Statewide Poll: Voters Overwhelmingly Support Campaign Finance And Ethics Reforms In 2015 Session
CCNM Executive Director Viki Harrison
CCNM News:
Research and Polling for Common Cause New Mexico (CCNM) recently conducted a poll, which revealed voters want to see ethics and finance reforms in election campaigns.
A poll conducted Jan. 9-13 revealed registered voters are wary of lobbyists and anonymous contributors and support campaign finance and ethics reforms. Approximately 450 randomly selected voters – both Republicans and Democrats – responded to a telephone survey, which has a 4.5 percent margin of error.
“The results of this poll confirm what we’ve been saying for several years, Read More
FBI: Shiprock Man Sentenced To Prison For Federal Assault Conviction
FBI News:
- Defendant Prosecuted as Part of Federal Initiative to Address the Epidemic Incidence of Violence Against Native Women
ALBUQUERQUE—Algar Horsechief, 27, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Shiprock, was sentenced Tuesday to 36 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on two assault charges.
Horsechief was arrested Aug. 1, 2014, on a criminal complaint charging him with assaulting his intimate partner, a Navajo woman, by strangulation, and also with assaulting her with a dangerous weapon, a wooden stick, with
NMAA Selects Its December ‘Compete With Class’ Honoree For True Act Of Sportsmanship On The Field
Rio Rancho football player Ikaika Waters helps his opponents up off the ground following state championship in December. ScreenShot/LADP
NMAA News:
ALBUQUERQUE – The New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA) is proud to announce that Rio Rancho football player Ikaika Waters has been recognized as the Compete with Class award recipient for the month of December.
A true act of sportsmanship was displayed by Waters, following his team’s state championship win in December. A video was posted on the NMAA Facebook page, showing Waters helping his opponents up off the ground and congratulating Read More
Study: New Mexico 7th Best State At Controlling Bullying
WalletHub News:
In the next 7 minutes, a child in the U.S. will be bullied. It may be the son or daughter of someone you know. Worse, it may be your own. Meanwhile, only four out of 100 adults will step in to stop it. And only 11 percent of the child’s peers might do the same. The rest — 85 percent — will do nothing.
With Feb. 9 being Stop Bullying Day and more than 160,000 children missing school every day in the U.S. out of fear of being bullied, the leading personal finance social network WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2015’s Best & Worst States at Controlling Bullying.
To identify the areas Read More
IRS Warns About Filing Fake Documents
IRS News:
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) conitues to warn taxpayers – Beware of the “Dirty Dozen” – a list of tax scams for the 2015 filing season. One of the items on this list is hiding taxable income by filing false Form 1099s or other fake documents.
“The mere suggestion of falsifying documents to reduce tax bills or inflate tax refunds is a huge red flag when using a paid tax return preparer,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said. “People should watch out for this type of scam especially when someone else prepares their returns.”
Compiled annually, the “Dirty Dozen” lists a variety Read More
Heinrich Continues Work To Reduce Wildfire Risk
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., cosponsored S. 326, the Stewardship End Result Contracting Improvement Act, to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire.
The bill would make it easier for federal land managers and businesses to partner on long-term, large-scale forest treatment.
“Stewardship contracting is one of the most versatile and powerful tools we have to achieve healthier and more fire resistant forests,” Heinrich said. “And like many good tools, it needs to maintained and sharpened from time to
Headquarters Operations Incentive Bill Designed To Make New Mexico More Economically Competitive
Rep. Conrad James
STATE News:
SANTA FE – The New Mexico Association of Commerce and Industry (ACI) and Rep. Conrad James recently introduced the Headquarters Operations Incentive bill. The bill is designed to make New Mexico more economically competitive by expanding a sales factor corporate income tax approach to headquarters operations.
Under the existing three-factor system, sales, payroll, and property are all used as criteria to determine corporate income tax level. ACI and James argue as a result, New Mexico businesses are actually incentivized against hiring more employees Read More
Candelaria Introduces New Mexico Family Act To Bring Paid Leave To State
Sen. Jacob Candelaria
STATE News:
SANTA FE – Sen. Jacob Candelaria is sponsoring a bill, which would provide paid family, maternity and sick leave to New Mexico.
The New Mexico Family Act would provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave.
“Currently, the federal Family and Medical Leave Act fails to cover 40 percent of U.S. workers. Even among those covered, few can afford to take unpaid leave,” Candelaria said. “The current law asks too many New Mexicans to make an impossible decision: take unpaid sick leave and risk losing their jobs, or ignore their families’ health to keep getting their paycheck. Read More
Bandelier Seeks Written Or Online Comments On Possible Fee Changes
Ancestral Pueblo cavates in Frijoles Canyon, Bandelier National Monument. Courtesy/NPS
BANDELIER News:
Bandelier National Monument is seeking public comment on possible increases in the park’s entry fees.
Snow limited the number of people attending the public meetings earlier in the month, but there is still time for anyone interested to submit comments by mail or online.
Current entrance fees, which allow re-entry into the monument for up to seven days, are $12 per private vehicle or motorcycle and $6 per person/bicycle. These fees date Read More
President’s Budget Request For National Parks Includes $3 Billion For Conservation, Preservation, Recreation
BANDELIER News:
President Obama’s budget request for fiscal year 2016 – the centennial year of the National Park Service (NPS) – includes $3 billion for the bureau’s critical conservation, preservation and recreation mission.
This provides a boost of $432.9 million toward the NPS’s essential programs and operations. The NPS was established in 1916 to administer America’s national parks, monuments, and related areas. In 2016, its 100-year anniversary, the system preserves 405 areas, 23 national scenic and national historic trails and 60 wild and scenic rivers.
The budget proposal would Read More
