Politics

State Auditor Tim Keller Releases Third Annual Fund Balance Report, Recommendations

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New Mexico State Auditor Tim Keller
 
STATE News:
 
SANTA FE ― The Office of the State Auditor (OSA) released the third annual Fund Balance Report that tallies unspent funds in government accounts.
 
The OSA Government Accountability Office compiled data from the most recent financial audits of 431 funds in 91 state agencies. Most of the dollars reside in funds for thousands of specific projects and programs. The report highlights the long-term challenges of red tape and bureaucracy, which tie up millions of dollars intended to make it out into the economy
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Letter To The Editor: Support Legislation To Require Background Checks For All Gun Sales

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By NINA SAMMONS
Santa Fe
 
As a voter in Sen. Liz Stefanics’ district, I encourage my fellow residents to call our legislators to support legislation to require background checks for all gun sales.
 
The law requires sales from gun shows or the internet to include a background check on the buyer ensuring that guns don’t end up in the hands of criminals or those with a dangerous mental illness. Polling has shown that this policy is supported by 87 percent of New Mexicans and 84% of New Mexican gun owners.
 
Please contact your legislators and let them know you support background checks
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Heinrich Calls On Trump To Address Wiretap Claim

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U.S. SENATE News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, issued the following statement calling on President Trump to come clean on his unsubstantiated accusation that President Obama wiretapped Trump Tower prior to last year’s election:
 
“If President Trump wanted to put this to bed, he’d come clean with whatever ‘evidence’ he claims to have. But instead, he’s using this as a way to redirect the public’s attention from a possible FBI investigation into connections between the Trump
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Funding For REDI Net Manager Position Fails

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Councilors Rick Reiss, left, and Pete Sheehey motion to approve funding for REDI Net to hire a general manager during Tuesday’s County Council meeting. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com

 

By KIRSTEN LASKEY
​Los Alamos Daily Post
 

A memorandum of agreement (MOA) failed to receive approval from the Los Alamos County Council to provide funds to REDI Net to hire a new general manager. REDI Net is the public organization which provides broadband network services in Northern New Mexico.

 

The MOA was discussed during the regular County Council meeting Tuesday Read More

Opioid Overdose Prevention Bill Moves To House Floor

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STATE News:
 
SANTA FE ― The House Health and Human Services Committee has passed legislation to prevent opioid drug overdoses in New Mexico. House Bill 370, sponsored by Reps. Sarah Maestas Barnes (R-Bernalillo) and Rebecca Dow (R-Grant, Hidalgo and Sierra), passed by a vote of 6 to 0.
 
The bill aims to increase awareness and access to naloxone. Naloxone, also known as Narcan, blocks the effects of opioids and is used to treat suspected opioid overdoses. House Bill 370 would require federally-certified opioid treatment centers to provide patients with overdose education,
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Sen. Martin Heinrich: President Trump’s Budget Outline Does Not Reflect Our Core Values And Principles

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U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich issued the following statement after President Trump released his Fiscal Year 2018 budget outline that cuts $54 billion from non-defense discretionary spending.

The President’s budget boosts Defense Department spending by 10 percent, cuts the State Department by 28 percent and the Environmental Protection Agency by 25 percent, eliminates funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and provides $1.5 billion for construction of the border wall.

“President Trump’s proposal irresponsibly Read More

House Passes Ban On Conversion Therapy

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STATE News:

SANTA FE – The New Mexico House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 121 Wednesday evening, a bill that would ban so-called conversion therapy for individuals under 18 years of age.

The bill is sponsored by Sen. Jacob Candelaria (D-Albuquerque) and Rep. Andrés Romero (D-Albuquerque). Conversion therapy, aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity, has been rejected by the American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical Association.

“This discredited practice is not based on medical science. It’s based on dangerous misinformation,” Read More

Ethics Commission Proposal Advances To Senate

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Rep. Jim Dines (R-Bernalillo). Courtesy photo
 
STATE News:
 
SANTA FE ― March 9 the House of Representatives unanimously passed House Joint Resolution 8, a proposal to establish an independent ethics commission in New Mexico. HJR 8 is sponsored by Rep. Jim Dines (R-Bernalillo).
 
HJR 8 would amend the New Mexico Constitution to create a seven-member independent commission, no more than three of which may belong to the same political party, to investigate and adjudicate ethics complaints against state officers and employees in the legislative and executive branches
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Freedom Of The Press … Sunshine Week Editorial

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By CHRIS WOOD, President
New Mexico Press Association

Recognizing that a representative government is dependent upon an informed electorate, the intent of the legislature in enacting the Inspection of Public Records Act is to ensure, and it is declared to be the public policy of this state, that all persons are entitled to the greatest possible information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of public officers and employees. It is the further intent of the legislature, and it is declared to be the public policy of this state, that to provide persons with such information Read More

Letter To The Editor: How Ironic …

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By ANDREW DELOREY
Los Alamos
 
How ironic that the Los Alamos GOP chairman should write, “No matter what political party a citizen chooses to associate with, it should be their first and most precious duty to protect the republic.” (link)

We have a GOP president that likely has many undisclosed conflicts of interest regarding his domestic and international business relationships. He has assaulted the first amendment by threatening and excluding the media. The media is diverse and every president has adversaries; that is by design. He has assaulted the first amendment by discriminating

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