You can see the video to the right and his remarks as prepared for delivery on the Senate floor [...]
Here's video of Sen. Tom Udall's speech on the Senate floor this morning about the health insurance reform bill in the debate leading up to a cloture vote to permit the bill to move forward. You can read his remarks here (pdf).
Senator Udall noted that the vast majority [...]
If we go by today's floor speeches by Dem Senators -- we now have the 60 votes needed to fend off a GOP filibuster and win the cloture vote on H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. A total of 58 Dem Senators will join with [...]
Featured on the front page: the Colón family
Brian Colón, who's running to be the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor in New Mexico, today launched his new campaign website at [www.electcolon.com]. He previously had just a bare-bones page at that URL, primarily for fundraising. Now that' [...]
“Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”
I quote Mark Twain for the laugh, yes, but also as a reminder that American dislike of government is deeply ingrained in our national character.
So when NMI readers [...]
Ray Powell talks about the land swap practices of the current Land Commissioner at his campaign kickoff last weekend
Updates: Governor Bill Richardson issued a statement criticizing the land deal. Also, Alexa at SFReeper has more on the press conference and proposed land swap.
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New Mexico Land Commissioner Pat [...]
New Mexico State Sen. Kent Cravens announced earlier this week that he is running for lieutenant governor. In a video of Craven’s announcement by reporter Peter St. Cyr, Cravens says “CO2, I didn’t think, is a harmful thing,” Cravens said. “I thought that’s what plants need. I don’t [...]
Governor Bill Richardson echoed concerns made by sportsmen today about a land swap in the Whites Peak area. The Stanley Ranch is expected to get the land by exchanging 3,300 acres of its land for the 7,000 acres the State Land Office currently holds in the Whites Peak area.
[...]
Gov. Bill Richardson’s administration is proposing to overhaul Medicaid, the government’s low-income health insurance program, to cope with a projected budget shortfall of $300 million next year, the Associated Press is reporting.
Human Services Department officials told lawmakers on Thursday that Medicaid benefits and eligibility probably would be [...]
So you’re looking for some information that can only be found the public records of a government agency or office–but when you request those records, you hit a brick wall. What do you do? The New Mexico Independent is teaming up with the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government [...]
KOB-TV wonders if Albuquerque mayor-Elect Richard Berry is being “as conservative as promised.” With a possible budget shortfall upwards of $30M when he takes office, he has been making several new hires. KOB looks into the numbers.The Santa Fe New Mexican writes on Somos un Pueblo Unido, a immigrant-rights [...]
Update: The White House just released its Statement of Administrative Policy (pdf) on H.R. 3590 — Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
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Getting a bill passed in the U.S. Senate is tricky. Unlike the simple rules that govern the U.S. House, the rules in the Senate provide ample opportunity [...]
Here’s something New Mexico state officials can back up with experience: predicting revenues in this recession are incredibly difficult, says Stateline.org. Indiana hasn’t produced an accurate monthly tax revenue estimate in over a year. The state has never been so wrong, says an Indiana University professor who has worked [...]
This is a post by contributing writer, Stephen Jones, who is a progressive political activist and a resident of Las Cruces, New Mexico.
I admit when I first arrived in New Mexico the romantic notion of a “Citizen Legislature” seemed quite attractive to me, particularly having spent so much time over [...]
Yesterday, Representatives Martin Heinrich, Ben Ray Luján and Harry Teague remembered New Mexico Governor Bruce King in speeches on the House floor. Governor King, a former three term governor, passed away on November 13, 2009 at the age of 85.
To read Rep Heinrich’s remarks, click here. To read Rep Luján’s [...]
Rep. Ben Ray Luján (NM-03) will hold open office hours in Tucumcari and Clovis to meet with constituents, discuss important issues before Congress and listen to their concerns. During open office hours, Rep. Luján will meet with constituents for five minutes each on a first come, first served basis.
Clovis [...]
The package, doing actual journalism on the subject, is worth a read
And if you're asking, "What is Pro Publica?" Then here is something from their' [...]
Stimulus critics were abuzz this week flogging the federal Web site Recovery.gov for flaws in its first big data release. Problems ranged from confusing variation and gaps in job numbers to mistakes that put projects in nonexistent congressional districts to spending that never made it into [...]
Senator Jeff Bingaman:
I don't have video of Senator Tom Udall's speech, but his remarks as prepared for delivery are below.
"I rise today to celebrate the'" [...]
