Diminished Care
The families of two teenage boys and a Democratic lawmaker are
at the Department of Health’s Sequoyah Adolescent Treatment Center. It’s not the first time the center has been scrutinized. In 2012, Joey Peters reported
.
At Risk
State Auditor Tim Keller announced the
of New Mexico’s state and local governments that are considered at risk based on the latest audit cycle. Since 2009, government agencies have been placed on the list if they fail to submit their annual audits. This year, entities will also be placed on the list if they receive audit opinions that indicate significant problems with their financial statements. If public funds are not audited, the risks of fraud, waste and abuse increase.
Raising Questions
New Energy Economy and Bernalillo County officials want the Public Service Company of New Mexico to provide
of its risky long-term lease repurchases in the Palo Verde nuclear plant in Arizona.
Historic Designation: Boon or Bust?
Thomas Ragan reports that Santa Fe County commissioners
on a resolution to support turning La Bajada Mesa into a national monument after dozens of residents spoke out about the matter, saying such a designation could be either a boon or unnecessary government intervention that would restrict its use, not improve upon it.
Cancer Doc Heads to DC
Joe Biden, whose son died from brain cancer last year, has invited one of the state’s top cancer docs to the White House to discuss
. Biden wants to increase funding for additional cancer research.
The Las Cruces Public School District Board is being accused of chronic violations of the
and now Secretary of Education Hanna Skandera has referred the district to the state attorney general's office for investigation and action.
She says it's clear that school board members either don't understand or choose to ignore their roles and responsibilities in providing oversight of the district. As a result, Skandera is directing the school board to undergo training specific to its roles and responsibilities as well as training specific to the open meetings act. The training must be completed within 60 days and refresher training will be scheduled at least twice annually until the board shows it can comply with the open meetings act.
- More budget tightening is expected as oil price forecasts trend downward.
- Dan Boyd reports that Senate Finance Chairman John Arthur Smith says as revenues tighten, “we’re going to have to suck it up.”
- At least some of the state’s small oil production companies could be getting a tax break.
- The driver’s license bill that Democrats say encourages discrimination passed the House on Wednesday. Republicans say they’re simply focused on public safety and making sure the state complies with Real ID rules. The bill now heads to the Senate.
- KRQE’s Alex Goldsmith reports state Rep. Rick Little, R-Chaparral, is facing criticism after saying, “People choose their sexual orientation so they shouldn’t be protected by hate crimes law.”
The perception of cronyism in New Mexico is
, according to a new study released by an associate professor at the University of New Mexico.
To curb cronyism in New Mexico, the report suggests three changes that are already under consideration: a statewide ethics commission; greater transparency in campaign financing and lobbying; and a more detailed review of tax breaks given to businesses.
Justin Horwath reports, “The New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, an Albuquerque-based nonprofit, is asking a federal judge to
that would temporarily prevent Gov. Susana Martinez’s administration from implementing new rules that tie food assistance to employment.”
The New Mexico Supreme Court will give
to prosecutors and cops in Bernalillo County to bring felony cases to trial and to provide evidence to defense attorneys.
The revisions will also make it harder for judges to dismiss cases for failure to meet deadlines under the rule. A case can’t be dismissed if a prosecutor shows by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant is a danger to the community or the failure to comply with the rule was caused by extraordinary circumstances beyond control of the parties, the court said in a news release announcing the changes. And, the justices extended the deadline for a defendant’s arraignment, depending on how charges are brought in a case.
Santa Fe Reporter