Morning Word: Refugee Debate Intensifies

Syrian Refugee Debate Continues

Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales says it’s “heart-breaking” to see Republican governors, including Gov. Susana Martinez,

into the United States, while both of the state’s US senators are urging a balanced approach to the rising controversy. Sen.

. Sen. Martin Heinrich says, “The implicit assumption that Syrian refugees — many of whom have suffered terribly at the hands of ISIS — are a threat because of their country of origin is a rejection of American values and

.”

Campus Terrorist Listing Questioned

A Muslim student group at the University of New Mexico says it spends most of the time defending itself rather than talking about their religion and culture. Albuquerque Islamic religious leader Imam Shafi Abdul Aziz told KOB a report listing UNM as one of 10 terrorist-friendly universities is not true.

State Budget Tightening Ahead

Legislative Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith is waiting for new revenue forecasts to be released in December, but he is already

. Susan Montoya Bryan reports Smith wants to know if state government agencies have plans in place to reduce spending. This year, some of those agencies had to ask for $85 million in supplemental appropriations to make it through the rest of the fiscal year, according to legislative analysts. The Associated Press reports, “That includes some $47 million to cover the growing costs of Medicaid expansion, and that bill is expected to top $100 million annually for at least the next three years.”

Sousa Acknowledges Discrepancies

Campaign finance data analyzed by KOB’s investigative team shows a huge $147,000 discrepancy in the governor’s reports, but Martinez’ 2014 campaign manager says

. Missi Sousa blames the problem on data entry mistakes and flaws in the secretary of state’s software.

Ortiz Declines PRC Job Offer

Ken Ortiz, the secretary of state’s well-respected chief of staff, has

. On Tuesday, he declined a job offer to cross town to manage the Public Regulation Commission.

Early Snowpack

This week’s winter storm that dropped

in the northern mountains is good news for the state’s snowpack. Hopefully, chilly weather will keep it from melting. With the blizzard gone,

. And most stretches of I-25 between Las Vegas and the Colorado border, which were impacted by the snow on Monday and Tuesday,

.

Jet Fuel Spill Suit

State environment officials say that massive plume of jet fuel at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque

, but that isn’t stopping the

the US Air Force, Environmental Protection Agency and secretary of defense over the failure to implement productive measures to clean up the spill.

Jindal Out

The Republican Party’s field of 2016 presidential candidates is narrowing. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal dropped out of the race yesterday. He told Fox News he’d come to

Jindal declined to toss his support to any of the other candidates on Tuesday.

Census Bureau Plans

Russell Contreras reports the US Census Bureau says it’s looking at

after a 5 percent undercount five years ago.

Drone Zone

If you’re getting your legs in shape for ski season, you’ll be surprised to hear some ski areas around the country are creating drone zones to allow enthusiasts to

. No word yet if any New Mexico ski resorts will allow drones to fly here this winter.

Note: A spokesman from the New Mexico Attorney General's office sent the Morning Word and email and says the Environmental Law Center doesn't plan to include the office in their jet fuel spill lawsuit as reported on ABQ Free Press. We updated the post to reflect the new information at 10:30 am.

Santa Fe Reporter