Morning Word: Pearce To Run For Governor

He's in
That sound you heard this morning was the other shoe dropping. The Albuquerque Journal's Michael Coleman reports New Mexico Rep. Steve Pearce will announce today that he's going to run for governor. Pearce instantly becomes the favorite for the Republican nomination—in part because he's the only one to have declared. But his name recognition and fundraising prowess will give other potential candidates pause. Pearce's candidacy means the 2nd Congressional District seat in Southern New Mexico is up for grabs. Pearce, a consistent, conservative voice in Congress, lost a statewide race for Senate in 2008.

Feds to review NM's behavioral health system

The federal Health and Human Services Department plans to

at the behavioral health care component of New Mexico's managed care plans. In 2013, the Martinez administration accused 15 behavioral healthcare providers of Medicaid fraud and overbilling. In the years since, no fraud has been found and the overbilling—once estimated as high as $36 million—appears to be just a tiny fraction of what the state feared.

Auditor questions state's accounting

State Auditor Tim Keller says New Mexico's bookkeeping practices have resulted in

of dollars received from the state's Land Grant Permanent Fund. The net result is an inaccurate picture of New Mexico's finances, the auditor says. The state has made accounting changes to stop listing more than $750 million as an asset both for individual departments and the fund itself. Keller is a Democrat who is running for mayor of Albuquerque.

Former US attorney to run for Congress

Damon Martinez, the former US attorney in New Mexico, will

seat, which primarily includes Albuquerque. Martinez held the federal post when the Justice Department concluded Albuquerque police were engaging in unconstitutional policing. The Democrat joins a crowded field that includes city councilors and state representatives.

The ACLU's New Mexico branch is

after the city denied a public records request for police policies regarding cellphone snooping devices. This has happened in other cities that use Stingray machines and other such devices that mimic cell towers and let police covertly lift data from mobile phones. The ACLU says the city denied owning any such devices, but also refused to release policies regarding their use. "I would say it's proof positive that they have them," a spokesman said.  

Folks who live near the huge Las Soleras development on the Southside say dust from the construction project

. There are rules for mitigating blowing dust from such projects, but some people who live in the Nava Ade subdivision say they're either not being followed or not doing much good.

It's kind of starting to look that way, as afternoon chances of storms seem to

. There's plenty of heat to build the storms, and the National Weather Service says monsoonal moisture is

.

Santa Fe Reporter