State

New Mexico Courts Improving Pretrial Justice

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NM SUPREME COURT News:

SANTA FE — Pretrial justice improvements are underway to provide better information to judges for release and detention decisions about people charged with a crime and to expand the capability of courts to monitor defendants released pending trial.

“The Judiciary is building a robust data-driven pretrial system to help judges statewide make the difficult decisions on whether a person charged with a crime should remain free or be detained before trial, and the level of monitoring that released defendants need to ensure they return for court appearances,” said Artie Read More

New Mexico Counties Push For Jail, Sheriff Funding

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By AMANDA MARTINEZ

New Mexican

An organization that represents New Mexico county governments is pushing the state Legislature to increase reimbursements to counties for the rising costs of transporting state prisoners and providing behavioral health care to state inmates housed in county jails and youth centers.

The Santa Fe-based nonprofit New Mexico Counties is seeking a more than $6 million increase to the County Detention Facility Reimbursement Fund, which now stands at $2.3 million a year.

State law allows county sheriff’s offices to charge the state per diem and mileage expenses Read More

Ribe: Bandelier National Park? Here’s The Problem…

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By TOM RIBE

Executive Director

Caldera Action

Sen. Martin Heinrich recently introduced a bill in Congress to re-designate Bandelier National Monument as national park.

It is hard to see how this bill benefits either the public or Bandelier.

On its face, this may sound like a bill to give Bandelier more protection, but if this bill passes, I believe it will damage Bandelier’s land and cultural features and diminish the authority of Bandelier’s National Park Service managers.

Sen. Heinrich does many good things for our state and the country and he means well with this bill. His goal is to increase Read More

Governor, Staff Gear Up For State Of State Address

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Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham

By MICHAEL GERSTEIN

New Mexican

On the roughly eight-hour flight from Chicago to Dublin, Ireland, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s speechwriter and top communications staffer started a draft of what will be her second annual address to the Legislature.

Six hours and 6,000 words later, Tripp Stelnicki closed his laptop and braced himself to meet his sister’s fiancé in Ireland.

Since then, Stelnicki said, the document has run the gantlet, viewed and honed by the governor’s chief of staff, John Bingaman, senior adviser Dominic Gabello and the governor Read More

54th Annual Legislative Session Begins Noon Today

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Legislative Roundup:

The New Mexican

Days remaining in session: 30

In the beginning: The 54th annual legislative session begins at noon today at the state Capitol on the corner of Paseo de Peralta and Old Santa Fe Trail.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is scheduled to give her State of the State address outlining her initiatives on the floor of the House of Representatives, though that event generally occurs later in the afternoon.

Musical political chairs: The Senate’s Committee on Committees meets at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Room 326 to discuss assignments. Members will choose a successor for Sen. Read More

NM Supreme Court Rules Injured Tribal Casino Worker Cannot Seek Benefits Through State Workers’ Comp

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NMSC News:

SANTA FE — The state Supreme Court ruled Thursday that tribal sovereignty precludes an Isleta Pueblo casino employee injured on the job from bringing a claim against the Pueblo or its insurer under the state workers’ compensation program.

In a unanimous opinion, the state’s highest court reversed a decision by the Court of Appeals to allow Gloria Mendoza to proceed with a claim for benefits filed with the New Mexico Workers’ Compensation Administration (WCA).

Ms. Mendoza injured her knee while pushing chairs at the casino Aug. 24, 2015. The Pueblo’s third-party workers’ compensation Read More

Marco Serna Releases Education Position Paper

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By MARCO SERNA

Candidate for Congress

District 3

“Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world,” Nelson Mandela said.

More than anytime in history, we must heed his advice and make basic changes to our education system if we are going to maintain our economic and moral leadership around the world. 

The United States entered the 21st Century as the world’s sole superpower. We had the third-largest population with 327 million people, the largest economy and the second-largest higher-education system.

As recently as 20 years ago, the United States was ranked No. Read More

New Mexico Delegation Recognizes Sandia National Laboratories Contributions To State Economy, Jobs

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NM CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) and Xochitl Torres Small (D-N.M.), commended findings from a 2019 economic-impact analysis released Wednesday, which found that Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) is responsible for creating 1,100 new jobs while contributing $509 million to New Mexico businesses and $96.6 million in state gross receipt tax revenue.

The Economic Impact Report also found that SNL contributes $784 million to small Read More