The elections for Santa Fe Public School Board and Santa Fe Community College Board candidates is one week from today with early voting occurring through Friday. The League of Women Voters of Santa Fe County is holding special forums today and tomorrow for both elections. Donna Reynolds is President of the League’s local chapter. *****012715-Reynolds-1 :23***** The SFCC board candidates’ is tonight from 5:30 to 7pm at the Board room at the Santa Fe Community College. Tomorrow’s forum for Santa Fe School Board candidates will be from 6 to 8pm in the SFPS Board room.
Santa Fe Police are investigating a single vehicle, alcohol-involved crash that occurred shortly before 11 last night on Highway 599. All three occupants are hospitalized with serious injuries. The crash occurred on the Southbound side when police say the vehicle left the roadway at a high rate of speed and rolled over on to the frontage road, Paseo De River. The investigation led officials to close the highway for several hours overnight.
New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez helped the American Cancer Society in promoting its “Suits and Sneakers” coaches challenge on Monday. Governor Martinez acknowledged a local celebration of the event, joining number of state lawmakers taking part, wearing sneakers while clad in their typical business attire. Martinez says that in 2014, more than 10-thousand, 200 New Mexicans were diagnosed with cancer, with more than 32-hundred losing their battle last year. *****012615-Martinez-1A :16***** Meantime, The New Mexico American Cancer Society is promoting several bills this session to fight and prevent cancer. Sandra Adondakis, the group’s Government Relations Director, says anti-cancer advocates will continue their efforts to see legislation approved this session to regulate e-cigarettes, along with other priorities. *****012615-Adondakis-1 :36*****Adondakis says efforts in previous years to regulate E-cigarettes have fallen short.
A Santa Fe lawmaker wants the state to remove the annual cap on incentives for television productions. KRQE-TV reports that Democratic Representative Brian Egolf will introduce it this week. Two years ago, New Mexico increased its tax refunds for television productions to 30- percent from 25 percent, and Egolf says it's time to do more to help the state diversify its economy. His proposal would remove television productions from the current 50 million dollar annual limit on tax credits provided to all film and television projects. Democratic Senator John Arthur Smith of Deming is voicing skepticism. Smith, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, says he's wary of promising more money in a year when New Mexico's budget will be tight.
An Espanola lawmaker who skipped the opening days of the legislative session to attend her husband's sentencing hearing has been sworn in. House Democrats say state Representative Debbie Rodella of Espanola took the oath of office after missing a week. Her husband, former Rio Arriba County Sheriff Tommy Rodella, was sentenced last week to 10 years in prison for abusing a driver in a bizarre, off-duty traffic stop.
The New Mexico Court of Appeals will hear a precedent-setting case regarding whether the state has the responsibility to protect the air, as a trustee of our natural resources. This so-called Atmospheric Trust litigation is based on the public trust doctrine. Attorney Samantha RuScaVAGE-BARS is representing plaintiffs Akila Sanders reed and Wild Earth Guardians. *****012715-Ruscavagebars-1 :19***** The Appeals Court will consider the case this afternoon.
Santa Fe Weather: Mostly sunny through tomorrow with highs in the low-50s. Tonight, it’ll be partly cloudy with the overnight low dipping to 34.