The US senate will vote this week on whether to approve military retaliation against Syria's use of chemical weapons against its own citizens. Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico is one of two democrats on the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee who voted last week against such actions, saying he feared it would lead to further US involvement in Syria's civil war. Udall tells KSFR he remains opposed to the Obama administration’s proposal and instead favors greater diplomatic and international pressure to address the matter...*****
As of today, Grant County becomes the eighth county in the state to issue same-sex marriage licenses. The action comes as result of a district court judge’s ruling last week. Meanwhile, the state Supreme Court has said it will hold a hearing on the legality of marriage equality October 23rd. That comes after all 33 county clerks in the state petitioned the high court for a decisive ruling. Legal briefs in the matter must be filed by September 23rd.
US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is in Santa Fe today to launch his “Strong Start, Bright Future” campaign, stressing the critical importance of quality early learning programs. He appears at the United Way of Santa Fe County’s Early Learning Center with Santa Fe School Superintendent Joel Boyd hosting. The Obama Administration has proposed a $75 billion budget item that would provide universal, high-quality, full-day preschool for 4-year olds from low- and moderate-income families, up to 200 percent of the poverty line.
Santa Fe's Public Works and Land use Committee meets today and will discuss several requests for approving grant applications to the federal government for extensive projects at our municipal airport. One would seek $2.5million from the FAA to extend the airport's taxiway. Another, also contingent on an award from the FAA, would allocate a half million dollars to runway lighting. The items go before full city council on Wednesday.
The SunZia Transmission, LLC has announced a preliminary agreement with First Wind Energy, LLC, as an anchor tenant for its 500 mile long extra-high-voltage transmission project across southern New Mexico and Arizona. First Wind is developing high-capacity wind generation projects in central New Mexico and wants to reserve up to 1,500 megawatts of transmission capacity in the new grid. The Bureau of Land management is to decide next month on final approvals for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project. Meanwhile, the Army has come out in opposition of the currently proposed route, saying it will disrupt operations at the White Sands Missile Range.
Weather for Santa Fe – partly sunny today with a high of 80 and a 20% chance for late day showers. Tomorrow, rain, perhaps heavy at times, moves into our region says meteorologist David Kraft at the National Weather Service office in Albuquerque….**** Precipitation probabilities are 70% or more Tuesday through Thursday with highs in the mid 70s under cloudy skies.