Morning Word: State Considers New SNAP Work Requirements

Nearly 20 percent of New Mexicans on food stamps

It's Tuesday, June 23, 2015

A day after Justin Horwath reported on savvy food stamp recipients learning how to boost their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits by shopping at local farmers’ markets, he’s learned Gov. Susana Martinez’ administration plans to once again impose work requirements on SNAP clients.

Read it at the Santa Fe New Mexican.  State forest officials had hoped that spring rains would delay and temper this season’s wildfires. Now, they’re dispatching crews to fight fires in southern New Mexico. A lightning-caused fired in the Magdalena Ranger District is growing. It’s already consumed more than 1,000 acres. Read more at the Silver City Sun-News.

 

Just in time for the 4th of July holiday, fireworks stands are opening around the state. Read it in the Clovis News Journal.  Data journalist Sandra Fish has been taking a look at capital projects approved by lawmakers earlier this month, and it turns out most of the projects that were vetoed by Gov. Susana Martinez were requested by Democrat lawmakers. Read it at New Mexico In Depth.  The Washington Examiner thinks Martinez will be a powerbroker during the 2016 presidential campaign and be eventually used as a surrogate to reach out to Hispanic and women voters. The report touts her record working to repeal immigrant driver's licenses but doesn’t tell national readers the effort has been unsuccessful for the past five years. Read it here.  Speaking of the governor's travel, Martinez’ recent trips to Mexico to boost trade and economic development along the southern border cost taxpayers $17,000. The expense is generating good returns: New Mexico’s exports to Mexico more than tripled to $1.55 billion in 2014. The Associated Press has details.  US Rep. Ben Ray Luján, D-New Mexico, is marking the third anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that allows young immigrants a chance to build a better life, get a Social Security card and legally work. Read it at the Los Alamos Daily Post.  The ABQ Free Press reports that a special prosecutor will pursue second-degree murder charges against two Albuquerque police officers for their role in the shooting death of homeless camper James Boyd last year. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August. Read it here. Dan Mayfield reports that Jill Hruby has been hired as president of Sandia National Labs. She’s the first woman ever hired to head up a national security lab. Read more about Hruby's background and goals here. Kurt Shipley, the president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico, says the medical insurer is seeking a 51 percent increase in premium rates for its 600,000 customers here because it underestimated the costs of treating more customers covered by the Affordable Care Act.

President Barack Obama is removing barriers to privately funded medical marijuana research.

 “The president has often said that drug policy should be dictated by unimpeded science instead of ideology, and it’s great to see the Obama administration finally starting to take some real action to back that up,” said Tom Angell of the Marijuana Majority, a pro-legalization group. 

Blogger Jim Baca, a former state land commissioner and environmentalist, says new wildlife trapping rules are “medieval.”

If you’re like us, you love good homemade tamales, and you may be pleased to learn that a Belen man is attempting to break a world record. Wayne Trujillo has plans to make a whopping 120-foot tamale.

Letters to the Editor

Mail letters to PO Box 4910 Santa Fe, NM 87502 or email them to editor[at]sfreporter.com. Letters (no more than 200 words) should refer to specific articles in the Reporter. Letters will be edited for space and clarity.

We also welcome you to follow SFR on social media (on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) and comment there. You can also email specific staff members from our contact page.