Senator Jeff Bingaman remembered the life of the late Bruce King in a speech on the Senate floor yesterday. You can watch the video above or read the text version below:
"This week New Mexicans of all political persuasions have been recalling the life of a legendary figure in" [...]
Videos and excerpts of their prepared remarks are below, the full transcripts are below the fold.
Congressman Heinrich:Across our state, we [...]
The second meeting of Governor Bill Richardson’s budget balancing task force happened today.
Not on the list of revenue options under consideration is adding a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. When New Mexico eliminated its tax on food a few years ago, it also eliminated the tax on those kinds of [...]
Hassan Nemazee, a longtime Democratic moneyman, was arrested last August and later accused of perpetrating a $292 million Ponzi scheme. Nemazee has pleaded not guilty to the bank fraud charges, but “it may be unsettling for New Mexico citizens to now learn that a New York firm that [...]
Governor Bill Richardson’s Budget Balancing Task Force is meeting in Albuquerque at Expo New Mexico and the New Mexico Independent is on hand to liveblog and webcast the proceedings. Come join us as we see what options the task force will be discussing to bridge the budget gap that [...]
Cravens
Sen. Kent Cravens, a Republican from Albuquerque, announced yesterday that he will join the race for lieutenant governor, the AP reports. He joins a field already crowded with nearly a dozen other candidates, mostly Democrats. Cravens has become known for his work on DWI laws [...]
State District Court Judge Judith Herrera ruled yesterday that the State of New Mexico must pay $72,000 in attorney fees and costs to the Center for Civic Policy and the Southwest Organizing Project, according to a statement released today by the two organizations.
The Court ordered the state to [...]
Today Steve Terrell of The Santa Fe New Mexican laments the lay-off of veteran AP reporter Deborah Baker, who covered the sights and sounds at the Round House for almost 20 years. He writes, “Now why’s that so sad? This way the state government can tell its story about [...]
A report released this week by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy provides state by state comparisons of how regressive or progressive a state’s tax system is. The analysis of New Mexico is found on pages 78 and 79, and shows that the state has a regressive tax [...]
From Campaign to Re-elect Hector Balderas as State Auditor: Come to Cafe Green, have some wine, watch some vampires and sign some petitions for Hector:
Cafe Green, SM Cubed Consulting,
Veronica Martinez, Helen Anderson,
Meridith Griego and Denise Balderas
present
Vino, Vampires and
State Auditor Hector Balderas
for an evening of
Twilight
Thursday, November 19th, 8:00 - 10:30 PM
Cafe [...]
With another candidate withdrawing his name from consideration, regents at New Mexico State University have three candidates to choose from when they meet today to select the school’s next president.
But, considering that the regents held a closed-door meeting to deliberate on Tuesday and canceled a closed-door meeting scheduled for Wednesday, [...]
Rep. Heinrich with Second Lady Jill Biden at the first
“USO Care Package for Women” party,
at Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill.
Yesterday, Rep. Martin Heinrich joined Second Lady Jill Biden and the United Service Organizations (USO) for a care package stuffing event to honor [...]
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., introduced a health care reform bill which would cost $849 billion over 10 years, reduce the deficit by $127 billion and cover 94 percent of the [...] Media coverage of University of New Mexico soccer player Elizabeth Lambert’s conduct in a recent game is sexist, two University of New Mexico faculty members say in an Albuquerque Journal opinion piece today.
Had Lambert been male, her conduct would have been seen as natural athletic aggression, examples of which [...]
According to a post by New Mexico Watchdog, money was given to “phantom districts” in New Mexico (and others nationwide) from the recovery package. At least according to recovery.gov, the Web site designed to track recovery funds.
On The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Vice President Joe Biden said [...]
The University of California’s Board of Regents is expected to raise students’ fees today by 32 percent, pushing the annual cost of a UC education, not including campus-based fees, to $10,302 — about triple the UC costs of a decade ago, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Meanwhile on the [...]
The U.S. Senate introduced its version of health care reform Thursday night. Senate majority leader Harry Reid said that he expects the battle over health care reform will be a long one.
“We all know that this legislation is tremendously important,” Reid said at the news conference according to the [...]
News coverage of the state capitol took a major hit this week as industry insiders passed word that longtime Associated Press reporter Deborah Baker was included in the national layoffs the AP announced. Baker had been on the Santa Fe scene some 20 years. [...] Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tonight unveiled the Senate version of health care reform legislation as an amendment to H.R. 3590, and named it the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" (pdf). According to the CBO score (pdf), the bill would spend $849 billion over 10 years to [...]
