Morning Word: State Prepares Doctors for Zika Virus

Pregnant women encouraged not to travel to Caribbean or Latin America

Zika Alert

The New Mexico Department of Health says it has sent

to doctors and health care providers around the state information on the symptoms of the Zika virus and how to test anyone returning to New Mexico from areas affected by the virus.

No More Violence

Heath Haussamen reports, “

, the New Mexico rancher who joined armed protesters occupying a wildlife refuge in Oregon last weekend, says he doesn’t want violence. The fight, he says, is about the right people have to use public lands.”

Pot Poll Shows Support for Legalization

A new state poll shows

for adult recreational use.

Drilling Permit Denied

A controversial plan to explore for oil outside Rio Rancho

Thursday. KOAT reports, “Sandoval County’s Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the County Commission deny two requests from SandRidge Oil, an Oklahoma-based company, to drill an exploratory well west of the city limits.” 

 

Legislative News

  • After being amended to add more violent crimes, the House passed a new three-strikes bill.  
  • Senators have introduced a bipartisan alternative to the House approved Real ID bill
  • Multiple proposals for stricter DWI sentencing are advancing through the House.  
  • A double-dipping bill that will allow retired police officers to return to work has also passed its first hurdles. 
  • The budget outlook continues to look bleak.
  • Robert Gorence, the attorney who was hired by a special legislative committee to help them review the Dianna Duran debacle last fall, says the state needs to reform the impeachment process to give special prosecutors subpoena power. 
  • Jeff Proctor is taking a long look at various proposals to reform the state’s bail system but is finding it hard to find data needed to make rational policy decisions. 
  • Charter school teachers, parents and students rallied at the Roundhouse on Thursday. 
  • Today, lawmakers will consider one proposal to set up an independent ethics commission and another to allow independent voters to vote in primaries.  
Baca Claims Victory

Robert Nott reports, “A former Santa Fe middle school teacher [principal] who was placed on administrative leave in October and has sought reinstatement is claiming a win after district officials late Thursday

.”

The move comes after more than 14 hours of testimony over two days in an open hearing before the school board, in which former Ortiz Middle School Principal J. Steven Baca painted a portrait of himself as a man who had challenged his supervisor and paid the price, and district officials accused him of insubordination and unprofessionalism. Thursday night's decision came earlier than anticipated, as the board had said after testimony stretched late into the night Wednesday that it would rule Friday on Baca's fate.
Background Checks Missing

Dozens of educators still don’t have

on file.

Employees at Los Alamos Public Schools and two Santa Fe-based charter schools — New Mexico School for the Arts and New Mexico Connections Academy, an online virtual school — were included in the Public Education Department’s report. But a New Mexico School for the Arts administrator said that school is in compliance with all background checks for employees, and Kurt Steinhaus, superintendent of the Los Alamos school district, said in an email, “We are in full compliance.”

Solar Buzz

KRQE has a cool story about a New Mexico woman who has created a

in Truth or Consequences.

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