No shocker here -- Sen. Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Los Lunas, doesn't want the Senate President Pro Tem spot that is open after Sen. Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, was defeated earlier this month. Sanchez has been the biggest thorn in the side of Gov. Susana Martinez in her two years since Martinez was elected.

There were some vague rumors that Sanchez might be considering running for Senate President Pro Tem -- although the position does not have the power of legislation as the Senate Majority Leader.

"I feel pretty comfortable where I'm at," Sanchez said in an interview at the Capitol, ending any speculation that he would run for president pro tem of the Senate instead of majority leader.

The majority leader decides which bills will be heard on the Senate floor, making it the most powerful job in the chamber.

If anything, Sanchez would just like a President Pro Tem who would work with him.

On to the Word:

• Gov. Susana Martinez is filing an amicus brief on a law that would decide whether or not laws requiring DNA testing of those arrested -- but not convicted -- of certain crimes are contrary to the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
• Martinez's statement:

  “As the prosecutor of Katie Sepich’s murderer, I saw first-hand the value of DNA collection. When we collect DNA from those who commit felony crimes, we identify killers and rapists who have yet to be caught, and in doing so, we prevent other crimes from occurring,” said Governor Martinez. “Not only have federal and state courts upheld DNA collection as a legitimate and worthwhile tool to fight crime in the United States, but it can also reduce the expense and time spent on otherwise lengthy investigations, and it has been used to exonerate innocent people who have been wrongly convicted. I’m optimistic that Katie’s Law will be upheld by the Supreme Court.”

• Former Pittsburgh, PA mayor Tom Murphy says the University of New Mexico should be the city's economic driver.

  Speaking before a NAIOP/ULI luncheon Monday at the Uptown Marriott, Murphy said weaning the Duke City from its reliance on federal government jobs and creating high-tech intellectual capacity jobs is the way to transform the Duke City economy and push it into the 21st century.
  
  “The University is your major economic driver, not the federal government. Education is your new raw material and how you build on it," Murphy said. “You already are known as a great place to live and that’s a great brand, but do you want to continue to live on that reputation or build on it? Either you manage decline well or you take on high risks that people are going to say you are nuts for trying. It’s a debate you need to have.”

• And more from the New Mexico Business Weekly:

  Using shift share, which removes national-trend data and measures local factors, EMSI said that Albuquerque saw about a 3.5 percent decline in expected job growth from 2010 to 2012, just beating Augusta-Richmond’s 4 percent, for the nation’s 100 largest metro areas.

  Unfortunately, this isn't beating out Augusta-Richmond for first place.
• The Albuquerque Journal says the city is facing a budget crunch.

  The city’s $476 million general operating budget for this year was built on an assumption of 2.4 percent growth in the revenue derived from gross-receipts taxes, which are similar to sales taxes. Instead, through the first four months of this year, the revenue is down 0.9 percent, compared with the same period last year.

• KOB:

  The Albuquerque metro area ranks 91st out of 102 American cities when it comes to the percentage of jobs lost in the last five years, according to the U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the fall of 2007, Albuquerque had 316,800 jobs. In the fall of 2012, the city had 288,600 jobs, a loss of 28,200 jobs or 8.9 percent of the labor force. That puts Albuquerque down near the bottom, along with Phoenix, Colorado Springs, and Las Vegas. Cities like Austin, Houston and El Paso have seen significant job growth in the same period.

• Taos News:

  A nonprofit headed by Taos County Commissioner Nicklos Jaramillo has sold thousands of dollars in equipment and services to the taxpayer-funded fire department run by Jaramillo and his brother.
  
  County documents obtained by The Taos News through a public records request show that Siete Valles Firemen’s Association has been paid at least $4,015 for materials and services ordered by the Hondo-Seco fire department.

>Rio Rancho Observer:

The Rio Rancho Governing Body will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 28, at 3 p.m. at City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle.

At the special meeting, the governing body will have a second reading and consider the Stolar Research Corporation Local Economic Development Act Ordinance.

The company is planning to expand its Raton operation to Rio Rancho.
• The Clovis News Journal says a U.S. Farm bill could help dairies in New Mexico.
• Here's another battle between the state and pueblos over gaming.

  The New Mexico Gaming Control Board is negotiating with eight gaming pueblos and two tribes over whether slot machine wagers initiated with “free play” or “bonus point” credits should be included when the casinos report their total quarterly wagers.

• The potential Hostess bankruptcy localized by KOB.
• The Taos News continues to report on the troubled Questa school board.

  Documents acquired by The Taos News appear to further explain the reasons behind the withdrawal of the suspended Questa school board’s attorney and shed light on the state’s strategy for a related Dec. 10 hearing.
  
  The hearing, initially set for Nov. 5 but continued to December, will give suspended board members the opportunity to respond to accusations made against them. State Education Secretary-Designate Hanna Skandera suspended the authority of the board in September, citing conflicts of interest, micromanagement and other alleged violations.

• The New Mexico state legislature continues its interim meetings today.
  
  The Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee meets in the state capitol today.
  
  The Mortgage Finance Authority Act Oversight Committee meets today in the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority Office in Albuquerque.
  
  The Revenue Stabilization & Tax Policy Committee meets tomorrow at the Roundhouse, the last meeting before Thanksgiving.
• Issues with politicians and trackers are nothing new; but this one happened a bit late. Representative-elect Philip Archuleta, D-Las Cruces, apologized for a run-in with a tracker from a business-aligned group according to Capitol Report New Mexico.
  
  In the same piece, Andy Nunez, I-Hatch, says he would have won if he was not attacked by a Republican PAC with ties to Gov. Martinez.
• Ethicist Jack Marshall says that political "smears" like those against RNC commiteeman Pat Rogers should be called out by journalists.

  In his first blog post about the matter, Marshall wrote, “Either it was a joke, or Rogers is insane. I don’t think he’s insane.”
  
  One big tip-off that the email was satirical, Marshall said Monday, is that “French surrender monkeys” is a pejorative taken directly from the TV show The Simpsons.

  One reason the attention had such big attention from the press and political watchers is because of Rogers' history in New Mexico.
• A very interesting story on "rez dogs" and how the cold temperatures are affecting them.

  The Navajo Nation Animal Control program estimates that there are hundreds of thousands of dogs on the Navajo Nation, many traveling in packs, others solo.
  
  Though some can be dangerous, most in the more urban areas, such as Shiprock, are more comfortable with people.

• Those involved in a riot in the San Juan County Adult Detention Center will be disciplined.

  San Juan County Adult Detention Center Administrator Tom Havel said the men involved in the incident will be facing up to 30 days of isolation, depending on their role.

• Old school KOB reporter Stuart Dyson describes his cell phone security.