Carl Trujillo files defamation lawsuit

He said, she said 

Former District 46 Rep. Carl Trujillo, who you may remember from his contentious race against now-Rep. Andrea Romero, is filing a defamation lawsuit stemming from an accusation of sexual harassment that was later dropped. The lawsuit names three women ($) associated with Animal Protection Voters of New Mexico, as well as a lobbyist from Planned Parenthood and the ACLU.

Planting the seed

A Democratic lawmaker from Deming has introduced a bill to fund cloud seeding in New Mexico, which could increase rainfall. Dropping iodized salt into clouds has been shown to increase precipitation here and elsewhere, but it's not clear whether it can make a huge difference. Either way, the agriculture community is on board.

Keeping communities safe

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has sent a letter to Bernalillo Metro Court about ICE's habit of detaining immigrants in and around the halls of justice. Not surprisingly, she doesn't like it. Nationwide, communities suffer when people fear coming forward with accusations or information about crimes in their communities, and a fear of being deported should they inform law enforcement about a perpetrator is a pretty big deterrent.

Cash infusion

The House has sent a $7 billion state budget to the Senate. That means an 11 percent increase in spending, made possible by the oil boom in the Permian Basin, including nearly half a billion more dollars to schools. Republicans argue the spending is not sustainable, and that when the bottom falls out again on the oil industry, there will be a need for tax hikes.

Sunny veggies

SFR's cover story this week tells you everything we think you need to know about renewable energy measures in the Legislature right now. Proposed bills could make solar energy more accessible to customers, and an administration more friendly to climate concerns (see: the future of civilization as we know it) means that measures that have previously died may have new life. We also have an at-a-glance roundup of the bills. It's a bit of an "eat-your-vegetables" story, as we say in the newsroom, but veggies are good for you.

Timber!

Speaking of renewables, a wind turbine toppled ($) near House, New Mexico, about 50 miles southwest of Tucumcari. No one was injured and no property was damaged. These are the dangers of a wind spill, folks. And that doesn't even get into the dangers of solar spills. Terrifying.

Eat up

Perhaps the single most important news item we have for you today, or ever, is that today starts Santa Fe Restaurant Week. All over town, three-course prixe fixe dinners run $15, $25, $35 or $45, depending on the restaurant, which amounts to a less expensive way to enjoy some places you perhaps haven't checked out yet. And seeing as today is also National Margarita Day, a national holiday if we ever heard one, there is reason for celebration.

Snow!

Snow.

Thanks for reading! The Word is snow.