Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort, R-Sandia Park, introduced Senate Bill 230, which would allow each school in the state to designate one employee to carry a concealed weapon. If enacted, the bill wouldn’t mandate but rather would enable school leaders to make a decision to arm an employee, Beffort said.

“If this bill were to pass, it would be an extremely serious decision that schools could not take lightly,” Beffort said by phone Wednesday afternoon. “The issue is to stop a tragedy before it may happen. We hope it would never be necessary.”

"Money is not flowing to where children need it at the end of the day," Charles Sallee of the LFC told a joint session of Senate and House education committee members at the Roundhouse on Wednesday morning.

Also, the formula currently encourages districts to identify high numbers of students for special-education programs and includes unclear guidelines that may allow districts to claim more money than needed for these programs.

The amendments proposed in House joint resolutions would require elections board of regents members at the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University. It was also require candidates for appointed regent positions to be vetted through a legislative commission. 

Senate Bill 8, jointly sponsored by Sen. Tim Keller, D-Albuquerque, and Rep. Paul C. Bandy, R-Aztec, originally called for candidates to have at least a bachelor’s degree and seven years’ experience in a field relevant to the agency’s work with utilities, telecommunications and motor carriers. It was amended to allow those with an associate degree and seven years’ experience to qualify.

Los Alamos has the lowest imposed property tax rate of any New Mexico county.

As a county, council has the authority to levy 11.85 in operating mils, but imposes just 8.85 mils. Council also has the authority to impose 7.65 mills as a municipality, but the current municipal levy is 1.748 mils.

An increase of two mils would raise $1.4 million in revenue, and the county would still have the lowest imposed rate of any county. A one mil levy would increase property taxes on a $300,000 home approximately $200 a year.

A study that could help lawmakers and the governor make a more informed decision on the future of the incentives cap was requested two years ago. Now it's about nine months past due, according to the state lawmaker who sponsored a bill calling for the study in 2011.

KRQE News 13 has learned the study is nowhere near completion because it hasn't even begun.

Lawrence Ortíz was facing felony charges of forgery and attempted fraud related to a warranty deed filed in 2010 laying claim to the entire Arroyo Hondo land grant north of Taos. The deed purported to pass ownership of 20,000 acres from a single person (Ortíz’ father) to a newly formed land grant board and to the unnamed heirs of the grant’s original settlers.