Here is the statement from President Barack Obama on the introduction of health care reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, legislation in the Senate:"Today we" [...] This is a guest blog by Tyler Taylor, M.D., who has a solo, patient-focused medical practice in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The piece was written in response to Sunday's op-ed in the Albuquerque Journal North by Carol Miller.
As a member of Physicians for a [...]
Senator Tom Udall took to the Senate floor today to honor former Governor Bruce King, who died last week at the age of 85. The following is the text of Udall’s remarks as prepared for delivery:
“I rise today to celebrate the life – and mourn the passing – of one [...]
The American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act, which passed the House in June, is actually much cheaper [...]
Expect for the Senate health care reform bill to be a big topic in Congressional Roundups for the foreseeable future — especially with the news that the Congressional Budget Office scored the Senate version of health care reform.
The CBO says the bill “will cost $849 billion over 10 years, [...]
Republican gubernatorial candidate Allen Weh says he is opposed to trying accused terrorist Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in federal civil court, citing a Wall Street Journal opinion piece from Saturday.
“Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to provide a ‘fair’ day in court on U.S. soil for the same terrorists who seek [...]
A local organization that works for more openness in government is claiming victory after a state agency decided Tuesday to publicly release documents that had been sought by the media for months.
“Today’s action is a win for transparency,” Sarah Welsh, executive director of Foundation [...]
While Gov. Bill Richardson puts forward a plan to furlough state workers for five days over the holidays and into next year, state Land Commissioner Patrick Lyons says his own smart fiscal decisions mean he doesn’t have to do the same thing in his office.
“(Richardson’s) plan won’t [...]
The interim committee on Courts, Corrections and Justice will hold its next meeting in Room 307 of the State Capitol in Santa Fe on Monday, November 23rd, and Tuesday, November 24th. The Committee will convene at 9:00 AM on both days, according to a press release from the New [...]
This is a guest blog by Democratic State Rep. Brian Egolf, who represents House District 47 in Santa Fe.
I am running for reelection to the New Mexico State House, and I’m writing to ask for your help. I would be honored to have your [...]
In national news, about one million laid-off workers will see their unemployment benefits end in January unless Congress acts quickly to renew existing federally paid extensions, according to a new report and legislators and state officials, the New York Times reports.California faces a nearly $21 billion budgetary shortfall — [...]
Graduation day arrives this Friday, November 20, for five participants in Valencia Magistrate Court Judge Danny H. Hawkes’ DWI Drug Court program. Each graduate received a year of intensive monitoring, supervision and treatment for drug or alcohol abuse. Graduation ceremonies will take place during a full DWI Drug Court [...]
I need to understand something. Why is it that after 10 months in office that the Obama administration has allowed all of the bush appointed Bureau of Land Management state directors to remain in their jobs? Some of them should be transferred out for their complicity [...] From Emerge New Mexico:
Have you ever thought of running for office? Apply now to the Emerge New Mexico Training Program. The deadline will soon be upon us -- Dec. 1, 2009.
Do you know a woman who you think would make an excellent candidate? Encourage her to Emerge! Pass the [...]
The New Mexico Independent plans on liveblogging and webcasting the Budget Balancing Task Force meeting Thursday, which is set to be held from 1 p.m to 4 p.m. at the Leon Harms Youth Hall at Expo New Mexico.
The task force, appointed by Gov. Bill Richardson, [...]
Sarah Palin is headed to a town near you… provided you live in the conservative town of Roswell, New Mexico.
Steve Terrell of the Santa Fe New Mexican reported today that the former Republican Vice-Presidential candidate is headed to Roswell on December 1 as part of promotional tour for her [...]
Schultz, Berry & WhiteFormer New Mexico State Investment Officer Gary Bland testified this fall before the federal Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as part of its own “non-public, fact-finding inquiry” into the investment scandal that is mushrooming, documents show.
Bland, who resigned last month from his $300,000 state job, was ordered to [...]
We know you’ve missed your daily dose of DC here at the Independent, but never fear, the Congressional Roundup is making its triumphant return. With Congress back in session after the Veteran’s Day recess, attention once again turns to the Senate where health care is the topic of the day [...]
You can see the video to [...]
Chris Ramirez will be the Communications Director for the city. From the Berry press release:Ramirez worked at KOAT-TV for the last several years as a news reporter, covering issues important to New [...]
