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May 6 First News: Senator Udall Not Ready For High-Level Waste In New Mexico

A recently-proposed high-level temporary nuclear waste dump locating to southeastern New Mexico is generating much discussion, especially among elected officials. The issue came up late last month when Governor Susana Martinez corresponded with the Obama administration suggesting New Mexico would welcome such a facility. However, Democratic Senator Tom Udall says the matter shouldn’t be a topic of discussion until the mess at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, or WIPP, is taken care of. *****050615-Udall 6 :30***** On another issue, Udall is again calling for Congress to approve a bill to boost the federal minimum wage. Udall spoke to reporters Tuesday via conference call. *****050615-Udall 1 :27***** Udall says the bill, the” Raise the Wage Act,” would provide raises to more than 250-thousand New Mexico workers. On another issue, the Senator also says he’s also supporting election reform legislation. He says New Mexicans believe that U-S democracy should be built on the power of ordinary voters and not a few billionaires with “huge checkbooks.” *****Udall 3 :37***** Udall adds he’s leading the push to roll back big money in politics and overturn the Supreme Court’s “Citizens United” ruling he just mentioned with his proposed Constitutional Amendment. The proposal would reverse Supreme Court rulings that prevent limitations on campaign spending, campaign contributions and independent group spending.

A federal appeals court has dismissed an appeal of a judge's order that required Sandoval County to use more election polling places and machines in the 2014 election. The Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday said the case is now moot because the 2014 election has already been held. A U.S. District Court judge had ordered Sandoval County to increase polling places and machines after voting precincts were consolidated into voting centers for the 2012 election. That resulted in hours-long lines at polling places in Republican-leaning Rio Rancho, an Albuquerque suburb that is the county's most populous city. The judge called that a "complete disaster." The county had appealed, but the 10th Circuit declined before the 2014 election was held to accelerate its review of the case.

Authorities say a small tornado briefly touched down about five miles southwest of Roswell, but there are no reported injuries. Chaves County emergency managers say a shed was destroyed and a garage door was wrapped around a utility pole. Roswell residents reported seeing the funnel cloud form early Tuesday afternoon as strong thunderstorms moved through the area. The National Weather Service says the combination of a cool air mass and strong winds aloft allowed short-lived funnel clouds to develop over much of eastern New Mexico. The weather service says Roswell and Albuquerque both set new rainfall records for Monday and in the Clovis area, more rain could cause flooding in areas that were already soaked. In Clayton, residents have reported five straight days of rain.

Officials with the Santa Fe Opera are celebrating tens of millions of dollars in upgrades at the opera house as they prepare for the upcoming season. Nestled in the foothills surrounding New Mexico's capital city, the open-air opera has embarked on a $35 million effort to improve everything from the box office to spaces backstage that haven't been touched since 1968. General Director Charles MacKay says the initial phase is done and ready for the first performance in July. MacKay also detailed the lineup for the 2016 season during a news conference Tuesday. There will be five different operas, including Puccini's La Fanciulla (la fan-chew-luh)"del West." MacKay says the opera is in good shape financially and expects to have a balanced budget this year. Ticket sales are just slightly behind last year.

Santa Fe Weather: Partly sunny today with a 20-percent chance for showers and thunderstorms, today’s high 65. Tonight: Partly cloudy with the overnight low, 42 and a continued 20-percent chance for showers and thunderstorms. Tomorrow: mostly sunny with the high 66.