The Food and Drug Administration under President Bush valued politics over science, a District Court said last year in ordering the agency to approve the morning-after pill for women 17 and older. The court also ordered the FDA to reconsider approving the drug for women of all ages, but now one group says President Obama’s administration is stalling on a promise to expand access to the drug and allow it to be sold to those under 18.

The Center for Reproductive Rights is taking the FDA back to court for its failure to respond to a court order about the expansion.

Although the drug is similar to birth control pills, some pro-life groups have opposed the morning-after pill on moral grounds. The drug is classified as birth control and has not be shown to cause harm to a pregnancy.

“The FDA has had ample time, countless opportunities, and overwhelming scientific evidence put before it to make a decision on Plan B,” said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights. “The President promised that his administration would reverse the Bush policy of politics trumping science. But when it comes to emergency contraception, it’s a new administration playing the same old games.”

“All of the scientific facts are there and FDA experts agree – emergency contraception has proven safe and effective to be sold over-the-counter to all ages,” said Suzanne Novak, lead counsel in the case.  ”It’s time for the FDA to stop the stonewalling, follow the science, and make emergency contraception available without a prescription to women of all ages.”

• Kevin Reid of Titan Development Ltd. Co., an industrial real estate company, and chief executive officer of Reid & Associates Design/Builders
• Denise Baker, a director the New Mexico Associated Builders & Contractors and National Association of Independent Office Properties
• Jim Giannelli, president of RMCI, a general construction and engineering company
• Dale Dekker, an architect and planner, serves on the executive board of the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the Economic Forum, Albuquerque Economic Development and NAIOP. He was appointed by Governor Richardson to the Construction Industries Commission.
• Randy Crowder, president of the New Mexico Home Builders Association and a Clovis Commissioner
• Darryl Ackley, of the Institute for Complex Additive Systems Analysis (ICASA) at New Mexico Tech
• Steve Beffort, GSD secretary under Gary Johnson
• James Hall, chief information officer for Gary Johnson.

That’s how former game commissioner Leo V. Sims responded Friday to accusations from the New Mexico Wildlife Federation that Sims used his connections, and large donations to Gov. Bill Richardson, to influence the transfer of 61 bighorn sheep to state land he leases.

Sims said he is considering a conservation easement that would transfer management and use of the property to a nonprofit childrens’ group. He said he would take no money for such a deal and that it would be considered a charitable contribution.

“This is pay-to-play pure and simple,” NMWF Executive Director Jeremy Vesbach said in a press release sent out Thursday morning. “You’ve got a major political donor secretly reaping the benefits when public animals were moved to public lands using public resources.”

Sims gave $52,000 to Richardson’s 2006 campaign and $25,000 to Richardson’s 2002 election campaign.(In 2010, Sims gave $10,000 to Susana Martinez—and $8,500 to Diane Denish.)

But Sims denied that the deal was secret, saying parts of the process were advertised on the commission’s website and official notifications were posted in The Albuquerque Journal and the newspaper in Clayton.

“This is pay-to-play pure and simple,” NMWF Executive Director Jeremy Vesbach said in a press release sent out Thursday morning. “You’ve got a major political donor secretly reaping the benefits when public animals were moved to public lands using public resources.”

Sims gave $52,000 to Richardson’s 2006 campaign and $25,000 to Richardson’s 2002 election campaign.(In 2010, Sims gave $10,000 to Susana Martinez—and $8,500 to Diane Denish.)

Mr. Sims was not in his office this morning and a voicemail left at his home has not yet been returned.

Update Nov. 12: Sims denies claims.

Here’s the NMWF report:
Sims report And the lease plan, provided by NMWF: Sims lease plan The legal notice of the lease: Sims legal ad And the State Land Office letter about the extension of the lease:
SLO letter

He’s joined by:

• Max Best, former general counsel to Governor Gary Carruthers.
• Bill Lutz, a former United States Attorney for the district of New Mexico.
• Duncan Scott of Scott & Kienzle, P.A. a former assistant New Mexico attorney general

Other members of the committee include:

• Steve Smotherman, the pastor at Legacy Church.
• Rebecca Dow, the founder of a faith-based not-for-profit in Sierra and the policy chair of the New Mexico Child Care and Education Association.
• Julie Drieke, a former quality manager for CYFD and former staffer for Heather Wilson.
• Jim Hinton, the president and CEO of Presbyterian Healthcare Services
• Steve Martinez, a former administrator at the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute.
• Kathy McCoy, a state Representative who chose not to seek reelection.
• Barbara Tedrow, the owner of  a private childcare center in Farmington.
• Kerry Weems, a former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and employee of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Other members include:

• Stacy Abruzzo, whose family owns the Sandia Tram
• Jeffrey A. Alford, the general manager of The Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano
• Jerean Camuñez Hutchinson,  co-owner of the famed La Posta de Mesilla restaurant
• Sharon Schultz, CEO of the Tourism Association of New Mexico
• Mary Ann Weems, is the owner of an Albuquerque art gallery and host of the annual Weems Art Fest

Other attendees include Geoffrey Blackwell of the Office of Native Affairs and Policy Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau, Joe Garcia of the All Indian Pueblo Council and Loris Taylor of Native Public Media.

Full information is available at SaveTheInternet.org.

• Suzanne Eisold, former chief of staff for the late Congressman Joe Skeen.
• Lou Gallegos, former chief of staff to Gov. Gary Johnson and Sen. Pete Domenici
• Jay McCleskey, Martinez’s lead political consultant and former regional political director for the Republican National Committee

Other members include:

• T. Greg Merrion, the president of Merrion Oil & Gas in Farmington, past president of the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico and past chairman of the New Mexico Oil & Gas Association
• Mark Murphy of Strata Production Company, an oil and gas company based in Roswell
• Joel Carson, who, according to his LinkedIn profile, is general counsel to Mack Energy, an Artesia-based oil and gas company
• Dennis L. Hjeresen, division leader for Environmental Protection at Los Alamos National Laboratory
• Rance Miles of Select Milk Producers
• Catron County rancher Roy Farr
• Martine’z husband, Chuck Franco, a Doña Ana County undersheriff