Political News - Los Alamos Daily Post

Police Charge State Sen. Richard Martinez With DWI

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on July 1, 2019

State News:

Police in Española arrested State Sen. Richard C. Martinez late Friday night and charged him with reckless driving and aggravated DWI.

According to the police incident report, a driver said the senator rear-ended him at a red light at Paseo de Onate and Fairview Lane. Martinez and the people in the car he rear-ended all sustained minor injuries.

Martinez failed his physical field sobriety tests and refused to submit to a breathalyzer test, according to the report.

Martinez is a Democrat and retired Magistrate Court judge. Since 2001 he has served Dist. 5, which includes Los

Teachers Union: Salary Agreement For 2019-2020

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 30, 2019

AFT News:

ALBUQUERQUE — After months of negotiations, the Albuquerque Teachers Federation (ATF) announced a tentative agreement with the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) on raises for certified employees.

“While contract talks continue on other terms and conditions of employment, I am proud to say that all APS educators we represent will return to work next school year with significant salary increases. I am particularly pleased that we were able to negotiate a level of equitability in raises for all of our employee groups beyond what the state legislature specified.” ATF

Irby: Big Wins For Animals In House Spending Bill…

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 30, 2019

Courtesy photo

By MARTY IRBY

Executive Director

Animal Wellness Action

This week, the U.S. House passed a multi-agency spending bill, including the Agriculture, Interior, Justice, and Veterans Affairs departments.

At Animal Wellness Action, we worked on a wide range of issues across the agencies that affect animals. We had some great outcomes, but now it’s time to pivot to the U.S. Senate where we need your help to secure and finalize the provisions that matter most, and eliminate the most dangerous provision – a plan by a suspect coalition of the two largest animal

State Program Trains 2,300 Workers At 70 Companies

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 30, 2019

NMED News:

SANTA FE ― A start-up that helps retailers compete with Internet sellers and a company that builds unmanned solar aircraft are among the firms awarded job-training grants in June, said Economic Development Department Cabinet Secretary Alicia J. Keyes.

The most recent grants went to seven companies to train 52 workers in areas from chemistry to electronics and tech assembly to solar installation.

The June awards are the last of the 2019 Fiscal Year for the Job Training Incentive Program (JTIP), one of the top employee-training programs in the United States.

Udall On Court Blocking Census Citizenship Question

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 29, 2019

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) issued the following statement Friday after the Supreme Court blocked a citizenship question from being added to the 2020 Census for the time being:

“Today’s decision from the Supreme Court is a relief for New Mexico communities. Ensuring an accurate census count is critical to making sure that every community in our state gets its rightful share of federal resources—hundreds of millions of dollars are stake. The Trump administration’s proposal to add a citizenship question to

Toulouse Oliver Hosts National Association Of Secretaries Of State Conference In Santa Fe Sunday

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 29, 2019

Maggie Toulouse Oliver

STATE News:

SANTA FE ― Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver will welcome Secretaries of State and Lieutenant Governors from 38 states and Puerto Rico to Santa Fe Sunday as the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) 2019 Summer Conference kicks off.

Secretary Toulouse Oliver serves on the NASS Executive Board as Treasurer and is the incoming President Elect.

“It’s an honor to host this year’s summer conference and to welcome Secretaries of State and Lieutenant Governors from all over the country here to New Mexico,” Secretary

Pre-Concert Scenes At Ashley Pond Pavilion Friday

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 29, 2019

Moving Arts Espanola presents a Mexican Folklorico dance performance at 6 p.m. Friday at Ashley Pond Pavilion as part of the Secret City Summer Concert. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com

A swirl of skirts. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com

Despite rainclouds looming overhead, a crowd begins to gather early Friday evening at Ashley Pond Park. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com

Bones of Romeo opens for the main act Friday evening. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com

Los Alamos Republican Party 1st Vice Chair James Whitehead at the

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich Encourages DACA Recipients To Continue Seeking Renewals

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 29, 2019

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is encouraging individuals protected under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to renew their status, and is calling for Senate action to protect DREAMers.

This is in response to reports that the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments next term.

“Immigrants have long helped write the economic, social, and cultural story of New Mexico. Our nation’s foundation and the enduring American spirit were built by the hard work and dreams of so many striving

State Targets Unlicensed Contractors Via Social Media

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 28, 2019

Marguerite Salazar

STATE News:

SANTA FE ― New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department Superintendent Marguerite Salazar announced Thursday that the Construction Industries Division participated with the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA) in a national coordinated enforcement effort, the weeks of June 3-21, which included 11 NASCLA state members who took part in this event across the country.

Participating states included New Mexico, Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Mississippi, Nevada, Oregon,

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich Secures Major Wins For New Mexico In Annual Defense Spending Bill

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 28, 2019

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich

SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 27, 2019) – Today, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) voted to pass the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that supports New Mexico’s men and women in uniform, military installations, national laboratories, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), Artificial Intelligence, and job-creating initiatives throughout the state.

