Posts by Marjorie Childress

The largest group of patients enrolled in New Mexico’s medical marijuana program are those who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, according to the most recent New Mexico Department of Health data. But Albuquerque’s Veteran’s Administration hospital–which many veterans rely on as their only source of health care–doesn’t allow its physicians to recommend the use of marijuana to patients.

The town of Las Cruces got approval in the final hours of the legislative session Thursday to issue tax increment financing bonds for redevelopment of its downtown area. Known as a TIDD in shorthand, the Las Cruces tax district will fund road construction projects to open its downtown Main Street to automobile traffic.

A bill spurred by last year’s discovery of the mass burial of 13 Albuquerque women who had been reported missing years earlier passed the Legislature Wednesday night. Sponsored by Sen. Sander Rue, (R-Bernalillo, Sandoval), SB 55 resulted from a task force that was convened after the mass grave was found. The bill requires quicker response [...]

A bill to create a Domestic Violence Leadership Commission was passed by the House Wednesday, which means it’s heading to the Governor’s desk.  Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino’s bill, SB 26, met minimal opposition on the House floor before it was adopted by a vote of 33 to 22. It creates a 26-member state commission [...]

A bill that would have added gross receipts tax to a wide variety of food was tabled by a unanimous vote of the House Business and Industry Committee Wednesday afternoon. There were no questions for the sponsor and no discussion among the committee members, indicating the measure is likely dead for good.

Former three-term ABQ Mayor Martin Chavez has been named executive director of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives. ICLEI is a membership organization of local governments with a focus on climate protection, sustainability, and clean energy.

Three Doña Ana County legislators who want to reform rules that govern the State Land Office have endorsed former Land Commissioner Ray Powell in his 2010 bid to regain the seat. Sen. Steve Fischmann and Reps. Jeff Steinborn and Nate Cote are all Democrats from Doña Ana County, where no-bid planning and development leases given [...]

Stock up on white flour tortillas and red chile pods now. The New Mexico Senate voted late Saturday night to extend the state’s gross receipts tax on a wide variety of foods after a wide-ranging debate that included attempts to raise taxes on the state’s wealthiest residents and out-of-state corporations.

A bill that would have allowed people to register to vote at early voting sites and cast their ballot on the same day was left hanging late last night by a tie vote in the Senate Judiciary committee. It was subsequently voted down this morning by the House Voters and Elections Committee.

House members debated The Hispanic Education Act for well over two hours before voting 44 to 25 to pass the bill to the Senate, where members had another lengthy debate before passing it 24 to 16.   Much of the debate was captured in The Independent’s live blog throughout the afternoon. The two bills have small [...]

The concept that nuclear energy is a “green” energy was brushed aside by most Democrats on the Senate Rules committee Wednesday morning. A memorial brought by Sen. William Sharer, R-Farmington, would have directed that the state environment department acknowledge nuclear energy as a “clean and efficient source of energy,” and that the state energy, minerals [...]

A modified food tax bill that would add gross receipts tax to non-staple food is poised to become part of the budget package, it’s sponsor, Sen. Bernadette Sanchez, D-Bernalillo, said in a statement issued late Monday. While the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council took a position against the imposition of a food tax earlier in the year and hasn’t discussed this bill, the coordinator of the policy table, Pam Roy, told The Independent she thought this bill was “palatable.”

Legislation that would allow a person to register to vote then immediately cast a ballot at early voting sites require that the registration info be entered into the state online voter database on the spot so that county clerks can verify the person isn’t registered and voting elsewhere in the same election.

The Hispanic Education Act’s next move in the House is a floor vote, after the House version of the bill, HB 150, cleared the House Education Committee this morning on a seven to three vote.  On the Senate side, the final committee for SB 132 is Senate Finance.  The Hispanic Education Act has gained momentum [...]

One of the big-ticket items on the agenda for the legislative session is the Hispanic Education Act, which passed its first committee hearing on Monday. The legislation has come to the fore as one way to focus attention and resources on closing the “achievement gap” between Anglo and Hispanic students.