The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission has voted unanimously to reject a proposal by Public Service Company of New Mexico to raise rates and charge more for new solar customers to connect to the grid. Wednesday’s PRC vote followed a hearing examiner’s recommendation that the utility’s application be denied over concerns that it was incomplete. Environmentalists argued that PNM failed to provide regulators with enough information to justify a 12-percent rate hike. The utility says it’s disappointed defending the increase as needed to help cover the costs of new solar-power generating stations, pollution controls and other infrastructure.
New Mexico's budget picture is brighter now than earlier in the year, stabilizing with personal and corporate income taxes largely driving an increase in anticipated revenues. The latest estimates show that revenue for the current fiscal year is expected to increase by 136 million dollars to a total of six-and-a-quarter billion as compared with a February forecast. State financial analysts are trying to figure out what's driving the uptick in those taxes but say it's generally attributable to the improving economy. They caution that the estimated increase in revenues doesn't equate to new money that could be available to spend in fiscal 2017 because hard numbers won't be available until after the start of the new fiscal year, which begins July First. Governor Susana Martinez in March signed a six-point-two billion dollar budget for the next fiscal year.
The state health department is facing a project deficit of nearly six-million dollars. The New Mexican reports that the department had a 27 million-dollar surplus only two years ago and its practice of contracting with private nursing services may have contributed to budget problems. State Representative Luciano "Lucky" Varela says the budget shortfall is a result of the system. He says there has been excessive turnover among nurses, so the department has been hiring temporary nursing services to fill the gaps. The amount spent by the department on nursing services has increased more than four-fold in recent years. State health officials said Tuesday that their budget woes were caused, in part, by higher bills, litigation costs, a general fund reduction, less money from state funds and inflation.
Authorities will resume a search this morning in the Sandia Mountains overlooking Albuquerque for a missing woman. The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department says it has requested help from New Mexico State Police to search for 24-year-old Brittany Johnson. According to the Sheriff's Department, Johnson's vehicle was located Wednesday morning near the top of Sandia Crest as deputies checked for motorists stranded by overnight snowfall. Sheriff's Lt. Pete Golden says Johnson's family reported her missing Saturday. Air and ground crews searched for more than nine hours Wednesday but found no sign of her. The search was suspended at nightfall and was to resume this morning.
A new lawsuit says the Vatican sent a New England priest accused of raping boys and stealing parish money to New Mexico for treatment and that he later abused a boy in that state numerous times.The lawsuit recently filed in Albuquerque District Court says a religious order in Massachusetts wrote the Vatican seeking to fire Rev. John George Weisenborn. However, the Vatican instructed the diocese to send Weisenborn to New Mexico in 1964 where he was later hired as a full-time priest.
According to the lawsuit, Weisenborn abused as boy more than fifty times as a priest at St. Francis Xavier in Albuquerque beginning in 1968. Court documents say Weisenborn also was detained three times in Washington D.C. for having sex with boys before coming to New Mexico. A Santa Fe Archdiocese spokeswoman did not immediately comment on the lawsuit.
Spaceport America is launching a new business plan to bring in more revenue and prove itself worthy of New Mexico's tax dollars. The New Mexico Spaceport Authority's board of directors on Wednesday officially approved the five-year plan proposed by Spaceport America CEO Christine Anderson. The plan outlines goals to lure resources in fields within and outside of aerospace. Officials say they want to see a rise in suborbital spaceflight activities starting in 2017. The spaceport also proposes obtaining 30 percent of its revenue from non-aerospace sectors by 2020. The facility's success has been tied to anchor tenant Virgin Galactic. But Virgin's continuing delays have irked lawmakers, who say they are tired of taxpayers footing the bill. The project has cost more than 200- million dollars so far.
Santa Fe Weather: Partly sunny skies today with a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms this afternoon, today’s high, 70. Tonight: Partly cloudy with the overnight low dipping to 39 with a continued 10-percent chance for showers and thunderstorms. Tomorrow: Partly sunny and breezy with a 20-percent chance for showers and thunderstorms.