Local Viewpoints

  Santa Fe, NM – Just like leaves turn color every autumn, it is becoming an annual occurrence every Legislative Session that officials from the state Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) tell us in the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) and the Senate Finance Committee (SFC) that they really can’t provide accurate balances of the state’s finances.

  Santa Fe, NM – Over the wishes of the majority of Senate Democrats who voted against her appointment, Hanna Skandera today was confirmed as the Secretary of the Public Education Department NMPED) in a vote by the full New Mexico Senate.  Earlier in the day the Senate Rules Committee, chaired by Senator Linda Lopez (D-11-Bernalillo), agreed to forward the controversial appointment of Sec. Skandera to the Senate floor following four years of being the Secretary-designate.  The final Senate vote was 22-19, with all Republicans voting Yes.

  Santa Fe, NM -As a politician, I can state unequivocally that “I love all children.” They are our future; they are our most vulnerable citizens, needing the greatest attention; history will judge us by how we’ve treated them, and (never forget) they make for great photo ops.

  Congress should urge the government of Israel to halt unnecessary confiscation of Palestinian lands in the Occupied West Bank, a move that would help address the plight of Christian Palestinians in the Cremisan Valley and “renew hope for a just resolution to the conflict,” said the chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Lawyers and politicians aren't always popular figures, but sometimes things work out fairly, without wrangling and rancor.  Here are three recent examples.

   Twice recently I've represented plaintiffs in potential First Amendment litigation.

   First, two students who peacefully criticized the National Security Agency at an NMSU job fair were arrested and charged with crimes – unconstitutionally, we thought.

  I’m not going to tell you that you may not go to see the movie, Fifty Shades of Grey.  I’m just going to tell you to do so would be a sin. To sin is to deliberately go against God’s plan and His will for us; to expose ourselves to something that denigrates sexuality and glorifies the abuse of this gift.  All sins appear good and even pleasant from the outside or people would not choose to commit them. Take for example, the fruit on the tree in the Garden of Eden.

  Austin -- Senator José Rodríguez, Chairman of the Senate Hispanic Caucus, issued the following statement regarding the "campus carry" (Senate Bill 11) and "open carry" (Senate Bill 17) legislation heard in the Senate Committee on State Affairs:

  Albuquerque — Today Governor Susana Martinez, Representative Kelly Fajardo (R-Belen), and victim advocates joined together to highlight the Start by Believing campaign to support victims of rape and sexual assault. Governor Martinez and Representative Fajardo also discussed proposed legislation to further protect victims of domestic violence and abuse by clarifying New Mexico law regarding domestic violence arrests.

  Santa Fe, NM – Today, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas appeared before the Senate Finance Committee to give an update on Texas v New Mexico and Colorado – a critical case to protect New Mexico water rights from the federal government and Texas. Please see below for excerpts from Attorney General Balderas’ testimony:

·        New Mexico water lawsuit is about fighting federal overreach & the theft of New Mexico water by Texas.

  The Whole Enchilada Fiesta will be without the enchilada. Bummer! I remember going to the Hillsboro Appleless Festival one year. There were no apples, they had a freeze. It was the first year I brought my parents to Hillsboro. I bribed my Dad with a promise of apple pie. They had good pies, he really didn’t care where the apples came from. Our Fiesta will continue to be reason to celebrate our community. Doing good is good for business. Our community thrives on this practice of doing good because it is good for business throughout the community and rewarding for the volunteers.

Today, the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a lower court erred in refusing to allow a wage-and-hour lawsuit, Roach v. T.L. Cannon Corp., to proceed as a class action. The Second Circuit said that the lower court improperly interpreted a U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding what is needed to satisfy the criteria for certifying a case as a class action.

  Santa Fe, NM – In his disingenuous letter to the editor that ran on Sunday, February 8 in the Las Cruces Sun News, Sen. Lee Cotter states that because I voted against Senate Bill 207 (SB 207), I do not support a free, public education, and that I support “illegal” collection of fees by public schools.  As anyone who knows me can attest, this characterization cannot be further from the truth.  Some clarity and truth-telling about this bill is clearly needed:  this legislation would prevent public schools from charging and collecting any fees for elective courses.

As the national economy shows signs of real improvement, New Mexico’s recovery has been challenging and slow. Working families want to know when we will see more jobs, higher salaries and access to quality education at every level. The state Legislature has an opportunity to put New Mexico in a position to provide that economic security and rebuild the middle class.

  ALBUQUERQUE—New Mexico’s second Moral Monday rally begins at noon on February 9, will focus on the state budget as a moral document, and is being organized by New Mexico Voices for Children.

