Politics

FSR Urges Senate To Strengthen Patent Troll Bill, Protect American Businesses, Consumers

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FSR News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― The Financial Services Roundtable, as part of a joint trade effort, sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee leaders urging lawmakers to strengthen a pending bill that could help stop patent trolls from extorting exorbitant fees from American businesses and consumers.
 
The PATENT Act, S. 1137, is scheduled to be marked up by the committee today, but notable gaps still exist in the language that, if approved, will allow patent trolls to continue to use questionable patents to file frivolous lawsuits against financial services
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Udall, Tester Introduce Bill To Prevent Damaging Cuts In Indian Country

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SENATE News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Senators Tom Udall, D-N.M., and Jon Tester, D-Mont., have introduced legislation to prevent the return of damaging across-the-board budget cuts that significantly impacted health care, education, public safety, and housing throughout Indian Country. 
 
Udall and Tester’s bill will exempt the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service, and critical housing assistance from future sequestration.
 
“Across-the-board budget cuts presented a major setback for Indian Country, forcing cuts
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Officials Reach Special Legislative Session Agreement

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STATE News:

SANTA FE – Gov. Susana Martinez and leaders of the New Mexico Senate and New Mexico House of Representatives reached agreement Wednesday evening on three pieces of legislation to be passed in a special legislative session.

The agreement includes a $295 million capital outlay package that will, among other things, increase funding for senior centers and higher education institutions statewide, fully fund the State’s economic development closing fund, split the funding of major statewide highway projects ($45 million) and highway infrastructure development near Santa Teresa Read More

House Passes De-Escalation Training-Mental Health Services Amendment

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CONGRESSIONAL News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― The House voted overwhelmingly, 417-10, to pass an amendment by U.S. Reps. Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) and Tim Murphy (PA-18) that invests an additional $2 million in crisis-intervention training for state and local law enforcement, along with mental health and substance abuse treatment, and rehabilitation and community re-entry services.
 
The provision was added to the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill that will be considered tonight. 

The funding would be available

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Presidential Candidate Carly Fiorina Addresses RPNM

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Presidential Candidate Carly Fiorina was the keynote speaker at the Republican Party of New Mexico’s Silver Elephant Dinner Saturday night at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya in Bernalillo. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

Presidential Candidate Carly Fiorina shares her reasons for running during her remarks to the crowd Saturday evening. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

From left, Congressman Bill Redmond of Los Alamos, Carly Fiorina, longtime local and state GOP leader JoAnn Johnson and Los Alamos Federated Republican Women President Bethany Douglas. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com Read More

Heinrich Lauds Passage Of USA Freedom Act

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U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, voted for the USA Freedom Act of 2015, which passed the Senate Tuesday by a vote of 67 to 32.

The legislation will end the National Security Agency’s (NSA) bulk collection program that has allowed the government to collect billions of Americans’ private records while suspecting them of no wrongdoing.

Heinrich, a cosponsor of the USA Freedom Act has been a leading advocate for ending what the Second Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously concluded Read More

Rep. Ben Ray Luján Celebrates LGBT Pride Month

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U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján

CONGRESSIONAL News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District released the following statement today in celebration of LGBT Pride Month.

“This June as we celebrate LGBT Pride Month, we recognize the ongoing fight for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. The LGBT community makes tremendous contributions to New Mexico and our nation, and should be afforded the same rights and protections that all Americans deserve. 

“The determined spirit of the LGBT community has led to important advances in the cause Read More

Airport Screeners Miss 95 Percent Of Mock Explosives, Weapons; TSA Acting Director Removed

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TSA Acting Administrator Melvin Carraway

HSNW News:

Following reports that screenings failed to detect mock explosives and weapons, carried out by undercover agents in tests, in 95 percent of cases, DHS secretary Jeh Johnson has ordered improved security at airports and reassigned top Transportation Security Administration (TSA) official Melvin Carraway to another role.

ABC News, citing a forthcoming report by DHS IG, reported that airport screeners, employed by TSA, did not detect banned weapons in 67 out of 70 tests at dozens of U.S. airports. Johnson, whose department oversees Read More

Q&A: Council Weighs In On Potential Impact Of Manhattan Project National Historical Park

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A banner is placed near Central Avenue/Trinity Drive to welcome the MPNHP Field Team arriving Tuesday in Los Alamos for three day of meetings, tours and to gather input from the public. Photo by Chris Clark/ladailypost.com

Staff Report

With the Manhattan Project National Historical Park Field Team arriving in Los Alamos Tuesday, members of the Los Alamos County Council took time to answer questions regarding the potential impact the Park may have on the local community.

MPNHP Q&A

Council Chair Kristin Henderson:

LADP: Why do you think the Park is going to be significant for Los Alamos?
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DOE Appoints Joshua Madalena To NNMCAB

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Joshua Madalena

NNMCAB News:

Joshua Madalena, the recent Governor of Jemez Pueblo, was appointed to the Northern New Mexico Citizens’ Advisory Board (NNMCAB) by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The appointment was made by Acting Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management Mark Whitney, March 11, 2015. Madalena stated that he is “looking forward to providing information and speaking on behalf of the region I represent. The communication we establish today will benefit us as a whole. We are dealing with nuclear energy that will potentially help or hurt us, especially, those still yet Read More