I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
The Public Regulation Commission doesn’t want to have a public discussion of a critical audit of the state Division of Insurance, PRC Commissioner Jason Marks charged Tuesday.
“They’re trying to cover it all up and keep it from being released to the public,” Marks told The Independent before Tuesday’s Commission meeting.
Last week, Commissioners Jerome Block Jr., Sandy Jones and David King all voiced support for discussing the report in private.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), a national accrediting organization, has placed the Division on probationary status, The Independent reported last week. The Division is the only state insurance-regulating agency in the U.S. currently facing probationary accreditation, Superintendent of Insurance John Franchini acknowledged
The Independent last week published a scathing draft NAIC audit report describing inadequate staffing, staff training and oversight of the insurance industry by the state Insurance Division.
The Division has not yet disclosed other, related records requested by The Independent Aug. 17 under the state public records law.
Franchini said last week his failure to convey the NAIC audit findings to the commission had been “inadvertent” and asked that he be allowed to present the findings to the commissioners Tuesday in a meeting that would not be open to the public.
The PRC has already twice delayed public discussion of the report, which was on the commission’s agendas for Sept. 21 and Sept. 23.
“Originally, we were going to discuss the corrective action plan today (Sept. 28), but it’s not on the agenda,” Marks said before Tuesday’s meeting. “I asked why and the General Counsel said it’s because we don’t want to discuss the audit in an open meeting. I said I wanted it on the agenda.”
The Commission is scheduled on Tuesday’s meeting agenda to discuss Franchini’s request for a closed-hearing discussion.
