Morning Word: Winter Storm Causes Delays and Closings

Snow

and rain are falling across most of the state this morning, and law enforcement officers from multiple agencies are investigating another Albuquerque Police officer involved shooting.

It's Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Winter storms continue to drop snow in parts of the state this morning. There are more than 90 active school and office open delays and closings. Here's the list.  An Albuquerque Police officer killed a suspect who allegedly shot at cops while trying to flee them on Tuesday evening. Watch Alex Goldsmith's report here.  In potential violation of a prior Memo of Understanding, a representative from District Attorney Kari Brandenburg’s criminal division apparently wasn’t allowed to attend a briefing on the shooting a day after she filed paperwork to launch a preliminary hearing for two officers involved in the shooting death of James Boyd. Cops told a television station they didn't need legal advice at the scene. See more at KOB.  State District Court Judge Alisa Hadfield has been assigned to that hearing and will have to determine if Albuquerque police officer Dominique Perez and retired APD detective Keith Sandy should stand trial for shooting and killing John Boyd in April. See more at KOB.  The City of Albuquerque faces a deadline to pick a federal monitor to watchdog agency reforms over the next few years. Read it at the Albuquerque Journal.  Today is the deadline to apply for the APD monitor’s contract and KRQE Field Producer Jeff Proctor has already checked out 17 individual and group applications for the position and discovered a Taos music teacher has tossed his name into the ring among other more qualified groups. See the story at KRQE.  At the same time, Albuquerque Forward, a community coalition who has been pushing the hundreds of reforms to curb APD’s culture of aggression announced its top three federal choices for the federal monitoring position and all of them have experience monitoring other police departments around the country. See more at KOB.  Meanwhile, Mayor Richard Berry doesn’t believe network coverage of the Boyd shooting and upcoming hearing will damage the City of Albuquerque’s image nationally.

See more at KOB 4.  Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-New Mexico, is praising a House measure that should help prevent more veteran suicides.

Read more at the Los Alamos Daily Post.  Citing plant reliability concerns, the City of Farmington is backing away from its agreement with the Public Service Company of New Mexico to acquire 65 megawatts of power from the utility’s San Juan Generating Plant.

A spokesperson for the regulated utility told reporter Kevin Robinson-Avila that PNM still wants to add 132 megawatts abandoned by its other plant partners. Read more at the ABQ Journal.  The utilities power replacement plan estimates have increased more than a billion dollars over the past year. Reporter Staci Matlock says PNM attributes that to errors in calculations. If the plan is approved the higher cost will be passed on to ratepayers.

Read more at the Santa Fe New Mexican.

The New Mexico Supreme Court justices have determined that undocumented immigrants are entitled to know they face deportation before they plead guilty to criminal charges. Read the AP story here.  SFR published its legislative preview guide this morning.

Read it here.

Rep. Conrad James, R-Albuquerque, will file legislation aimed at increasing penalties for convicted child abusers and those whose abuse contributes to the death of a child.

Currently, those who intentionally beat a child to death only face life in prison if the victim was under the age of 12.

Meanwhile, Rep. Kelly Fajardo, R-Belen, wants family service intervention mandatory once child abuse has been documented.

Gov. Martinez and the New Mexico Children, Youth and Family Department have already made several policy changes following the violent death of Omaree Varela at the hands of his own mother in December 2013. Read more at The Republic.  New Mexico Political Report's

Andy Lyman has a story detailing educational priorities at the upcoming legislative session. Read more online.  Outgoing Speaker of the House Ken Martinez, D-Grants, and incoming Speaker Don Tripp, R-Socorro, are on opposite pages when it comes to right-to-work legislation. Read more at ABQ Business First.  Speaking of work, economic development consultant Mark Lautman says New Mexico needs to gain at least 160,000 non-service sector jobs to get back to pre-Great Recession employment levels. Read more at the ABQ Journal.   Ben Shelly and Rex Lee Jim were sworn in as president and vice president of the Navajo Nation on Tuesday despite losing their reelection bids last fall. They both owe the continuation of their service to the Navajo Nation to the current chaotic state of the tribal election where factions within the government are still fighting in court over when an election will be held to select a new president and vice-president. Read more at the Navajo Times.  Voters in Santa Fe may get the final sale on a property tax increase imposed on them by the school district last year to help fund $55 million in various technological updates. Read it at the Santa Fe New Mexican.  Bernalillo County commissioners--facing revenue shortfalls—are one step closer to imposing taxes that would add a quarter of one percent to the gross receipt tax. The money is needed to fill the gaps created by running the detention center and a $17 million loss in its investment portfolio last year. Reporter Dan McKay says some of the tax money, if approved next month, will fund new mental health care services. Read Dan McKay's story here.   Putting locally grown fruit and vegetables on school lunch trays sounds like a good idea.

Read more at ABQ Business First. 

Santa Fe Reporter