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Feb. 11 First News: Ruling Expected Soon In Case Challenging State's Primary System (Listen)

Expect a ruling soon in a case that could transform New Mexico's two-party primary system.State District Judge Denise Barela-Shepherd heard arguments Tuesday on a lawsuit filed by Albuquerque resident David Crum on behalf of the state's 250-thousand independent voters. Crum is seeking to allow people to pick a party on the day of the primary so they can vote. Currently, only Republicans and Democrats can vote in primary elections — something critics say contributes to low voter turnout. Assistant Attorney General Nicholas Sydow argued Tuesday that changing the law would hurt "the purity of the election."

New Mexico's top environment officials and the U.S. Energy Department are wrangling over more than 54 million dollars in fines levied in the wake of a last year’s radiological leak at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Now, state officials are threatening even more fines if the Energy Department doesn't accept responsibility for numerous violations outlined in compliance orders issued by the state last year. The New Mexico Environment Department is working on a new compliance order that could include fines of more than 100 million dollars. Negotiations are ongoing. State officials and community leaders from New Mexico traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to discuss cleanup efforts.

The New Mexico House of Representatives has unanimously passed a law cracking down on corrupt government officials and employees. Sponsored by Majority Leader Nate Gentry the bill can add as much as an additional year of jail time for those convicted of felony corruption offenses. The Albuquerque Republican says lawmakers need to send a clear message that government corruption will not be tolerated. The legislation bans corrupt officials from lobbying or contracting with the state, making it a third-degree felony if they attempt to do so. It also requires the posting of felony corruption offenses at government offices. The bill now moves to the Senate for a vote.

Albuquerque Democratic Senator Jacob Candelaria has introduced the New Mexico Family Act for Family and Medical Leave to fill a gap in the federal family medical leave act and set aside funds to provide 60-percent of their pay while they’re out. Candelaria says the bill is modeled after New Mexico’s unemployment and worker’s compensation systems. *****021015-Candelaria-2A :33*****Candelaria, a Democrat, says his bill would impact firms that employ more than ten workers, something he notes is a dramatic expansion of the federal law, which only protects people who work at firms that employ 50 or more. 

Alamogordo Senator Bill Burt is proposing an income tax break for military retirees. Burt, a Republican, says the purpose of the proposed deduction is to encourage uniformed services retirees to move or return to New Mexico. Burt concedes his bill would cost the state at the outset, but says that would change as the benefits of the legislation are realized. *****021115-Burt 2 :24***** Under Burt’s Senate Bill 316, military retirees or their surviving spouses would be free of income tax for up to 50-thousand dollars a year. The measure’s been referred to the Senate Corporations Committee, which has not yet scheduled a hearing.

The Santa Fe County Commission and the estate of deceased Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy Martin are being sued by a Santa Fe County man who alleges the late Deputy handcuffed him too tightly during an arrest, leading to an injury. The New Mexicans reports that the suit’s been filed by Henry Milligan, who’s 47 and was arrested last May for drunken driving. We’ll never hear Martin’s side of the story, because he was shot to death in a Las Cruces hotel last fall. Fellow Deputy Tai Chan’s been charged in connection to Martin’s death. Milligan is seeking an unspecified amount of damages….the County isn’t commenting because it hadn’t yet seen the lawsuit.

Santa Fe Weather: Mostly cloudy today, with rain and snow likely before noon, then a slight chance for rain….the high today, 44. The chance of precipitation is 70-percent today and little or no snow accumulation expected. Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 22. Tomorrow: Mostly sunny, with a high near 50