Bill Cracking Down On Corrupt Public Officials Passes House Floor Unanimously
Majority Floor Leader Nate Gentry
STATE News:
SANTA FE – Legislation that will crack down on corrupt government officials by toughening penalties passed the House floor Monday by a unanimous vote.
The legislation, sponsored by Majority Floor Leader Nate Gentry, can add as much as one additional year of jail time for government officials and government employees convicted of felony corruption offenses.
“We need to send a clear message: Government corruption will not be tolerated,” Gentry said. “Corruption is a serious crime and those charged with it should have to pay the appropriate Read More
Senators Murkowski, Heinrich Introduce Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski
U.S. SENATE News:
- Bill Aims To Enhance Opportunities For Hunters, Anglers, Outdoor Recreation Enthusiasts
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., have introduced the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2015.
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich
Access to public lands is the number one issue for America’s sportsmen and women. The Sportsmen’s Act includes a broad array of bipartisan measures to enhance opportunities for hunters, anglers,
Representative Files Legislation To Allow Adjunct Teachers To Teach In New Mexico
Rep. Conrad James
STATE News:
SANTA FE – Rep. Conrad James announced today that he has filed legislation that will allow industry professionals to teach part time in the classroom without having to go back to college to receive their teaching degree.
This will allow experts in their respective fields to share their knowledge with students.
“Every classroom deserves a good teacher,” James said. “With this bill, not only will we be able to recruit more teachers – we can bring industry experts into the classroom where they can pass on their wealth of knowledge and experience directly to the students. Read More
Udall And Heinrich To Visit Los Alamos To Celebrate Passage Of Manhattan Project National Historical Park
U.S. Sen. Tom Udall
LA HISTORICAL SOCIETY News:
The community is invited to join Sen. Tom Udall and Sen. Martin Heinrich 3-4:30 p.m. Saturday in the Mesa Public Library upstairs rotunda for a special reception and chance to thank them for all of the work they did to ensure passage of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.
U.S. Sen.Martin Heinrich
At 3:30 p.m., the senators will participate in a short program to talk about the importance of the park and its importance to Los Alamos. At 4 p.m., the Los Alamos Historical Society will provide limited tours of the two homes it owns on Bathtub Row, Read More
Letter to the Editor: HB 41 Will Hurt Kids And Educators
By CARRIE APGARIt’s time to do your research and be heard.
Below is an email that I sent to Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard. If you agree with my stand on this very important issue, now is the time to contact our New Mexico Legislators and let them know how you feel.
Hello Rep. Garcia Richard,
I, as a tax-payer and mother of three children, two of whom are out of the public school system (thank God), must voice my opinion regarding the upcoming proposal of HB41.
Have you read this ridiculous proposal? If not, here is the Bill in it’s entirety.
Hanna Skandera is an embarrassment to Read More
Bill To Improve Lobbyist Disclosure Goes To House Committee Monday
Rep. Jeff Steinborn
STATE News:
Rep. Jeff Steinborn’s, D-Doña Ana, HB 155 will be heard 1:30 p.m. Monday by the House Regulatory and Public Affairs Committee in Room 315 at the Roundhouse. The bill will improve the process by which lobbyists and their employers disclose their spending, the issues on which they are lobbying, and their campaign contributions.
In 2013, there were approximately six lobbyists for every one of New Mexico’s 112 legislators. Lobbyists and their employers currently register and report through the Secretary of State’s (SOS) Office but access to meaningful information Read More
Governor Discusses Graduation Rates, Truancy And Dropout Prevention Efforts
Gov. Susana Martinez
STATE News:
- Class of 2014 Graduation Rate Was 68.5 percent
Santa Fe — The New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) has announced that the graduation rate for the Class of 2014 was 68.5 percent.
This statewide rate represents a small drop from the 2013 rate of 70 percent, but remains 5.5 percentage points higher than the graduation rate from four years ago.
“Teachers tell me all the time that we know which students are most at-risk of dropping out, so we need to do more to get them the help and attention they need to keep them in the classroom. If we can ensure they get a diploma, Read More
March And Rally For Public Education Feb. 16
Transparency Bills Aim At Dark Money
Image/CCNM
STATE News:
Rep. Jim Smith, R-Bernalillo, Sandoval and Santa Fe and Sen. Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, introduced HB 278 and SB 384 to adapt the state’s campaign reporting act to new trends in state and national campaigns including the formation of independent groups whose donors often are anonymous.
The bills also will bring New Mexico’s election code into compliance with recent court decisions. Smith said that the influence of independent expenditures, often called “dark money,” is growing dramatically and is drowning out the voices of everyday New Mexicans.
“Everyone deserves Read More
Los Alamos County Clerk And School Board Officials Canvass 2015 Election Results
From left, Lisa Wismer, Director, Business Operations at UNM-LA, Gloria Maestas, Elections Manager, Honorable Pat Casados, Magistrate Judge, Matt Williams, School Board Secretary, and Dr. Gene Schmidt, Superintendent, Los Alamos Public Schools. Photo by Sharon Stover
COUNTY News:
The Los Alamos County Clerk’s Office has completed the required canvass process to certify and finalize the 2015 School Board Election results.
The Canvass Board met at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Municipal Building. The board consisted of the Honorable Patricia A. Casados, Los Alamos County Magistrate Judge; Read More
Luján Joins Bipartisan Effort To Improve Privacy Protections For Electronic Communications
Rep. Ben Ray Luján
CONGRESSIONAL News:
U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., announced today that he has joined in a bipartisan effort to update and improve privacy protections for electronic communications.