  Santa Fe, NM – Senate Democrats today, came out strongly against Governor Martinez’s plan to borrow $300 million or more for road and highway repair, and said the funds must be obtained more responsibly. Borrowing the funds leaves a future generation of New Mexicans to pay off the debt.  The Governor’s proposal would finance current highway projects by issuing new debt that would be paid off over many years using revenue from the state’s severance tax on oil and gas production.

   Note: The column below, written Wednesday, appeared in the Las Cruces Sun-News this morning, Sunday, 8 February.   On Friday the Recallers turned in petitions seeking to recall City Councilors Olga Pedroza, Nathan Smart, and Gill Sorg.  By my count, the legal deadline for the Sorg and Pedroza petitions passed Monday. There's good evidence they collected their first signatures the weekend of November 28-29.  .

  Washington, D.C.  – The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced several proposed changes to its mortgage rules that would expand access to home loans for many underserved buyers living in rural areas and small towns in New Mexico and across the country.  In response to the announcement, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce (N.M.-02) issued the following statement.

“The CFPB’s actions last week to alter its mortgage rules are a welcome step in balancing consumer protection and over-regulation.

  Senate Majority Leader Michael S. Sanchez (D-29-Bernalillo & Valencia) issued the following statement regarding the Joint Session of the Legislature for American Indian Day held earlier today:

  As I watch this year’s legislative session, I am concerned with the misinformed claims made by Republican Governor Martinez that have made right-to-work/anti-worker legislation her top priority.  When I think of all the issues we face here in our state in building a healthy economy I am appalled that the Governor will be attacking our working families.

  WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall shared the stories of two hardworking DREAMers from Santa Fe and Belen, N.M. in a speech from the Senate floor. His remarks came just after voting against beginning debate on a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which he said unfairly targets young undocumented immigrants.

  Today, Congressman Steve Pearce released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 596, a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act.  

“It has been nearly five years since Obamacare has been enacted into law. In that time, the law has been defined by broken promises and unworkable implementation,” said Pearce. “It has forced Americans to pay more for their health care coverage, led some to lose their doctors or the insurance plans they designed for their families.”

  Santa Fe, NM – A Senate bill introduced Tuesday would incrementally increase the statewide minimum wage per hour starting in 2016, and it calls for an increase in pay of $2.60 over the current rate of $7.50 as required by state law.

  When I ran for public office, I made a commitment to make decisions based on facts, accurate information, and data and not on emotions, word-spin, and marketing.  The so-called “right-to-work” bills moving through the New Mexico Legislature are perfect examples of laws where spin and marketing are used to obfuscate, obscure, and confuse people about the real effects and purposes of the legislation.

  President Obama’s budget proposes doubling the federal budget to combat antibiotic resistance.  This is exciting, especially given that medical experts – from the World Health Organization to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – warn that antibiotics are rapidly losing their effectiveness, putting the health of millions at risk.

  Santa Fe, NM –New Mexico State Senator Benny Shendo Jr. (D-22 Bernalillo McKinley, Rio Arriba, San Juan & Sandoval), introduced Senate Memorial 29 (SM29) seeking to uncover the true costs to taxpayers and the environment of oil and gas flaring in the state.

  Santa Fe, NM – Today, Senator Jacob Candelaria, (D-26-Bernalillo) held a press conference about the importance of paid family and medical leave and highlighted the New Mexico Family Act (SB 375), which would bring paid family, maternity and sick leave to New Mexico. SB 375 would provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave.

  (Albuquerque, NM) – The Rio Grande Foundation, using data produced by the Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University (BHI) has analyzed the Obama Administration Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed “Clean Air Regulations” and found that if consumers are concerned with the electricity rate hikes being proposed by Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM), they will face an even greater impact under the new federal regulations.

  Santa Fe - Over a thousand immigrant workers and their children from throughout New Mexico marched to the Roundhouse on Monday to protest the sixth attempt by the Governor and her anti-immigrant allies to repeal the current law that requires undocumented immigrants to be licensed.  Hundreds of New Mexican children carrying New Mexican flags led the march wearing bright yellow t-shirts that said "My my mother is an immigrant.

  There's a school-board election set for Tuesday, February 3rd.

   Is anybody still reading? 

   I hope so.  Whom we choose is important – even if we don't have kid or grandkids in the Las Cruces Public School System.  Not only do these folks decide how to spend a bunch of public money, they help determine the educational climate here, which has a bearing on business and quality of life for everyone.

  Santa Fe, NM –Emails revealing that Governor Susana Martinez’s top political strategists began planning to create misinformation on a key state policy three years ago in order to gain political advantage today drew sharp criticism from Senate Majority Leader Michael S.