New Mexico is pushing back the timeline for certain low-income adults who will have to meet work and job-training requirements to keep getting food stamps. State Human Services Secretary Brent Earnest tells The Associated Press his department decided to delay implementation of the requirements and make some changes in response to concerns voiced during recent public meetings. Social service advocates have argued that many people stand to lose their benefits because there aren't enough jobs or meaningful training opportunities in the poverty-stricken- state. The final rules will be published Friday, and Earnest says the delay in implementation will give the state and the 60-thousand recipients who will be affected more time to prepare. The requirements will be phased in starting with the New Year for adults without children. Adults who are responsible for children under the age of 13 will be exempt.
We’re now hearing a different story regarding the recent departure of former Santa Fe Police Chief Eric Garcia. Word is now out that Garcia was about to be fired. The New Mexican obtained the emails through a records request related to Garcia's departure. The paper writes that City Manager Brian Snyder was getting ready to fire Garcia, and that he and Mayor Javier Gonzales agreed on a plan to replace him with current interim chief Patrick Gallagher. However, Matt Ross the mayor's spokesman had emailed a draft news release and accompanying talking points-memo that lists issues that may arise, including a statement from four police lieutenants accusing Garcia of wrongdoing. Instead, a July 28th news release was published saying Garcia was retiring. And, both Garcia and Ross are sticking with their story; maintaining that the former chief left voluntarily.
Governor Susana Martinez is ordering State law enforcement and Public Education Department officials to all New Mexico school districts that background-check to ensure the districts are requiring personnel to receive timely criminal background checks. Governor Martinez’s announcement comes in the wake of Jason Martinez’s resignation last week as deputy superintendent at Albuquerque Public Schools. It turned out that Jason Martinez faces child sex abuse charges in Colorado. DPS Secretary Greg Fouratt says, quoting: “Parents need to know our schools are following the law when it comes to keeping child predators out of contact with our kids. A recent failure to follow policy has prompted this immediate and necessary review.” The Public Safety and Education Departments will provide a joint report and analysis on their findings once the district policy analysis and compliance review effort are complete.
The chief financial officer for APS, meantime, has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the district and Public Education Secretary Hanna Skandera. An attorney for Don Moya filed the complaint in state district court this week. It's just the latest development to rock APS, whose superintendent, Luis Valentino, is under fire for hiring Jason Martinez. Moya’s suit claims Valentino placed him on administrative leave after Moya raised concerns about a contract awarded to a Denver company whose chief operating officer had worked with the new assistant. The lawsuit also suggests Valentino's support for Moya eroded following a meeting with Education Secretary Hanna Skandera and Governor Martinez. Moya had served as a top education official in Governor Bill Richardson's administration. In response, Martinez's office calls the lawsuit absurd
Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry is urging the U.S. Forest Service to withdraw consideration of a potential wilderness designation that he says would limit the public's access to a popular recreation area bordering Albuquerque. Berry sent a letter to the supervisor of the Cibola National Forest on Monday, saying the way the plan stands now would completely dismantle existing trails for outdoor enthusiasts. The mayor says the mountain biking and hiking trails in the foothills-area encourage residents to lead a healthy lifestyle and are part of a natural attraction that helps to set the city apart. As part of an effort to revise its outdated forest plan, federal policy requires the Cibola Forest to identify and evaluate lands and determine whether to recommend any areas for wilderness designation.
Santa Fe Weather: Partly sunny today and tomorrow with a 30-percent chance for showers and thunderstorms mainly after noon, rising to 40-percent tomorrow. Highs both days near 80. Tonight: Expect partly cloudy skies with a 60-percent chance for showers, mainly prior to midnight—and some of the showers may produce heavy rain. The overnight low tonight, 57.