Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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SANTA FE -- Bipartisan legislation seeking to overhaul New Mexico's liquor laws passed the House Tuesday afternoon, despite an outcry of opposition from current liquor license holders. House Bill 255 was approved 41-27 and now heads to the Senate. The bill would create an entirely new license that would allow restaurants to sell liquor without full licensure, change the tax code for existing owners of liquor licenses and allow alcohol delivery under some circumstances. "This is the first time in 40 years a liquor bill has...
SANTA FE — A bill allowing college athletes in New Mexico to make money from endorsement deals and sponsorships is headed to the House after winning decisive approval in the Senate. Members of the Senate voted 39-0 on Friday to approve the measure, Senate Bill 94, which is similar to laws passed in California, Colorado and several other states. "Our student athletes should be able to benefit from their hard work and earn a living," said Sen. Mark Moores, R-Albuquerque, a former University of New Mexico football player who i...
There comes a point in every child’s life when he or she first learns of the sin of slavery in America. While it’s a jolt to all children, those of us who are not African American can only imagine the dismay felt by young Black children when they first learn that their ancestors were dehumanized under the U.S. Constitution and state laws. That’s what makes Black History Month so important, and unique. We are a melting pot of diversity, a nation with a history of wrongs and rights, but it should go without saying that one o... Full story
SANTA FE — A proposal to repeal a 1969 anti-abortion law moved closer to final passage Monday as it cleared the House Judiciary Committee. The legislation, Senate Bill 10, could be taken up by the full House later this week, the last step necessary to send the measure to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who has made its passage a priority. The proposal would repeal a state law that makes it a crime to end a woman’s pregnancy, except in certain circumstances. It’s largely unenforceable now because of the Supreme Court’s decisio... Full story
The forecast for the first session of the 55th Legislature includes some rays of transparency shining through the clouds. A bill that would finally require lawmakers to show their hands on capital outlay projects “Zoomed” through a House committee meeting Monday and is headed for the House floor. House Bill 55 would require the Legislature to publish a list of capital projects approved each year with details on which legislators sponsored what projects, and how much funding they allocated to each one. It’s amazing New Mexic...
An Albuquerque state lawmaker has unfortunately once again filed a bill to keep secret the names of those who apply for leadership positions in New Mexico like police chief or school superintendent. Under the bill filed by state Sen. Bill Tallman, all “appointive executive positions” would be subject to exemption from the state’s Inspection of Public Records Act. In addition to police chiefs, fire chiefs, school superintendents, city managers and other top taxpayer-funded positions, Tallman’s bill would exempt nonelec...
When Americans woke up last Wednesday, they still weren't sure who had won the presidential election as ballots were still being tabulated in several pivotal states. But New Mexico was not one of them. Despite rhetoric raising concerns of absentee balloting fraud, untallied or discarded absentee ballots, a Postal Service overwhelmed with mailed ballots, vulnerable drop boxes, long lines that would discourage in-person voting and not enough polling sites in general, the election went smoothly in New Mexico. By 7:34 a.m. last...
There’s good reason why New Mexico Educational Retirement Board policies don’t give staff the authority to pick and choose stocks from market-determined index funds. Index mutual funds are generally considered ideal core portfolio holdings for retirement accounts. They provide broad market exposure, allowing investors to buy all of the S&P 500 companies at the low cost an index fund offers, rather than picking out individual stocks. They’ve been safe investments over the long term for the 60,000 active members and 50,00...
New Mexico’s Inspection of Public Records Act makes clear the public is entitled to the greatest amount of information possible about its government and guarantees everyone access to public records. The law, commonly known as IPRA, has become a key tool not only for journalists but for citizens, allowing them to access records such as police reports and 911 tapes, government contracts and emails of public-sector employees. Its transparency is a key mechanism for keeping government accountable. But it is not without s...
SANTA FE — The food fight between Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration and the New Mexico Restaurant Association is getting messier. Attorneys for the restaurant association filed a new lawsuit in the Albuquerque-based 2nd Judicial District on Friday in an attempt to force the Lujan Grisham administration to turn over documents underpinning its decision to reimpose a ban on in-person restaurant dining. In the lawsuit, the restaurant group’s attorneys claim the Department of Health has not supplied them with records re...
Five decades after Congress passed the Land and Water Conservation Fund “to safeguard our natural areas, water resources and cultural heritage, and to provide recreation opportunities to all Americans,” it is going to fully fund the program. And it couldn’t come at a more opportune time. The Great American Outdoors Act combines the Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act and the Restore Our Parks Act. Just as the New Deal put people back to work improving our nation’s infrastructure during the Great Depression,...
SANTA FE — The economic damage inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic is likely to reshape New Mexico’s economy for years, killing smaller companies, and expanding the gap between high- and low-wage earners, university researchers told lawmakers Wednesday. Even if state employment bounces back by the end of 2024, they said, the jobs available may be different, with more of the state’s workforce at large employers rather than at small businesses that didn’t survive. “Some things you can’t just reverse,” said Jim Peach, a prof...
