Anti-Conservation Bills Defeated In 2015 Legislature
CVNM News:
SANTA FE — Conservation Voters New Mexico (CVNM) advocated for or against 89 bills at the Roundhouse during the 2015 New Mexico legislative session.
CVNM and our allies successfully defeated 100 percent of the anti-conservation bills that attacked common-sense laws that protect our families and communities for the 11th year in a row.
CVNM and our allies in the Environmental Alliance of New Mexico joined together to successfully pass an eight-year extension of the solar development tax credit. SB 391, sponsored by Sen. Stewart is critical to advancing development of solar energy Read More
Study: New Mexico Most Federally Dependent State
WALLETHUB News:
A WalletHub study reveals that New Mexico is the most federally dependent state.
In order to identify which states most and least depend on the federal government, WalletHub analyzed the 50 U.S. states across four key metrics, including:
- the return on taxes paid to the federal government;
- federal funding as a percentage of state revenue;
- the number of federal employees per capita; and
- the number of civilian non-defense federal employees per capita.
How Federally Dependent Is New Mexico? (1=Least, 25 =Avg.):
- 46th – Highest Return on Federal Income Tax
- 42nd – Lowest Independent
U.S. Rep. Lujan Grisham Highlights Positive Effects Of Medicaid Expansion
Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham
U.S. CONGRESSIONAL News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., marked the anniversary of the Affordable Care Act by highlighting how hundreds of thousands of New Mexico families are benefiting from the expansion of Medicaid.
An additional 230,000 New Mexicans have gained health coverage through Medicaid and the federal children’s health insurance program – a 50-percent increase over 18 months.
“I am pushing Congress to make needed improvements to the Affordable Care Act so health care is more accessible to average families,” Lujan Read More
Heinrich, Udall Introduce Bill To Boost Funding For Laboratory Directed R&D Program
U.S. SENTATE News:
- LDRD program advances frontiers of science and engineering, invests in critical national security missions, helps recruit and retain staff for national laboratories
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. and Tom Udall, D-N.M. introduced S.830, the LDRD Enhancement Act of 2015, a bill to increase the maximum percentage each laboratory director may set aside for Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) from 6 to 10 percent of the lab’s budget.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s discretionary LDRD program advances the Read More
Los Alamos Middle School Student Nora Cullinan Places 4th At State Spelling Bee
Nora Cullinan with her Los Alamos County Spelling Bee trophy. Courtesy photo
Education News:
Los Alamos County Spelling Bee Champion Nora Cullinan tied for fourth place at the New Mexico State Spelling Bee this Saturday. This is the highest state finish for a Los Alamos speller in recent memory.
An eighth grade student at Los Alamos Middle School, Cullinan took second place in the Middle School Bee to advance to the County Bee, which she won with the word “hippopotamus.”
To prepare for the State Bee, Cullinan studied a list of more than 1,100 words provided by Scripps, the organizers
Udall On Fifth Anniversary Of Affordable Care Act
U.S. Sen. Tom Udall National Work Zone Awareness Week Highlights Start Of Annual Construction Season
Slow down in construction zones. Courtesy/NMDOT
NMDOT News:
SANTA FE – Expect the unexpected when driving through work zones.
This week marks National Work Zone Awareness Week, the annual spring campaign held at the start of construction season to encourage safe driving through highway work zones and construction sites.
The theme for National Work Zone Awareness Week 2015 (March 23-27) is “Expect the Unexpected.”
This was the original theme used 15 years ago when the national event was created by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the American Traffic Safety Services Read More
LAHS Senior Sarah Criscuolo Represents Los Alamos Key Club
Los Alamos Key Club member Sarah Criscuolo speaks at the March 14 mid-year conference for the Southwestern District of the Kiwanis International at the Courtyard by Marriott in Farmington. Courtesy photo
KIWANIS News:
Los Alamos High School Key Club member Sarah Criscuolo spoke March 14 at the annual mid-year conference for the Southwestern District of Kiwanis International at the Marriott in Farmington.
Carl Mueller also spoke at the event. He is the father of Kayla Mueller, 26, of Prescott, Ariz., who was killed by the Islamic State in Syria last month. She had spoken to the Prescott Read More
Udall Warns About Scam Targeting Taxpayers
U.S. Sen. Tom Udall
STATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall warned consumers about a phone scam targeting thousands of taxpayers in New Mexico and throughout the country, and encouraged taxpayers to exercise caution when providing personal information solicited over the phone or online.
According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), criminals are targeting taxpayers throughout the country with an aggressive and sophisticated impersonation scam. Callers claim to be IRS employees, often using fake names and caller ID that may make it appear as though their call Read More
Capital Outlay Bill Dies As Legislature Adjourns
House Floor on Saturday during debate of SB 159. Courtesy photo
Staff Report:
SANTA FE – At noon Saturday, the 2015 New Mexico legislative session came to an end as the constitutionally allotted 60 days expired.
Once legislators adjourned, all uncompleted legislation died. This year’s legislative session saw a Republican majority take control of the House of Representatives for the first time in six decades.
This change in party control meant little to most New Mexicans and there were signs of bipartisan cooperation as the Legislature passed a $6.2 billion budget for next year’s Read More