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May 20, 2013 By Robert Wilder Comments 2
Morning Word
02.14.2013
0 Comments
Happy Valentine's Day!
Yesterday, the House showed some bipartisan love by passing a bill that would end the gun show loophole as well as codify some reporting of mental health information to the federal government.
The bill had eight Republicans vote for it, while three Democrats voted against it.
The bill has the support of Gov. Susana Martinez, who has said she would sign it in its current form. If it does pass the Senate in its current form and gets signed by Martinez, it could be one of the most high-profile pieces of state gun legislation to pass in a year where much of the focus is on gun legislation.
On to the Word:
Morning Word, 02-14-13
Day 31 of the legislative session
By Matthew Reichbach
Happy Valentine's Day!
Yesterday, the House showed some bipartisan love by passing a bill that would end the gun show loophole as well as codify some reporting of mental health information to the federal government.
The bill had eight Republicans vote for it, while three Democrats voted against it.
The bill has the support of Gov. Susana Martinez, who has said she would sign it in its current form. If it does pass the Senate in its current form and gets signed by Martinez, it could be one of the most high-profile pieces of state gun legislation to pass in a year where much of the focus is on gun legislation.
On to the Word:
- Yes, Dog the Bounty Hunter was at the Roundhouse. New Mexico Telegram highlighted other celebrities who made their way to the Roundhouse in recent years.
- The Santa Fe New Mexican has its Valentine's Day edition of the Legislative Roundup.
- The other big news is the introduction of a bipartisan piece of legislation related to drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants -- and one that Gov. Martinez supports. Steve Terrell has the details:
Under the bill, the Motor Vehicles Division would create two types of driver’s licenses. One class of license would comply with the federal Real ID Act, which requires stringent proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport. The license would be good for as long as eight years.
The other type of license would require a foreign national to show proof of identity and proof that they have lived in New Mexico for at least six consecutive months and have completed a driver’s education course. These licenses would expire after one year. Applicants couldn't use as proof of identity a driver’s license from another state that isn't intended for identification purposes.
Undocumented immigrants who came to this country as children and qualify for “Deferred Action Childhood Arrival” status under an executive order issued by President Barack Obama would be allowed to apply for the non-Real ID license. - The Santa Fe New Mexican has their report on the gun legislation passing.
- Simonich on the gun legislation. He noted a failed amendment:
Rehm even wanted to amend the bill to release information about those in New Mexico’s medical marijuana program. He said marijuana is still an illegal drug in the eyes of the federal government, and those using the drug should be flagged on background checks for firearms.
Democrats called Rehm's amendment "ludicrous," "insulting," and "unconstitutional." - Martinez is getting pressure from the right over her support for the background check bill.
- State Senator Steven Neville introduced a bill that would allow school districts to form their own police forces.
Although all school districts would have the option it is likely larger districts such as Albuquerque schools with 88,724 enrolled students and Las Cruces with 24,663 would be the ones to design their own police force.
"It would be similar to what is done on an university level," Neville said. "They have their own departments. It would be the same concept but different environment and problems." - The EPA identified some San Juan Basin polluters as among the top in the nation, the Farmington Daily-Times reports.
A recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report identified ConocoPhillips' San Juan Basin operations as one of the highest producers of greenhouse-gas emissions in the nation.
The San Juan Basin operations were ranked as the second-most prolific greenhouse-gas polluter in the nation among onshore oil and gas systems. The company's basin operations pumped out 5.57 million metric tons of "carbon-dioxide equivalent" in 2011, the EPA reported. - More drama with the Downs at Albuquerque:
The idea of night racing, which surfaced at a New Mexico Racing Commission meeting last month, has taken neighborhoods adjacent to the state-owned Expo New Mexico fairgrounds by surprise. And many are not happy.
- A bill to study the effects of film tax incentives was introduced -- giving the state auditor the authority and funds to complete the study.
