Political News – Page 698

Los Alamos County Officials Discuss Projects And Initiatives During Washington, D.C. Trip

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on May 23, 2015

From left, Los Alamos County Manager Harry Burgess, Councilor Rick Reiss, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, Council Chair Kristin Henderson and Council Vice Chair David Izraelevitz in Washington D.C. this past week. The Los Alamos contingent met with Heinrich and other members of New Mexico’s Congressional Delegation along with various DOE, NNSA and other federal officials to discuss County projects and initiatives. Photo by Seth Kirshenberg/Kutak-Rock

From left, Los Alamos County Council Vice Chair David Izraelevitz, Councilor Rick Reiss, Council Chair Kristin Henderson, Read More

NM Congressional Delegation Introduces Bill To Expand Research On Rare Genetic Disease Affecting Hispanics

Submitted by Chris Clark on May 22, 2015

STATE News:

WASHINGTON ― U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representatives Ben Ray Luján, Steve Pearce and Michelle Lujan Grisham announced they have introduced a bill to increase research, education and treatment for Cavernous Cerebral Malformations (CCM), an uncommon genetic blood vessel disease that impacts the brain and spinal cord, and affects people of Spanish descent, including many Hispanic New Mexicans.

The lawmakers’ bill, the Cerebral Cavernous Malformations Clinical Awareness,

Video: Heinrich’s Call To End Mass Phone Surveillance

Submitted by Chris Clark on May 22, 2015

SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, spoke on the Senate floor today calling on Congress to end the National Security Agency (NSA) bulk collection program.

He stated his opposition to reauthorizing Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act without making the necessary reforms to protect Americans’ privacy and civil liberties.

Section 215 is the provision used by the NSA to collect the phone records of millions of law-abiding Americans. Sen. Heinrich

Momentum Grows For Renewable Electricity Standard

Submitted by Chris Clark on May 22, 2015

SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― A bill introduced by U.S. Senators Tom Udall, D-N.M. and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. to create a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) received an important hearing in the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

The bill, S. 1264, would create jobs, save consumers money, and reduce pollution. In an effort to diversify the United States’ energy sources and lead in clean energy production, the bill would require utilities to generate 30 percent of their electricity from renewable

Luján Issues Statement On Short-Term Highway Bill

Submitted by Chris Clark on May 22, 2015

U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján

CONGRESSIONAL News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District released the following statement on a two-month extension of the Highway Trust Fund, which is set to expire at the end of the month.

“Republicans have had ten months to come up with a long-term highway funding solution to keep important road, bridge, and construction projects moving forward, yet all they have mustered is a two-month extension that continues the uncertainty and dysfunction that has become their trademark.

“It is long past time

Luján Offers Amendment To Support STEM Education At Hispanic Serving Institutions

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on May 21, 2015

CONGRESSIONAL News:

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District spoke on the House floor today in support of a bipartisan amendment he offered with a number of his colleagues to establish a grant program at the National Science Foundation to support STEM education at Hispanic Serving Institutions.

Below are Luján’s remarks on the amendment, which passed unanimously. Click here to watch his speech.

“Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of this amendment that I am proud to offer with my colleagues. I want to thank Congressman Crowley for his leadership; I want Read More

GOP Meeting At UNM-LA 7 P.M. Today

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on May 21, 2015

GOP News:

The Republican Party of Los Alamos County will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 21, in UNM-LA Room 203.

A brief business meeting will be followed by a planning and brain-storming session.

For more information, contact Bill McKerley at 505.331-3686.

Strong Start For America’s Children Act Introduced

Submitted by Chris Clark on May 21, 2015

SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich joined a group of senators in introducing the Strong Start for America’s Children Act to expand quality preschool programs in New Mexico and throughout the country.

The Strong Start for America’s Children Act is a 10-year innovative federal-state partnership to expand and improve early learning opportunities for children from birth to age 5.

“Quality preschool can transform a child, helping them start kindergarten ready to learn and become more successful

U.S. Leads Fifth International Review Meeting On Safety Of Spent Fuel And Radioactive Waste Management

Submitted by Chris Clark on May 21, 2015

NNSA News:

VIENNA, Austria ― Representatives of the nations or Contracting Parties who are signatories to the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (Joint Convention), began on Monday the Fifth Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties.

The Joint Convention is the first international instrument that deals with the safety of management and storage of radioactive waste and spent fuel in countries with and without nuclear programs. It elaborates and expands the existing International Atomic Energy Agency

Public Comments Sought On STIP

Submitted by Chris Clark on May 20, 2015

NMDT News:

SANTA FE ― The public is invited to comment on the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s 9th amendment to the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

The program will serve as a four year plan for the state’s federal aid highway program. The STIP contains proposed road and bridge projects and is required under the federal legislation. Projects on the list are on federal and state highways (roads with I, U.S. or NM designations).

The NMDOT has posted the 2014-2017 STIP amendment on the internet asking

Court Reverses Sabotage Verdict For Y-12 Protesters

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on May 20, 2015

Courtesy/Nuke Resister & Transform Now Plowshares

By ROGER SNODGRASS

Los Alamos Daily Post

By a 2-1 vote, a U.S. Court of Appeals in Knoxville, Tenn., overturned a sabotage conviction for three religious protesters on May 8.

