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Sept. 17 First News: Santa Fe County Wants Marijuana Question On November Ballot (Listen)

Santa Fe County joins Bernalillo County in asking the state's highest court to allow a nonbinding advisory question over marijuana on the November general election ballot. The legal challenge was filed by Santa Fe County with the state Supreme Court on Tuesday after the county commission voted to authorize a lawsuit over an elections dispute with Secretary of State Dianna Duran. The court on Monday agreed to hear a similar lawsuit brought by Bernalillo County, which wants to put nonbinding questions on the ballot about decriminalizing marijuana and taxes. Duran, the state's top elections official, decided last week that state law doesn't allow advisory questions on the ballot. The counties are asking the high court to require Duran to place the nonbinding questions on county ballots.

In other action, Commissioners on Tuesday approved a 12 month moratorium on any development permits or approvals at the controversial La Bajada mining site.  This gives the Board time to write stricter rules on industrial development in the County.

Heavy rains are expected to strike the state this week thanks to remnants of Tropical Storm Odile (oh-DEEL'). The National Weather Service said severe weather from the Odile will move across New Mexico bringing possible flooding and thunderstorms. Forecasters say the storms will be capable of producing one to three inches of rain during short periods, creating the threat of flash flooding. Ortero County in southern New Mexico may see flooding today as severe weather could overtop spillways at Silver and Mescalero Lakes. A weakening Tropical Storm Odile pushed up Mexico's Baja California Peninsula early Tuesday.

A new poll of New Mexico likely voters finds that a majority favors increasing the state's current minimum hourly wage of seven-dollars, 50-cents an hour. The Albuquerque Journal) reports that the poll found that 68 percent support an increase. Of the overall survey group, 53 percent said the minimum wage should be between eight and ten dollars, and 12 percent said it should be more than 10-dollars.  Gov. Susana Martinez vetoed a 2013 proposal to raise the statewide minimum wage to eight-50 an hour. Albuquerque and Santa Fe have increased their minimum wages. And Las Cruces joined that effort last week with a vote to raise its wage to ten-dollars, ten cents. The Journal's poll was conducted last week and has a margin of error of more than four-percentage points.

More witnesses are expected in a hearing connected to a northern New Mexico sheriff indicted in an off-duty traffic stop. Lawyers for Rio Arriba County Sheriff Thomas Rodella are scheduled Tuesday to continue their quest to get U.S. Attorney Damon Martinez removed for the case.

Robert Gorence, Rodella's attorney, says Martinez may have tried to get New Mexico State Police to alter a report of the stop to land more serious charges. Gorence says Martinez has a vendetta against Rodella over U.S. Forest Service patrols in northern New Mexico targeting Hispanic ranchers. Authorities says Rodella was in plainclothes when he pulled over a motorist in March, jumped out of his personal SUV with a gun, and shoved his badge in the motorist's face. He has pleaded not guilty to deprivation of rights and brandishing a firearm.

Undercover video showing workers at a southern New Mexico dairy whipping cows with chains and wire cables and kicking and punching the animals has led to a state investigation into possible animal cruelty violations. The New Mexico Livestock Board confirms it has launched an investigation into the practices at the Winchester Dairy near Dexter. The group Mercy for Animals presented the video footage to the livestock agency last Thursday. It planned to publicly release a compilation of clips that show the abuse during a news conference Wednesday in Albuquerque. In a statement, the dairy said animal care and well-being are central to its operations. As a result, the dairy fired all employees and referred the abusive workers to law enforcement for further review. Milking operations and shipments to vendors have been halted.

New Mexican teens have an opportunity to see the workings of the federal government up close.   KSFR news reporter Charles Maynard reports: *****Runs 1:35*****

Santa Fe Weather: Mostly cloudy with a 20-percent chance for showers and thunderstorms today through tonight with the high 74 and the overnight low, 54. Tomorrow: Partly sunny with a high of 71 with a 40-percent chance for showers and thunderstorms.