If only it were that simple. There is no question Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s tough measures to combat COVID-19 have kept New Mexico’s death toll relatively low — although we collectively mourn the tragedy of more than 500 lives lost to the virus. There is no question the measures have helped keep the state’s hospitals operating well within their capacity for treating COVID patients. That was a key goal of measures taken since March to “flatten the curve.” And there is no question that continuing an aggressive lockdown in...
SANTA FE — Citing an explosion in virus cases, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Thursday that New Mexico will reimpose a ban on indoor dining and call off high school football and other contact sports this fall. She also urged colleges and universities to postpone their football seasons but said she is still weighing whether it’s safe for New Mexico United, a professional soccer team, to play its season. The new rules — set to take effect Monday — will also require joggers and anyone exercising to wear a mask, elimina...
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Wednesday that the state’s mask-wearing mandate would be enforced and that travelers entering the state — either by plane or car — must self-quarantine 14 days. Businesses must now require mask-wearing in their establishments, and violators face up to a $100 fine. The new order sparked multiple follow-up questions. The Albuquerque Journal contacted the Department of Health with several of those questions, and below are the answers: Q: The state Department of Health says masks must be worn...
SANTA FE — New Mexico lawmakers concluded a historic special session Monday by granting final approval to legislation requiring police officers to wear body cameras and authorizing up to $400 million in low-interest loans to help small businesses survive. The state House passed the two measures inside a mostly empty Capitol — two days after the Senate left the building, having already completed its work. The bills now head to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who called the Legislature into special session Thursday, although the...
ALBUQUERQUE — The coronavirus pandemic has officially claimed another victim. The 49th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has been postponed until Oct. 2-10, 2021, which means the 50th fiesta will now be pushed back to 2022. The fiesta is the largest balloon rally in the world. In 2019, it drew 588 balloons from across the nation and 17 foreign countries, attracted more than 866,000 visitors during its nine-day run, and generated an estimated economic impact on the Albuquerque area of $186.82 million. The decision to t...
ALBUQUERQUE — The law firm representing the man who was shot during a protest against the statue of Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate in Old Town on Monday night has sent a letter to city and county agencies announcing its intention to file suit on his behalf. The tort claims notice was sent to the city and the Albuquerque Police Department and includes the possible claims of negligence resulting in battery; conspiracy to violate civil rights, violations of the rights to equal protection, substantive due process, and right t...
Four judicial districts in New Mexico — including the 9th in Clovis and Portales — have been given the green light to start holding jury trials again, but there are already concerns about the constitutionality of those trials in the age of COVID-19. The state Supreme Court gave four of the state’s judicial districts permission to hold jury trials, according to the Administrative Office of the Courts’ spokesman Barry Massey. The high court temporarily put trials on hold amid the COVID-19 pandemic. District courts in New Mex...
SANTA FE — The state Senate approved a proposal late Friday that would require law enforcement officers in New Mexico to wear cameras while on duty. The legislation, Senate Bill 8, would also direct the state to revoke the law enforcement certification of any officer convicted of unlawful use of physical force. The proposal passed the Senate on a 31-11 vote and now heads to the House for consideration. Supporters of the bill said it would add transparency to police work and help respond to the call for police reform after t...
SANTA FE — A proposal to create a nine-member state commission to study civil rights issues and identify possible legal changes is headed to the state Senate. After nearly three hours of far-ranging debate, the House voted 57-13 late Friday evening to approve the measure. Among the issues the proposed civil rights commission would be tasked with reviewing is qualified immunity, which is a legal doctrine in federal law that protects law enforcement officers from being held personally liable in most cases. House Speaker B...
SANTA FE — Former television meteorologist Mark Ronchetti of Albuquerque won the three-way Republican primary race for an open U.S. Senate seat, based on unofficial results. Ronchetti received more than 60% of the votes cast by GOP voters, easily outpacing ex-college law professor Gavin Clarkson of Las Cruces and anti-abortion advocate Elisa Martinez of Albuquerque. He will face off in the November general election against Democrat Ben Ray Luján and Libertarian candidate Bob Walsh, both of whom were unopposed in Tu...
SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Wednesday set the start date of a legislative special session, as her administration tries to juggle the pandemic’s financial impact with efforts to suppress the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Democratic governor said that approved spending increases will have to be slowed due to a drop of up to $2.4 billion in estimated revenue levels but that federal stimulus funds and state cash reserves could help the state avoid layoffs and furloughs of state workers and teachers. “We...
The federal government rolled out programs to help agricultural producers during the pandemic. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it will use about $16 billion from the CARES Act to directly support farmers. But navigating new rules is challenging with many federal initiatives like the Paycheck Protection Program. “By the time everybody got up to speed, the bucket was empty,” said Jeff Witte, Cabinet secretary of New Mexico’s Department of Agriculture. “But we’re seeing more success in the second round.” Some indust...
SANTA FE — The next stage of New Mexico’s battle to curb the COVID-19 outbreak will be waged with masks and expanded testing. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is imploring state residents to stay vigilant to avoid new spikes of confirmed cases. Specifically, the governor said last week that face masks are now required for some essential workers — including grocery store and restaurant employees. And coronavirus testing for corrections officers and inmates will be ramped up over the next week after the state’s low testing rates in...