The decision led to the release Saturday of Megan Rice, an 84-year-old nun, 59-year-old Greg Boertje-Obed and 66-year-old Michael Walli. They were arrested while infiltrating the Y-12 National Security Site near Oak Ridge National Laboratory on July 28, 2012.

Rice has been serving a 35-month sentence and the two men were working on a 65-month sentence each. Read More

Luján Celebrates 50 Years Of Head Start Program

Submitted by Chris Clark on May 20, 2015

U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján

SENATE News:

Washington, D.C. ― U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third district marked the anniversary of “Project Head Start” Monday, launched 50 years ago by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Since its creation, Head Start has provided early childhood education to more than 30 million children from working and low-income families.

“Helping our children succeed begins by putting them on the right path at the earliest ages. For 50 years, Head Start has helped support hard-working families who are trying to get ahead

Director To Request $750,000 In Emergency Funding For Operations Of Magistrate Courts Through June

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on May 19, 2015

Scales of Justice. Courtesy image

COURT News:

Administrative Office of the Courts Director Artie Pepin will appear before the state Board of Finance Thursday to request emergency funding of $750,000 for operations of magistrate courts through June.

In April, the governor vetoed a $750,000 supplemental appropriation approved by the Legislature to address underfunding partly caused by a loss of revenues from vetoes in 2014.

Without the requested $750,000 emergency grant, according to Pepin, the AOC will not pay leases on court buildings for June and state insurance premiums. Those steps Read More

Udall To Discuss Critical NM Funding For Labs

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on May 19, 2015

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall will attend Senate Committee meetings on several issues important to New Mexico, including the Fiscal Year 2016 budgets for New Mexico’s national labs, military bases and the Department of Veterans Affairs; Indian water rights settlements; important safety updates at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that affect all airports; and expanding U.S. relations with Cuba.

Additionally, a bill that Udall recently introduced to create a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), will be considered by the Senate Read More

Officials Celebrate $14 Million Solar Power Project

Submitted by Chris Clark on May 18, 2015

USDA News:

ALBUQUERQUE ― USDA Rural Development State Director Terry Brunner announced that 3rd Dist. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan will join him and the management of the Springer Electric Cooperative at 10 a.m., May 26 to celebrate the completion of construction of a $14 million solar power project.

The funding provided by USDA Rural Development also includes the expansion and upgrade of 74 miles of electric line and system. A total of $3.4 million of the $14 million loan was used to construct the one mega-watt solar power generation facility located just north of Springer.

AG’s Statement On Kari Brandenburg Investigation

Submitted by Chris Clark on May 18, 2015

Attorney General Hector Balderas

APD News:

ALBUQUERQUE ― New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas released the following statement Thursday regarding the Kari Brandenburg investigation:

“Today (Thursday) my office released detailed findings from a four-month-long investigation regarding a public referral from the Albuquerque Police Department alleging that Bernalillo County District Attorney, Kari Brandenburg, engaged in bribery or intimidation of witnesses.

“The investigation concluded that there is insufficient evidence to bring charges of bribery or Read More

Heinrich Fights For New Mexico In Annual Defense Bill

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on May 17, 2015

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, voted to advance the committee’s fiscal year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The bill includes key provisions Senator Heinrich worked to include that benefit New Mexico’s men and women in uniform, military installations, private industry, national laboratories, and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).

The bill, which sets the Department of Defense spending levels and policies for the upcoming fiscal year, was reported out of committee Read More

Attorney General Announces Free Trainings On Open Meetings Act And Inspection Of Public Records Act

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on May 17, 2015

AG News:

SANTA FE – Attorneys from the Office of the Attorney General are traveling throughout New Mexico for the remainder of the year, offering free training sessions on Sunshine Laws designed to help government agencies and municipalities better understand the requirements of the state’s Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) and its Open Meetings Act (OMA).

The training sessions will be held monthly beginning next week and continuing through the end of the year.

IPRA defines what information agencies must release to the public. The Act recognizes that “all persons are entitled to the Read More

New Mexico House Speaker Don Tripp Says Senate Democrats Sabotaged Capital Outlay Bill

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on May 15, 2015

GOP News:

ALBUQUERQUE – Speaker Don Tripp released the following statement this evening:

“I have been waiting for several days for Senate Democratic leadership to return my calls so that we could come to an agreement that would benefit the most New Mexicans. Time and again, however, our negotiations have been derailed by an obvious lack of sincerity by the Senate Democrats.

“It is very difficult to work with people who do not value their word, and their unwillingness to negotiate in good faith has cost New Mexico a capital outlay bill and a jobs package that passed the House Read More

Democratic Chairwoman Expresses Disappointment Saying Governor Chooses Politics Over Capital Outlay

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on May 15, 2015

DEMOCRATIC News:

Democratic Party Chairwoman Deb Haaland weighed in this evening on Governor Martinez’s apparent decision not to call a special session in order to pass a much needed capital outlay funding bill.

“Governor Martinez and New Mexico Republicans know this bill would help the working families all across our state,” said Haaland from a Young Democrats event in Grants. “That’s why it is absolutely shocking to me that the Republicans won’t put partisan differences aside for one day to conduct the people’s business, as they were elected to do. I’m disappointed, and I’m thinking about Read More

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