Political News

American Federation of Teachers New Mexico Responds To Upcoming State PARCC Results

AFNM President Stephanie Ly

AFTNM News:

Secretary Skandera Warns Schools, Parents, And Educators To ‘Brace Themselves’    

Albuquerque – American Federation of Teachers New Mexico President Stephanie Ly released the following statement:

“With the upcoming release of the Partnership for Assessment and Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) scores, Secretary Skandera is working hard to lower expectations for student performance, yet doesn’t tell the full story in her comments.

“In the absence of meaningful data until full PARCC results are released on Oct. 30, and Read More

RPLA/LAFRW Host Constitution Day Dinner

Chairman Bill McKerley of the Republican Party of Los Alamos welcomes state and local dignitaries and guests to last Saturday’s annual Constitution Day Dinner at the Golf Course Community Building. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

At the head table from  left, Jacqueline Chrobocinski, County Councilor James Chrobocinski, Jennifer McKerley, RPLA Chair Bill McKerley, Rep. Saira Blair, James Robinson, Mary Wilhoit and Dennis Wilhoit. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

Rep. Saira Blair of the West Virginia House is the youngest elected legislator Read More

Environmental Assessment Proposing To Address Chromium Contamination At LANL

DOE News:

In this Environmental Assessment (EA), the Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to address chromium contamination in the groundwater beneath Mortandad Canyon at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).

Groundwater sampling data show the presence of chromium contamination in the regional aquifer resulting from historical use of potassium dichromate – a corrosion inhibitor – in non-nuclear cooling-tower water that was discharged to an outfall as part of operational maintenance activities.

DOE’s proposed action is to implement an interim measure that would control offsite Read More

DOE To Perform Ordnance Clearance Sweeps For Pre Manhattan-Era Munitions In Bayo And Rendija Canyons

EM-LA News:

A multi-disciplinary team led by the Department of Energy Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office (EM-LA) will begin setting up for ordinance clearance sweeps Sept. 27.

A comprehensive sweep will take place at the head of a tributary to Bayo Canyon on land primarily owned by the Los Alamos County, while similar work will be performed in Rendija Canyon on 15 acres owned by the United States Forest Service. Both areas were used in the mid-1940s by the US Army; the area at the head of Bayo Canyon was a former Bazooka firing range, while Rendija Canyon was an ammunition impact zone. Read More

Got Drugs? Udall Encourages New Mexicans To Participate In National Take-Back Day Saturday

STATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Tom Udall encourages New Mexicans to participate in the 10th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day this Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and to return unwanted, unneeded or expired prescriptions for safe disposal. 

The Los Alamos Police Department is joining in this nationwide effort and will host three collection sites between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday:

  • Site 1: Los Alamos Police Department lobby at 2500 Trinity Dr. (please deposit prescription medications into the drop box)
  • Site 2: White Rock Visitor Center at 115 N.M.
Read More

New Mexico Serves More Than 2 Million Meals To Low-Income Children Over Summer Break

STATE News:

SANTA FE — Gov. Susana Martinez announced Wednesday that the state served more than 2 million meals to low-income children over the summer.

The Children, Youth, and Families Department, through its partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides free nutritious meals during the summer months to children age 18 and younger.

“Making sure that New Mexico’s children have food on their plates every day is so important to their health and wellbeing,” Martinez said. “And sadly, when school is out of session, many of our kids no longer have access to the healthy meals they Read More

Heinrich Urges National Guard To Fully Compensate New Mexico Servicemembers; Requests Audit

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich

STATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., is urging the National Guard Bureau near Washington D.C. to conduct an audit to ensure New Mexico National Guardsmen are being properly compensated for their service.

 After his office was contacted by a New Mexico National Guardsman who said he wasn’t fully compensated for his re-enlistment bonus, Heinrich received confirmation that there was no record of his payment being processed. In response, Heinrich sent a letter Wednesday to the National Guard asking that it immediately Read More

Udall, Heinrich Announce $23.2 Million For Albuquerque, Taos, Artesia Airports

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall

STATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced more than $23.2 million in grants to support air transportation infrastructure at the airports in Taos, Artesia and Albuquerque.

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the grants to fund airport construction and rehabilitation, and reduce pollution. 

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich 

The Taos Regional Airport will receive $16,162,353 to fund the construction of a new runway. The Artesia Municipal Airport will receive $2,042,802 to rehabilitate its existing runway, Read More

DOE National Cleanup Workshop Sept. 29-30

DOE News:

Washington, D.C. – Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 29-30, the Department of Energy (DOE), in cooperation with the Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) and Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG), will hold the first DOE National Cleanup Workshop at the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, VA.

The workshop brings together senior DOE executives, officials from DOE sites, industry executives, local government officials, and other stakeholders. Topics will include major cleanup successes planned for the next two years, contract and project management improvement, efforts to develop Read More

Constitution Day Essay Winners Honored

From left, essay contest winners Jack Ammerman, Audrey Nolan, Philippa Fung and Jenny Wang with West Virginia House Rep. Saira Blair. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

Staff Report

The Republican Party of Los Alamos and the Los Alamos Federated Republican Women hosted a Constitution Day Essay Contest and invited the winners to recite their essay at the annual Constitution Day Dinner held Saturday at the Los Alamos Golf Course Community Building.

