Rep. Al Park, D-Albuquerque, stood up this afternoon to bring back a revenue-enhancing bill that narrowly failed on Friday, 34-33. The motion by Republicans to table Park’s motion failed 26-40 and the bill was put back on the president’s table. This means that the bill can again be voted on [...]
Photo by Robert Terrell
State government retirees who return to work after July 1 could temporarily lose their pensions under legislation headed to the Senate floor.
The state also would stop paying the employer’s contribution to the retiree’s pension, as is the current practice.
The legislation [...]
The Senate Rules Committee on Tuesday passed a bill that would make changes to the state’s Governmental Conduct Act, including adding local government officials to the list of public employees who are bound by its ethical provisions.
Ultimately, members present unanimously voted in favor of a committee substitute for Senate [...]
Great news for Albuquerque's workforce. Governor Bill Richardson today announced Solar Distinction, Inc., will build a state of the art photovoltaic manufacturing plant in Albuquerque. The plant will employ 300 within the first two to three years and grow to a workforce of 500 employees.
“I [...]
First Lady Michelle Obama launch her campaign against child obesity, Let’s Move, Tuesday morning. The program aims to improve kids’ health by improving school lunches, increasing the number of farmers markets in the country and revamping the tried and true food pyramid. It also focuses on physical activity by [...]
Those who stopped to take a look at the Legislature’s webcasting page noticed a new option this morning. In addition to being able to hear the debate on the House floor, everyone can now see it.
It took just over a week for the Legislative Council [...]
Despite moving testimony from Dan Koffman, the father of the only survivor of a June car accident in which a drunk diver killed four Santa Fe teenagers, the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday tabled one of Sen. Peter Wirth’s DWI bills and voted for no recommendation on a [...]
New Mexico Representative Joe Campos (D-Santa Rosa) has introduced House Joint Resolution 14 (HJR 14), which seeks to amend the state constitution to allow the state to negotiate tax debt under certain circumstances.
"This state and its citizens are experiencing hard economic realities that" [...]
Two pieces of legislation that would expand webcasting in the Senate have been awaiting – but not yet receiving – hearings in the Senate Rules Committee.
Senate Resolution 1, sponsored by Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, appeared far down on the committee’s calendar for the first time today. Historically, [...]
Diane Denish is at once two people; a Lt Governor and,
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Democrat Pat Davis had a large turnout of more than 100 supporters for the kickoff event for his run for Bernalillo County Sheriff on January 31 at the Sandia Courtyard Hotel in Albuquerque. The members of the crowd, like the candidates [...]
For your convenience, we’ve posted the House and Senate schedules for Tuesday, Feb. 9. after the jump.
[...]A report shows that red-light cameras are reducing traffic violations, says the Las Cruces Sun-News.
The Santa Fe Reporter covers the Santa Fe County commission’s decisions regarding county-wide health programs.
The Farmington Daily Times reports on the status of Farmington construction projects, which were on the rise in January.
KOB writes [...]
Join The Independent and staff from the Sunlight Foundation as we report live from the Senate Rules Committee this morning where ethics legislation is expected to be heard, news from the House and Senate floors throughout the day as well as action from committees in [...]
When Rep Jeff Steinborn's HJM15 came to the table, Rep Ken Martinez stripped archiving from the bill. This may not have been the first time he has stripped Steinborn legislation of archiving.
The National Republican Congressional Committee has advanced 1st Congressional Republican candidate Jon Barela to ’Contender’ status in its 2010 Young Guns program, a three-step program dedicated to electing open-seat and challenger GOP candidates nationwide.
Ranch Radio will stay with the western theme this week. Here is Jimmy Wakely's 1949 recording of 'Neath The Purple Of The Hills. In addition to his recording career (which started in 1942) Wakely made 28 western movies.
Time for some deep insider notes from the Roundhouse as we approach the heart of Legislature 2010. Our Alligators and wall-leaners are on the job during what may be the most critical legislative session of them all.
Dean speaking to 5000+ in Seattle, August 2003
Howard Dean is visiting New Mexico TODAY so come on out and discuss what's up in today's Democratic landscape with former presidential candidate Howard Dean, the founder of Democracy for America and the Fifty State Strategy, and a [...]
Today the Senate voted to override the Governor's veto of Senate Bill 531. SB 531 was introduced by Senator Timothy M. Keller (D-Bernalillo-17) and was passed almost unanimously by both chambers during last year's regular legislative session. Last week the Senate voted to recall [...]
Anyone convicted of domestic violence in the previous three years would be disqualified from being hired as a police officer if legislation passed by the House Monday becomes law. The bill also adds conviction of the crime as grounds for suspending or revoking a police officer’s certification. The vote [...]
The Senate sent a strong message to the Fourth Floor Monday, overriding one of two vetoes Gov. Bill Richardson used to block 2009 legislation from becoming law.
The vote was 34-8, with a bipartisan collection of Democrats and Republicans easily achieving the two-thirds of those present [...]
The Senate version of the same day voter registration bill, SB 161 sponsored by Sen. John Sapien (D-Corrales), passed its first committee, Rules, on a 4 to 3 party line vote today. There was an attempt by Sen. Dianna Duran (R-Tularosa) to include a photo ID requirement [...]
The Hispanic Education Act’s next move in the House is a floor vote, after the House version of the bill, HB 150, cleared the House Education Committee this morning on a seven to three vote. On the Senate side, the final committee for SB 132 is Senate Finance. [...]
The 2010 regular session will end with an answer to the state’s budget problem. But will it be a lasting answer? Sen. John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, said Monday that the odds are “pretty high” that lawmakers will need to come back to Santa Fe for a special session before [...]
Diane Denish will file for governor tomorrow with more than 10,200 signatures, including some from every New Mexico county -- all 33 of them. Instead of hiring paid canvassers, as some campaigns do, the Denish campaign mobilized more than 400 volunteers to collect these signatures.
“I [...]
U.S. Rep. Harry Teague, D-N.M., had little to say today about his looming election battle against former Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, saying he’s more focused on doing his job.
“I’ve been working on being a congressman, not campaigning,” Teague said in an interview at the Roundhouse in Santa [...]
The sign posted on the door of the Senate Finance Committee room is clear: no domestic partnerships hearing until the budget is done. “This session is about fiscal appropriations,” Senator and Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, said succinctly.
Sen. Smith said he [...]
Today the New Mexico House passed House Joint Memorial 15, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Steinborn (D-Las Cruces), to require audio and video broadcasting of legislative interim committees beginning this year. HJM 15, which passed today by a margin of 62-2 with only Reps. Eliseo Lee Alcon (D-Milan) and [...]
