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Mar. 10 First News: Bill Adding Court Protection To Domestic Abuse Survivors Awaits Hearing (Listen)

A measure that would give courts and the Adult Parole Board authority to issue permanent “no contact” orders to convicted domestic abusers—for any length of time— is awaiting its first Senate Committee hearing. Albuquerque Senator Linda Lopez is the sponsor of Senate Bill 660. *****0321015-Lopez-1 :29***** Under Senator Lopez’s bill, victims of domestic abuse could participate in parole hearings by phone and would also allow another person to appear instead of the victim, on behalf of the victim. The Democrat says other issues relating to the bill are still under discussion. *****0321015-Lopez-5 :11***** Lopez’s bill is before the Senate Public Affairs Committee and would move on from there to Senate Judiciary. She’s confident there’s enough time to get the bills through those panels and over to the House before the Legislature adjourns on March 21st.

Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly says the importance of New Mexico lawmakers approving a proposed gambling compact during this legislative session can't be stressed enough. Shelly made the comments Monday as the Legislature enters its final stretch. The session will adjourn March 21st. Agreements that allow a handful of American Indian tribes, including the Navajos, to operate casinos will expire in June. If the tribes want to legally operate casinos, a new compact has to be approved by the Legislature before adjourning. After that, the compact would need the U.S. Interior Department's approval. Shelly says the proposed compact is the result of a long and tedious negotiation process with the state and that thousands of jobs are at stake. Lawmakers are expected to take up the compact later this week.

A hearing is set on a legal challenge to New Mexico's contract to a testing company that is administering a much-debated assessment exam in state schools. Santa Fe District Judge Sarah Singleton is scheduled to hear arguments today in a case that seeks to overturn a contract awarded to London-based Pearson. The Washington-based American Institutes for Research wants to limit a potentially multi-year contract given to Pearson for Common Core testing and force New Mexico to reopen bidding. Last year, Pearson was awarded a contact given out by states belonging to a consortium for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers exam, or PARCC. AIR says the consortium unfairly helped shape bidding requirements that was crafted especially for Pearson.

New Mexico's Supreme Court has ruled that certain state government appointees are eligible for unemployment benefits. The court ruled Monday that a former state management employee, fired after Governor Susana Martinez took office four years ago, was entitled to unemployment compensation. The case centered on a lawsuit by Sandra Perez, who was state personnel director for more than six years under former Democratic Governor Bill Richardson. A month after taking office in 2011, Republican Martinez fired Perez, who was exempt from the state personnel system and could be terminated without cause. Court records show that Perez sought unemployment benefits and initially received nearly four-thousand dollars before the state Department of Workforce Solutions cut off her payments.

An Albuquerque man has pleaded guilty in federal court to defrauding a food stamp program. Authorities say 33-year-old Joshua Moya abused his power as a family assistance analyst to issue food stamps to people who did not qualify for the program. Moya is one of six who face charges in the investigation by federal authorities. Moya accepted a plea agreement that will send him to prison for six months. He'll also have to pay nearly 25-hundred dollars in restitution. Moya worked for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP. He was responsible for determining applicants' eligibility and benefits level. Moya changed his plea to guilty on Monday.

Los Alamos County officials have received responses from two carriers who might be interested in serving Los Alamos Airport. County officials plan to evaluate the two submissions and then begin talks with the one which gets the highest score. The Los Alamos Monitor reports that the identities of the two respondents won't be released pending submission to the County Council, possibly on April 14th. New Mexico Airlines ceased service to Los Alamos in January.

Santa Fe Weather: Mostly sunny today, with a high near 56. Expect mostly clear skies tonight with the overnight low, 35. Tomorrow: Sunny and a high near 60.