Luján and more than 230 members of the House introduced legislation to update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), which has not been updated since 1986 despite substantial changes in technology.
“In the nearly 30 years since ECPA was written we have seen amazing technological progress that has brought us new tools to communicate. Yet in that time, our laws have not kept up with Read More
Conservation Voters New Mexico Honors House Leader Brian Egolf With 2015 Luminaria Award
Rep. Brian Egolf has a 100 percent lifetime score on CVNM’s Conservation Scorecard. Courtesy photo
STATE News:
SANTA FE—House Democratic Leader Brian Egolf has been selected by Conservation Voters New Mexico (CVNM) to receive the 2015 Luminaria Award.
Egolf will be honored Feb. 10 at CVNM’s 9th annual legislative reception, “for his bold leadership in protecting New Mexico’s land, air, water and healthy communities.”
“House Democratic Leader Brian Egolf has represented his district’s conservation values since day one as state representative for District Read More
DOE Secretary: Today’s National Security Strategy Update Reaffirms US Commitment
DOE News:
U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz made the following statement regarding the National Security Strategy (NSS) announced today:
“The vision that President Obama laid out in the latest National Security Strategy positions the United States to be a continued global leader in promoting a safe and secure world while mitigating the risks of climate change. When President Obama spoke nearly six years ago in Prague, he laid out many of the challenges that the world faces, from climate change to the global economic crisis to nuclear proliferation. And Read More
Energy Secretary Moniz Dedicates World’s Brightest Synchrotron Light Source
Brookhaven National Lab’s National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II). Courtesy/BNL
DOE News:
- NSLS-II at Brookhaven National Lab will Accelerate Unprecedented Advances in Energy, Environmental Science, and Medicine
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Ernest Moniz today dedicated the world’s most advanced light source, the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL).
Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz
The NSLS-II is a $912-million DOE Office of Science User Facility that produces extremely bright beams Read More
Boerigter And DiRosa Ready To Help UNM-LA Move Forward
Stephen Boerigter
UNM-LA News:
In Tuesday’s School Board election, Los Alamos County voters re-elected Stephen Boerigter, who ran uncontested, to fill Position 4 on the UNM-LA Advisory Board. Michael DiRosa was elected to fill Position 3, which is being vacated by Linda Hull who will complete her four-year term in March.
Michael DiRosa
This will be Boerigter’s second term and he will again work with current Advisory Board members Micheline Devaurs, Michelle Hall and David Sutton to further the college’s mission. Boerigter has been the Board’s chairperson for the past three years.
UNM-LA Read More
Legislators Seek To Close Dangerous Loophole
Rep. Kelly Fajardo
STATE News:
SANTA FE – The New Mexico House of Representatives has passed a bill to close a dangerous loophole that allows child predators, to send pictures of another person’s naked body to anyone younger than 16 years old, without criminal penalties.
“Democrats and Republicans in the House came together to close this dangerous loophole that allows sexual predators to get off the hook,” said Rep. Kelly Fajardo, the bill’s sponsor. “Now it is time for the Senate to act.”
Currently, “predators” who send a picture of “their own” genitalia to a child Read More
Letter to the Editor: It’s Been An Honor To Serve
By NAN HOLMESIt has been an honor to serve the students, teachers, and community of Los Alamos as a School Board member.
I appreciate the support I received not only in the recent election but throughout my service on the School Board. I know that Bill Hargraves is a hard worker and will do a fine job serving our schools.
I hope to continue to serve in some capacity to support our students and I hope that you will all join me.
Letter to the Editor: We Have To Decide That Our Collective Futures Are Worth The Time And Effort
By Dr. Jessica McCordIt’s a busy time for education in New Mexico. This represents my effort to help continue these conversations that will help the public stay informed and involved and communicate with their lawmakers as they discuss, debate, and make decisions about important legislation.
Senate Bill 205 is being sponsored by Sen. John Sapien – Please support this bill! It would allow our state to take both this and the next school year to evaluate the utility of the PARCC assessment to grade our schools and evaluate teachers. I beg our state legislators to take the time Read More
U.S. Sen. Tom Udall Leads Push To Expand Access To Early Childhood Education
U.S. Sen. Tom Udall
U.S. SENATE News:
- PRE-K Act Strengthens High-Quality Early Learning Programs Across New Mexico
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall announced that he has joined several senators in introducing legislation to expand access to high-quality early learning programs for children from birth to age five.
The Providing Resources Early for Kids (PRE-K) Act helps more kids arrive at kindergarten ready to succeed by establishing a federal-state partnership that incentivizes states to improve the quality of their preschool programs and expand to serve more children Read More
Conservation Voters New Mexico Releases 2015 Legislative Priorities
CVNM News:
SANTA FE—Conservation Voters New Mexico (CVNM) will be advocating for or against a myriad of bills at the Roundhouse during the 2015 New Mexico legislative session.
CVNM’s legislative priorities are outlined in the first edition of CVNM’s legislative agenda, which covers issues such as air quality, water, energy and climate change, effective government, environmental justice, wildlife and habitat conservation. The agenda is attached and can be found on CVNM’s website at www.CVNM.org.
“New Mexicans across the political spectrum care about creating jobs that support Read More
