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fter Sunday's Winter Solstice we've got your weekend news, some great music, and even a bipartisan Christmas video.
It's Monday, December 22.
PNM is facing opposition to its proposed electric rate price increase from small businesses.
Environmentalists question some of PNM’s cost recovery estimates for installing new pollution controls at the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station Read more at the Albuquerque Journal. The drought has forced New Mexico pecan farmers to use harmful groundwater.
Read it at the Las Cruces Sun-News Experts say water use laws in New Mexico and Texas have discouraged conservation. In both states, surface water rights holder pay for water distribution whether they use it or not. Read that part of the story here. At least the state’s farmers and drought watchers got some good news last week. The Climate Prediction Center produced a map showing between January and March New Mexico will be wetter than average. Check to see the map here. Home builders in Santa Fe are counting on President Barack Obama’s immigration orders to help stabilize their workforce.
Read it at the Santa Fe New Mexican. New Mexico farmers could also see a boost in their exports as the country reestablishes ties with Cuba. Read more at the Albuquerque Journal. Sen. Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, is proposing legislation to fix the state’s campaign finance laws. It would prohibit publicly financed candidates, like those running for the Public Regulation Commission, from spending public funds if they’re unopposed or paying themselves with state money to manage their own campaigns.
Wirth’s bill, according to Steve Terrell, would block candidates from contributing their public funds to other candidates or spending the money in support or opposition of ballot initiatives or paying any fines levied on their campaigns by a court or the Secretary of State’s office. Read it at the Santa Fe New Mexican. Emily Kaltenbach, the director of Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico, told Reporter Phaedra Haywood the New Mexico Department of Health’s revised new cannabis program rule proposals are better, but she still has concerns about patient privacy and safe access for rural patients. Read it at the Santa Fe New Mexican. Meanwhile, two of Colorado’s neighbors want the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the state’s laws legalizing recreational marijuana. New Mexico isn’t one of them yet. Read it at the Denver Post We missed this on Friday, but it looks like New Mexico Attorney General-elect Hector Baldares is cleaning house before he’s sworn in. Balderas’ transition team sent about three dozen AG employees letters thanking them for their public service and advising them their services will not be needed in the New Year. Deborah Baker has the story. Outgoing New Mexico Attorney General Gary King’s partnership with a private attorney who persuaded him to hire her to sue a national nursing home was the subject of a big New York Times story.
It’s also a way for lawyers to collect big fees for their firms. Read it here. Fred Harris, a former US Senator, National Chair of the Democratic Party, 1976 presidential candidate and professor emeritus of political science at the University of New Mexico, suggest the country’s biggest challenge is income equality.
Populism s a topic Harris has agitated about since the 1960s. The historic black and white news photos on this post are also worth checking looking at this morning. New Mexico Mercury posted Harris' original speech. New census data on income and poverty in U.S. counties shows just how slow the recovery has been. Read it at Stateline. We were invited to attend outgoing State Treasurer James Lewis’ retirement party on Saturday. After decades of public service Lewis is preparing for a big transition. Read more at ABQ Business First. Lewis will hand over the Treasurer's Office to Tim Eichenberg January first. Lewis said Eichenberg will face several challenges, including reducing the office's 70 percent turnover rate. Several speakers encouraged Lewis to consider coming out of retirement in four years to run for governor. See more at KOB. New Mexico Municipal League Executive Director Bill Fulginiti's proposal to reinstate the state tax on food is getting a chilly reception inside the Roundhouse. Milon Simonich has details. Speaking of food. Everything really is better with green chile. Now, a Las Cruces school middle school teacher’s song about the best “yummy” vegetable could become the official children’s song in New Mexico. Music posted on SoundCloud Friends of former state Philip R. “Bob” Grant who died earlier this month after building a reputation as an oil and gas expert in the 1970s.
Read it at the Albuquerque Journal. Former Heather Wilson staffers are mourning the death of Robert “Alo” Cushing who was found dead in his Bangkok apartment last week.
DC Bureau Chief Michael Coleman has the obit Dan Boyd, who covers the New Mexico Legislature for the Albuquerque Journal, grabbed an interview with Sen. Michael Sanchez, D-Belen. The upper chamber’s leader says he plans to work “fairly” with the new Republican controlled House.
Freshman Sen. Jacob Candelaria told Boyd he thinks lawmakers will reach bipartisan agreements on some economic development measures. Read about the power shift online. Lawmakers will also have to deal with contentious Indian gaming compacts.
The state in turn has sued tribes for nonpayment. Steve Terrell with the story here. Not sure how this happened, but corrections officers found an unloaded gun inside a secure area at the Bernalillo County Metro Detention Center. KOAT with the story. To boost school attendance, Sen. Craig Brandt, R-Rio Rancho, is planning to introduce a bill that would the revoke or block the driver’s licenses of habitually truant teens.
Similar measures have died in Santa Fe the last two years. Read it at KRQE. The public still has one more chance to offer a federal judge their opinion on a Albuquerque Police Department reform agreement, including the cops themselves. They say provisions in the settlement violate their collective bargaining agreement. See more at KOB. With an estimated 28,000 fans in attendance, it looks like it was a good year for the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. It was also a good boost to hotel and restaurant sales. Erica Zucco Reports. The Journal's Rick Wright has game highlights.
Political blogger Joe Monahan has put together a funny bipartisan Christmas video featuring Gov. Susana Martinez, Mayor Richard Berry, Attorney General-elect Hector Balderas and others wearing Mariachi costumes and strumming guitars as they sing one of our holiday favorites “Feliz Navidad”.
Santa Fe Reporter