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.
Susana Martinez became the nation’s first Latina governor on Saturday. In a speech at a chilly outdoor inauguration ceremony in Santa Fe, Martinez promised greater transparency in state government.
Martinez did not directly mention her predecessor, Gov. Bill Richardson, but did allude to his administration negatively in her inauguration speech.
“As Governor, I will endeavor to move New Mexico away from the waste and excess that has defined our past,” Martinez said. “Transparency and accountability will be core values of my administration.”
Martinez took over for Bill Richardson, who served two terms as governor of New Mexico.
Martinez also promised to increase education, one of the few mentions of policy in her inauguration speech.
“Nothing we do is more indispensable to our future well being or will receive more attention from my administration than guaranteeing our children a quality education,” Martinez said.
She said of the children of the state, “By every measure we are failing them.” Martinez cited poor ratings among New Mexico’s 8th graders in math and reading and said that “graduation rates are not acceptable.”
During the campaign Martinez promised to not cut education funding or Medicaid funding but has since opened the door for some cuts to education and Medicaid.
Martinez did not waste any time in making her mark on the governor’s office. On her first day in office Martinez issued four executive orders and appointed her Amy Orlando as her replacement for Doña Ana County district attorney. Orlando served as Martinez’s Chief Deputy District Attorney.
Martinez’s first executive order was to create a small business task force and froze “all proposed and pending regulations” according to a release from her office.
Martinez ordered all departments and agencies to “submit to the Office of the Governor a comprehensive listing of proposed and pending rules and regulations, for review not later than January 14, 2011.”
The new governor also signed executive orders that told all agencies to cooperate with any federal investigations, prohibited them from hiring lobbyists and prohibiting any uses of executive privilege to deny public records requests without written permission from the Office of the Governor.
Martinez’s first legislative session will begin in two weeks on Jan. 18. There the legislature, which features more Republicans in the House than before but still has a majority of Democrats, and Martinez will grapple with a budget deficit of over $400 million.
New Mexico, like all states but Vermont, has a requirement to balance the budget.