The U.S. Senate has designated this coming Thursday, November 19 -- exactly one week before Thanksgiving Day -- as “Feed America Day.”
Senator Tom Udall, a sponsor of the bipartisan “Feed America Day” initiative, said that in the spirit of Thanksgiving, the bill encourages Americans to skip two meals this [...]
Six years after the state repealed tax on groceries, lawmakers are looking at options to resurrect the tax in the face of our state budget deficit, The Santa Fe New Mexican reports .
The Las Cruces City Council is considering a ban on cell phone use while driving, [...]
Former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, who is now among those prosecuting detainees at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba, was profiled in this month’s edition of Esquire magazine. Iglesias spoke about waterboarding (”I don’t know if you’ve ever seen waterboarding, but it’s torture.”) and his belief that military commissions are the [...]
New Mexico is bracing for the worst but hoping for the best.
And right now all the hope appears to be focused on Washington, D.C., although it’s way too early to tell if it’s a mirage or the real thing.
Health reform legislation approved last week [...]
“I’m shocked to learn that a campaign flack would not tell me the truth,” The Santa Fe New Mexican’s Steve Terrell writes this morning. Can you taste the sarcasm dripping off that statement?
Terrell was writing about the revelation in a new book from Obama strategist David Plouffe that [...]
Update: I've added the video above of Rep. Heinrich's statement at the committee meeting.
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Rep. Martin Heinrich (NM-01) announced that the House Subcommittee On National Parks, Forests And Public Lands will hold a legislative hearing at Noon MST today on H.R. 3339, a bill to permanently reauthorize the [...]
Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez picked up another endorsement today – this one from state Rep. William Gray, R-Artesia.
“Susana is an accomplished public servant who inspires confidence and hope,” Gray said in a news release from the Martinez campaign. “She is a strong conservative who has campaigned successfully in a county [...]
A new national poll of AARP members released yesterday finds strong support across party and ideological lines for key provisions in HB 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, and its companion bill, H.R. 3961, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009.
The telephone survey, fielded [...]
“Ground Zero. In some ways, New Mexico comes a close second to Chernobyl.”
So begins a review, published this week in the Akron Beacon Journal, of an exhibit of photographs of Patrick Nagatani. The New Mexico photographer’s work is on display at the Akron Art Museum for the next few months, in [...]
Governor Bill Richardson took to his official blog to unveil a draft plan to implement the five days of furloughs he announced last week.
The initial plan for the furloughs, which would include all employees except for “critical public safety and welfare positions,” is as follows:
The draft plan outlines the [...]
Vice President Joe Biden appeared in Albuquerque for a fundraiser for potentially vulnerable Democratic Congressmen Martin Heinrich and Harry Teague on Monday. Congressman Ben Ray Lujan was in attendance but was not a focus of the fundraising.
Biden spoke for a little more than half an hour at [...]
This is a guest blog from New Mexico PIRG.
The nation has 73,000 crumbling bridges, but year after year startlingly few federal transportation dollars go to fixing them.
In 2008, for example, just a few months after the tragic Minneapolis bridge collapse which killed 13 and sparked alarm and outrage across [...]
Budget woes continue for states across the nation. Tennessee might release up to 4,000 non-violent felons, including those convicted for drug dealing, to deal with that state’s woes, the Nashville Tennessean reports.
Meanwhile, Colorado can collect sales tax on medical marijuana, Attorney General John Suthers said Monday, according [...]
Biden spoke for a little more than half an hour according to a [...]
Garcia & Madrid
Gov. Bill Richardson (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
Gov. Bill Richardson may be asked to share, under oath, whether he knows anything about the scandal in the state’s housing authority system that culminated in 2006 with the default of $5 million [...]
When Javier Gonzales was named chairman of the state Democratic Party in September, I reported that he worked for Santa Fe Studios. Several of you e-mailed me at the time to ask what that was.
The Albuquerque Journal answered that question this weekend. It’s a taxpayer-funded project to build a [...]
This is a guest editorial by Terry Brunner, who's the State Director of USDA Rural Development in New Mexico.
2009 marks the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Housing Act of 1949. The Act was the result of a bi-partisan effort led by [...]
Vice President Joe Biden spoke for 35 minutes Monday at a fundraiser luncheon for first-term Democratic Congressmen Martin Heinrich and Harry Teague at the Hotel Albuquerque, according to a print pool account distributed by the White House.
Biden told about 100 people who paid $1,000 apiece to attend the luncheon [...]
[...] 
