez says she doesn’t think Gentry would have passed around the picture if she was a man –
• New Mexico Political Report
• .
• Former House Speaker Ken Martinez, D-Grants, says he won’t apologize for remarks comparing drunken college sex to rape because they were taken out of context –
• Steve Terrell.

Homeless campers in the state’s largest city have set up a new tent city on state land, but an effort to remove them is already underway. See it at KOB.  High school basketball fans are looking forward to the state tournament this week. In fact, some towns send everyone to support their teams. See it online.  KRQE has the tournament brackets posted online.

Follow all the action here. 

Santa Fe Reporter