Politics

Letter To The Editor: The Real Issue … RISK

by

By KEN MILDER
Former County Councilor

While I understand how Terry Goldman (letter) might interpret Jaret McDonald’s column as a vendetta against the current sheriff, I don’t see it that way. The real issue is the risk to the County of having a sheriff’s office. I addressed this in my Sept. 15, 2015 column in the Los Alamos Daily Post but will expand, here.

  Although the County Council has made admirable and appropriate efforts to convince the sheriff that he limit his activities to those permitted in the County Charter, the Council, itself, has limitations to its control Read More

Udall, Heinrich Hail Senate Passage Of Protect Patrimony Resolution

by

SENATE News:
 
WASHINGTON D.C. ― U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich praised the Senate’s recent passage of the Protection of the Right of Tribes to stop the Export of Cultural and Traditional (PROTECT) Patrimony Resolution. 
 
The bipartisan resolution, which was introduced by Udall and Heinrich as well as Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), condemns the theft, illegal possession or sale, transfer, and export of Tribal cultural items and calls for several measures
Read More

U.S. And Chinese Drug Enforcement Agencies Meet On Synthetic Opioid Efforts

by

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg
 
DEA News:
 
The heads of the national drug-control agencies for the United States and the People’s Republic of China met last week at DEA Headquarters in Arlington, Va., to discuss ways to stop the flow from China to the United States of deadly synthetic drugs. 
 
This meeting with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg and Director General (DG) Hu Minglang from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of the Ministry of Public Security follows an announcement by
Read More

New Mexico Delegation Supports Navajo Nation’s Request For Disaster Declaration

by

NM CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― In a letter to the President of the United States, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Reps. Steve Pearce, Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham expressed support for Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye’s request for a major disaster declaration in response to August flooding that occurred on the Navajo Nation in Shiprock.
 
“This rainstorm caused severe flooding and prompted evacuation of the primary flood area in Shiprock where the flood waters displaced boulders, trees, fences, and other
Read More

Letter To The Editor: This Smacks Of Vendetta

by

By TERRY GOLDMAN
Los Alamos

Jaret McDonald displays the significantly foolish over-reaction of too many of our current County Councilors (letter). He states that he favors a County Sheriff position, having been one himself, but: “The current Sheriff, Marco Lucero, has consistently tried to increase the role of the office beyond what the Charter established.”

The foolish over-reaction is to ‘solve’ this problem by abolishing the office. Yet the Council has control over it and the current Sheriff is term-limited and will leave office soon. All the Council has to do is be firm in limiting the

Read More

McDonald: Nothing Inconsistent In My Views Regarding Office Of The Sheriff

by

By JARET MCDONALD, candidate
Los Alamos County Council

I have been criticized for stating that I will vote to eliminate the Office of Sheriff in Los Alamos County. People have criticized me for this because I ran for the office in 2014. I ran because I wanted to fulfill the duties of Sheriff as defined in the Charter of Los Alamos County. 

The current Sheriff, Marco Lucero, has consistently tried to increase the role of the office beyond what the Charter established.

On Sept. 15, County Council Vice Chair Susan O’Leary, wrote about this concern in the Los Alamos Daily Post (link). The following Read More

House Judiciary Committee Approves Legislation To Reinstate Death Penalty

by

News From The Special Legislative Session:

The House Judiciary Committee of the New Mexico Legislature approved legislation Friday evening to reinstate the death penalty in New Mexico for those who murder law enforcement officers, corrections officers or children.

The legislation, House Bill 7, is sponsored by Rep. Monica Youngblood and Rep. Andy Nuñez.

“The death penalty is a fitting punishment for the monsters that murder innocent children,” Youngblood said. “It gives prosecutors another option to use while they seek the justice these children deserve.”

“Too many law enforcement Read More

Legislation To Strengthen ‘Three Strikes Law’ Passes House Judiciary

by

STATE NEWS:

SANTA FE – The House Judiciary Committee passed Rep. Paul Pacheco and Rep. John Zimmerman’s bill to reform New Mexico’s “Three Strikes Law”. 

HB 5, also know as “Lilly’s Law”, was approved by a bipartisan vote of 8 to 4. The legislation would expand the list of violent felony crimes that would make an offender eligible for mandatory life sentencing. No defendant has been convicted under the current law because the list of crimes included in the law is extremely narrow.

Pacheco and Zimmerman’s bill would expand the list of offenses to include crimes in which the perpetrator exhibits Read More

House Minority Leader Stresses No Cuts For Kids

by

Read More

Governor Issues Proclamation For Special Session To Begin At Noon Today

by

STATE News:

SANTA FE — New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has issued the following proclamation calling for a Special Session of the Legislature to begin at noon today:

WHEREAS, ARTICLE IV, SECTION 6 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF NEW MEXICO PROVIDES THAT SPECIAL SESSIONS OF THE LEGISLATURE MAY BE CALLED BY THE GOVERNOR;

WHEREAS, ARTICLE IV, SECTION 6 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF NEW MEXICO FURTHER PROVIDES THAT NO BUSINESS SHALL BE TRANSACTED EXCEPT SUCH AS RELATES TO OBJECTS SPECIFIED IN THE PROCLAMATION ISSUED BY THE GOVERNOR;

WHEREAS, IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATION OF ISSUES CRITICAL TO THE ECONOMIC HEALTH, Read More