Winners include:

  • High School – Jenny Wang;
  • Middle School – Audrey Nolan;
  • Elementary School – Philippa Fung; and
  • Honorable
Read More

NM Testimony At Joint Congressional Hearing Reveals EPA Misled With Incomplete, Cherry-Picked Data

New Mexico Environment Secretary Ryan Flynn

NMED News:

SANTA FE – At Thursday’s Joint Congressional Hearing for Natural Resources and Oversight & Government Reform, New Mexico Environment Secretary Ryan Flynn clarified numerous discrepancies from testimony made earlier in the day by the Environmental Protection Agency, including the agency’s summary-level, cherry-picked data that sought to downplay the severity of the Gold King Mine spill.

Flynn testified that the EPA neglected to include a key contaminant, arsenic, among the data supplied. Nor did EPA include total metals (just Read More

Heinrich Says New Mexico Can’t Afford Another Government Shutdown

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With only nine days until the until the current fiscal year ends, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. calls on lawmakers to skip the political gamesmanship and instead begin bipartisan budget negations to keep the federal government open and end the devastating, across-the-board budget cuts known as sequestration.

“The government shutdown in 2013 hit New Mexico hard and had very real consequences for our workforce. We can’t afford another manufactured crisis,” Heinrich said. “The politics and showmanship Read More

RPLA/LAFRW Host Youngest Legislator In U.S.

West Virginia House Rep. Saira Blair, 18, speaks with community youth and adults and Republican Party members Saturday afternoon at UNM-LA. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
 
From left, Rep. Saira Blair, RPLA Chair Bill McKerley and LAFRW President Bethany Douglas at Saturday’s event at UNM-LA. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
 
West Virginia House Rep. Saira Blair speaks with local youth during her Meet & Greet event at UNM-LA. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
 
Staff Report
 
The Republican Party of Los Alamos and the Los Alamos Federated
Read More

Heinrich Calls For Reforms To Mining Law In Environment And Public Works Hearing On Recent Spill

SENATE News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. spoke at a U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) oversight hearing Wednesday on the Gold King Mine spill that occurred last month.
 
The committee examined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) response to the accident, which caused a large plume of bright orange toxic waste to spill into the Animas and San Juan Rivers and pollute the Four Corners region, and the subsequent impact it had on the environment and economies of local states, communities, and Indian
Read More

New Mexico State Legislature Receives National Award For Improvements Made To Tax Policy

STATE News:
 
SANTA FE  The New Mexico State Legislature was awarded the Property Tax Achievement Award by the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) for an outstanding contribution to the improvement of property tax administration and tax policy during the 2015 Legislative Session.
 
IAAO is a nonprofit, educational, and research association founded in 1934 that is comprised of government assessment officials and others interested in the administration of property tax policy.
 
Define Agricultural Use for Property Tax (SB 112) and Disabled
Read More

Outstanding High School Students Encouraged To Apply For Highly Competitive Senate Youth Program

SENATE News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich encourage outstanding New Mexico high school juniors and seniors to apply for the highly competitive United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP).
 
Two New Mexico students will be selected to join 102 other delegates at the program’s 54th annual Washington Week from March 5-12, 2016. During their all expenses paid trip, New Mexico’s representatives will learn about the workings of the U.S.
 
Senate and federal government. Additionally, each selected participant will
Read More

Energy Department Announces $102 Million To Tackle Solar Challenges, Expand Access To Clean Electricity

DOE News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C.  Building on President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to cut climate-changing carbon pollution and continue building a clean energy economy in the United States, the Energy Department announced more than $102 million in new projects and available funding to support American leadership in clean energy innovation.
 
More than $52 million will support 22 new projects in partnership with companies, non-profit organizations, universities, and national laboratories that aim to make solar energy more affordable and accessible across the
Read More

Clean-water Groups Respond To Ryan Flynn’s Congressional Testimony

CVNM News:

New Mexico Environment Secretary Ryan Flynn testified in front of the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday regarding August’s Gold King Mine spill in the Animas River, promoting New Mexico’s management of natural resources.

But Flynn’s actions at the Environment Department have put New Mexico in greater danger of such water-contamination disasters in the future.

“The Animas River toxic spill provides an opportunity for Ryan Flynn and the state of New Mexico government to re-evaluate their neglect of, and indifference to, the need for stringent environmental regulations Read More

Meet & Greet West Virginia State Delegate Saira Blair At UNM-LA Sept. 19

Saira Blair, West Virginia State Delegate
 
COMMUNITY News:
 
Meet the nation’s youngest elected state official, West Virginia State Delegate Saira Blair 1-3 p.m., Saturday Sept. 19, at the UNM-LA Student Center, Bldg 2, for “meet and greet” with free refreshments.
 
Blair won her primary election at the age of 17 (before she could even vote) and beat an incumbent. She went on to win the general election by a 63 percent margin over her competitor, all while a student at WVU and running her campaign out of her dorm room. 
 
This is a great
Read More

AFT New Mexico Celebrates Introduction Of Senate Bill To Repeal Healthcare ‘Cadillac Tax’

AFTNM President Stephanie Ly

AFTNM News:

 ALBUQUERQUE – American Federation of Teachers New Mexico President Stephanie Ly released the following statement:

 

“Working New Mexicans can be proud of Sen. Heinrich and his bi-partisan efforts to repeal the regressive healthcare ‘Cadillac Tax’ from the Affordable Care Act.

 

“As a union who represents thousands of educators across New Mexico, and often negotiates aspects of healthcare coverage, we’re intimately familiar with the fight to ensure all New Mexicans have the best healthcare access possible at the lowest out-of-pocket Read More

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