A House-approved bill that combines so-called “right to work” legislation with a minimum wage increase will have to clear three State Senate Committees before coming to the Senate floor for a vote. The Republican controlled House has approved the bill on a party-line vote and on Thursday, Republican Senators sought to break with tradition and bypass the committee process and bring the legislation directly to the full Senate for debate and a vote. That effort, led by Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle, failed on a 25-17 vote. The bill prohibits requiring workers to join a union or to pay dues as a condition of employment and includes a 50-cent-per-hour minimum wage hike. The union prohibition is a priority of Governor Susana Martinez and would apply to both public and private sectors. The measure’s referral to three committees with just more than two weeks left in the 2015 session all but kills it.
A proposal that would tighten eligibility rules for all sheriffs in New Mexico has cleared its first hurdle. The House Safety and Civil Affairs Committee voted unanimously Thursday to approve a bill that would call for sheriffs to have at least seven years of professional experience in law enforcement. Under the proposal, sheriffs cannot have been convicted on a felony and must be a certified law enforcement officer. The New Mexico Sheriff's Association supports the changes. Current state law allows anyone to run for sheriff. The move comes after former Rio Arriba County Sheriff Tommy Rodella was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for abusing a driver in a bizarre, off-duty traffic stop that prosecutors described as a fit of road rage.
A New Mexico Senate panel is set to debate a measure setting strict guidelines when a middle or high school student athlete could return after suffering a concussion. The Senate Education Committee is scheduled to discuss a bill later today that would create rules for coaches when they could allow an athlete back in a game after showing signs of brain injury. Under the proposal, coaches may let the student resume participation after a week. The measure also would require coaches to go through training on recognizing brain injuries. An Associated Press analysis of the 51 youth concussion laws — one in each state and the District of Columbia — found that fewer than half contain all of the key principles in a strict bill passed in Washington State in 2009.
New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez has commented on the controversy over a test that has led to student protests statewide. Martinez says students protesting the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers exam, or PARCC have a right to march but they need to return to class. The Republican governor told KOAT-TV in Albuquerque that the new rigorous test is the best option for New Mexico students. She says so far, the test is working. And Martinez says when it's time for class, students need to stop protesting and return to their seats. Her comments come as hundreds of high school students across the state walked out of schools this week to protest the PARCC. The backlash came as millions of U.S. students started taking the rigorous tests aligned with Common Core standards that outline math and language skills that should be mastered in each grade.
A federal judge says the impacts of burning coal at a northwestern New Mexico power plant must be considered in deciding whether its sole supplier can expand mining operations. Environmental groups sued the federal Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement in 2012. At issue was the approval of a 714-acre expansion of the Navajo Mine and the agency's claim that the mine isn't harming the environment or people's health. U.S. District Judge John Kane in Colorado ruled this week that the agency's analysis of the indirect impacts of the mine expansion wasn't sufficient. The Office of Surface Mining now must review its decision. Spokesman Christopher Holmes didn't immediately return a message Thursday seeking comment. A Navajo Nation company owns the coal mine. Spokesman ErnyZah declined comment.
The New Mexico Department of health has released vaccine exemption data for each school district in the state. Statewide, the exemption rate is about six tenths of one percent. 11 districts, however, have exemption rates of two-percent or more, including Santa Fe, Los Alamos, and Taos. Both Santa Fe and Albuquerque school districts have policies requiring children to have up to date immunizations in order to attend school. The Secretary of Health is encouraging other districts to follow their lead. New Mexico recognizes medical exemptions attested to by a physician and religious exceptions certified by an officer of a religious denomination. Under federal law, Homeless children are allowed to enroll immediately and subsequently provide medical records, or update their immunizations.
Santa Fe Weather: Sunny today through tomorrow with highs in the low 50s. Tonight: Mostly clear with the overnight low, 26.