- Former State Sen. Dede Feldman has a jobs plan. In a KUNM op-ed:
Well, here’s another jobs idea that’s right under our noses. It’s the training of the thousands of health care workers needed as a result of Obamacare and the state’s decision to expand Medicaid to include over 100,000 new patients. Who’s going to take care of these people? We are now desperately short of primary care doctors, nurses, and dentists. 32 out of our 33 counties are health professional shortage areas. New Mexico needs to mount a massive effort to train less expensive mid-level providers like dental therapists, nurse practioners, and community health workers to breach the gap. The pay-off will be good new jobs in every corner of the state—and, ultimately, less costly, and more responsive health care for everyone.
- The House passed a bill that targeted those who would steal wiring in cases that result in knocking out electricity and other services, the Albuquerque Journal reports.
- Rep. Jason Harper, R-Rio Rancho, wants to give some teeth to clawback provisions, Capitol Report New Mexico reports.
- Sterling Fluharty at the Santa Fe Reporter looks at the minimum wage debate.
- The Columbia Journalism Review covered the Santa Fe Reporter IPRA saga.
- The powerful cover story from the Santa Fe Reporter is definitely worth a read. The subhed:
One billion women will experience violence in their lifetimes. In Santa Fe and around the world, they're rising up for change.
- Sandia Labs still says it will not have to lay anyone off, the Albuquerque Journal reports.
- Former Albuquerque mayor Jim Baca on the upcoming mayoral elections:
The next Albuquerque Mayor's race will not be funded legally by public financing or candidate fund raising within legal limits as envisioned by the city charter. No, it will be overwhelmed by right wing political committees spawned by corporate America and right wing nut cases. Among them will be Governor Martinez's rabid political advisors. All of this enabled by the US Supreme Court's decision to let corporations be recognized as persons.
- And another former Albuquerque mayor, Martin Chavez, had some things to say on Twitter during the State of the Union:
Obama on immigration reform - but are Susanna and RJ listening in New Mexico?It's time to move on and start creating jobs in New Mexico!
— Marty Chavez (@MartyChavez) February 13, 2013 - The current mayor, Richard Berry, says his homeless initiative is a success.
- The Clovis News Journal says landowners blame the drought on the decline in the lesser prairie chicken population.
“It’s just been so dry, I don’t know how to fix dry,” said Curry County Commissioner Wendell Bostwick, who attended and spoke at the hearing in Roswell. “I don’t think that the studies that they’ve done so far have really taken into consideration the drought. You can correlate those two (the decline of the bird population and the drought) very closely together.”
- Albuquerque Business First says the New Mexico Land Office reported $52.6 million in earnings in January.
- Las Cruces mayor Ken Miyagishima gave his annual state of the city address and said that Las Cruces was strong.
Miyagishima said Las Cruces is strong, and backed that up with examples that brought applause from residents and other city officials gathered for the mayor's annual assessment of the city and city government. The city's cash reserves total $7.1 million, twice the amount the city is required by state government to maintain.
- Out come the boots. For cars in Santa Fe, anyway -- it comes after security concerns at public parking near the new First Judicial District courthouse.
- Rio Rancho School District superintendent Sue Cleveland received an extension to her contract -- which means that the school district will continue to have only one superintendent over it history for at least hte next three years. Cleveland even had the city's second high school named after her.
- The apartment industry has a big effect in the New Mexico economy according to Albuquerque Business First; it reports on a report by the National Multi Housing Council and National Apartment Association that says the apartment industry has a $3.3 billion impact on the state's economy.
- KOB reports on a plan by Farmington to revitalize its downtown area.
Marcela Diaz, director of the immigrant organization Somos Un Pueblo Unido, said Martinez was not compromising but advocating something that would give DREAMers less than they have now.
“The bill creates a driving certificate for people who are lawfully present,” Diaz said. “She cannot disallow documented immigrants from getting a license.”
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