The legislation passed the Senate by a vote of 86-8.

Heinrich, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, Read More

State Auditor Brian Colón Issues Statement Following Raid Of Las Vegas Mayor; City Hall

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 27, 2019

State Auditor Colón

LAS VEGAS, NM – This afternoon State Auditor Colón issued the following statement regarding the New Mexico Attorney General raids on the home of Las Vegas Mayor and City Hall:

“Upon information identified through an open and ongoing special examination the special investigations division on June 24, 2019 directed the Independent Public Accountant to consider risk to assess the potential loss of taxpayer dollars,” Colón said. “The allegations of improper compliance and violations of law concerning conflicts of interest between Mayor Tonita Gurule-Giron and Gemini Read More

RCLC Reboot Underway

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 27, 2019

Staff Report:

Misspent public funds, reimbursements for $38-a-shot whiskey, tickets to a major league baseball game, a woeful lack of proper financial controls.

These are only some of the scandal-ridden headlines of a story that broke a year ago ahead of the Democratic Primary Election for the District 46 state house seat in northern Santa Fe County.

This election resulted in the defeat of an incumbent and a special audit of the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities (RCLC), an advocacy organization that represents local communities on issues related to Los Alamos National Laboratory and Read More

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse Receives Olmsted Medal

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 27, 2019

U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehous

ASLA News:

The American Society of Landscape Architects awarded U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse the prestigious Olmsted Medal for his unwavering support for projects that utilize sustainable, resilient design to protect the environment, preserve the coasts, and promote the health, safety and welfare of communities.

Every week, Sen. Whitehouse gives a speech on the Senate floor in Washington, D.C., calling his colleagues to action to combat climate change. In his 200th speech, he said:

“[…] he most obvious fact standing plainly before me is not the measured sea

Renewable Electricity Standard Legislation Introduced

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 27, 2019

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), along with senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Angus King (I–Maine), introduced legislation to achieve at least 50 percent renewable electricity nationwide in just 15 years – putting the U.S. on a trajectory to decarbonize the power sector by 2050.

Starting in 2020, the Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) Act of 2019 would require electricity providers across the country to increase their supply of renewable energy from sources like wind and solar each

NNSA Announces Availability Of Complex Transformation Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 26, 2019

NNSA News:

The NNSA is making a Draft Supplement Analysis (SA) of the Complex Transformation Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (SPEIS) available for public review and comment.

NNSA also will publish a Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register June 28, 2019 to announce the availability of the Draft SA. NNSA is preparing the SA to determine whether, prior to proceeding with the action to produce plutonium pits at a rate of no fewer than 80 pits per year by 2030, the existing Complex Transformation SPEIS should be supplemented, a new environmental Read More

Democrats Host Drinks With Dems At The Tub July 6

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 26, 2019

NMEW Hosts Ethics In New Mexico Event July 15

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 26, 2019

NMEW News:

New Mexico Ethics Watch (NMEW) will present Ethics in New Mexico: Where We’ve Been, Where We Are, Where We’re Going, a multi-faceted event 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday July 15, at the UNM Continuing Education Center on University Blvd. NE in Albuquerque.

The event will feature former Chief Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court Richard Bosson, former New Mexico State Sen. and author Dede Feldman and former Deputy Chief New Mexico Attorney General and newly-appointed ethics commission member Stuart Bluestone, in a lively panel discussion and an audience Q&A,

Luján Initiative To Protect Chaco Canyon Passes House

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 26, 2019

U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján

CONGRESSIONAL News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. House Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján’s initiative to secure a one-year moratorium on oil and gas drilling near the Chaco Culture National Historical Park was passed Tuesday by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Assistant Speaker Luján’s amendment was included in the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations package that passed Tuesday – a critical move toward securing a permanent ban on oil and gas drilling in the greater Chaco region.

A one-year moratorium is an environmental

New Mexico Commission On Access To Justice Launches ‘Think About This’ Campaign

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 25, 2019

Courtesy/NMCAJ

NMCAJ News:

ALBUQUERQUE – The New Mexico Commission on Access to Justice has a message to the public: the lack of legal representation is causing serious injustice and suffering in civil cases.

All defendants in criminal cases are guaranteed a lawyer no matter what, but a lawyer is not guaranteed in civil cases and many people suffer serious consequences.

“People who can’t afford a lawyer in civil legal cases, or who can’t access legal resources, are losing their homes, losing their children, suffering from lack of benefits, suffering financial hardship because of large medical Read More

Governor: Two New State Investment Council Members

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 25, 2019

STATE News:

SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced today the appointment of two new members of the State Investment Council effectively immediately.

The governor appointed L. Michael Messina and Tracy Hartzler. The new members will replace Lynn Hoffman and Scott Smart, respectively.

“I want to thank Ms. Hoffman and Mr. Smart for their years of committed service to the council and recognize their contributions,” Gov. Lujan Grisham said. “I’m optimistic our two new appointees will provide the same steady and even-handed management of our state’s all-important investment Read More

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