NM Senate candidates spend more than $1 million – sometimes on each other – ahead of primary - By Danielle Prokop and Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
Three tight primaries, payments to campaign consultants, and donations from leadership are driving spending in campaigns for state Senate as the June 4 primary election date approaches.
While early voting has already kicked off, spending in April heated up, according to the latest campaign finance reports filed May 13. Candidates across the state spent more than $1.1 million in the last several weeks.
Six of the top 10 spenders are running against one another in three primary elections, in far-flung corners of the state.
The top spending race reported is the fight for District 42 in southeast New Mexico between incumbent Sen. Steve McCutcheon II (R-Carlsbad) and challenger Larry Scott, a Republican state representative from Hobbs.
McCutcheon spent more than $114,000 since April 2, while Scott is the second-highest spender last month at just under $88,000.
A sliver of the West-central portion of the state has two top spenders vying for Senate District 30 spanning from Bernalillo to McKinley County.
District 30 will no longer be represented by Republican Sen. Joshua Sanchez, who is now running for Senate District 29, held by the outgoing GOP Sen.. Greg Baca from Belen.
State Senator Clemente Sanchez, a Democrat who held the District 30 seat from 2013 until 2020, is looking to retake it.
Clemente Sanchez faces Angel Charley (Laguna/Zuni/Diné), the former Executive Director of the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, in the primary. Clemente Sanchez spent more than $68,000 and Charley spent more than $33,000, ranking third and eighth, respectively.
The third-highest spending primary is District 15 in the Albuquerque Heights, between incumbent Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto and challenger Heather Berghmans, a former policy and financial advisor at the Roundhouse.
For three other senators, it’s not neck-and-neck spending with their primary challengers, but payments to campaign consultants and advertising driving up their spending numbers.
Sen. Greg Nibert (R-Roswell), spent the majority of his April expenses – more than $44,000 – on Campaign Marketing Strategies based in McLean, Virginia. Overall, he reported spending more than $56,000. Nibert faces Larry Marker in the Republican primary for Senate District 27, who only spent $1,821 in the last month.
Sen. George Muñoz (D-Gallup), the powerful finance chair for the Senate, is the third-highest fundraiser in the state, with more than $287,000 on hand to spend. Much of that comes from donations from a wide-range of industries such as oil and gas, health care and other businesses.
Muñoz faces Gallup transportation director Keith Hillock, who has entirely self-funded his campaign, donating $4,200 to his campaign. Muñoz spent more than $37,000 in April, with $9,700 on campaign consulting and more than $6,000 on billboard signs.
Muñoz made a $2,000 contribution to the campaign for Las Vegas Democrat Sen. Pete Campos.
Otherwise, Muñoz spent on challengers in down-ballot races, such as $1,000 for McKinley County Treasurer candidate Carol Bowman-Muskett, $500 to Joanne Martinez for the Cibola County Treasurer, and $1,000 for the Eleventh District Attorney candidate Grant Birtcher.
Sen. Antonio “Moe” Maestas, a Democrat from Albuquerque, spent nearly half of his expenditures in April – $21,525 – on campaign consulting from two Albuquerque firms, Strategies 360 and Roadrunner Strategies. There were also two $8,000 expenditures for a poll and a campaign strategist. The rest was split between paraphernalia and signs, canvassing and food for volunteers and campaign events.
Maestas faces South Valley teacher Julie Radoslovich in the primary. Radoslovich spent just over $6,700 in April.
Rounding out the last of the top-10 list of spenders is Sen. Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque), whose biggest donations include $10,000 to the New Mexico Senate Democrats committee. She also donated to several candidates seeking election for the first time to the Senate, like challengers like Charley in District 30, Tina Garcia in District 29 and Cindy Nava, who is competing in a four-person race for the open seat in District 9 in Valencia County.
Candidates will have to file updated financial reports May 30, less than a week before the primary.
See the chart below for more details on where things stand in statewide Senate races:
AG Torrez details his public safety priorities for special session - Albuquerque Journal, KUNM News
In a news conference Thursday, state Attorney General Raúl Torrez said some 75% of violent crimes in New Mexico remain unsolved, according to recent FBI data.
As the Albuquerque Journal reports, with the Legislature being called into a special session on July 18 on public safety, Torrez is asking the governor to seek funding for rapid DNA analysis machines to help law enforcement solve more crimes.
Torrez said that citizens and families are tired of living in a community that, "cannot provide the basic public safety we are all entitled to.”
He noted recent national reports that put New Mexico as the most violent and dangerous state in the country and laid out priorities for the special session.
As well as DNA analysis capacity, he is asking the Legislature to ensure public access to records related to pretrial conditions imposed and defendants’ compliance.
And he wants to create an office of the Crime Victim Advocate to ensure the rights of victims are protected.
A Lakota student's feather plume was cut off her cap during commencement at a New Mexico high school - Associated Press
A Lakota student's traditional feather plume was cut off her graduation cap during her high school commencement ceremony this week in northwestern New Mexico.
It was during the national anthem Monday night when Farmington High School faculty members approached the student, Genesis White Bull, and confiscated her cap, the Tri-City Record reported. The top of it had been decorated with traditional beadwork and an aópazan — Lakota for plume.
White Bull is Hunkpapa Lakota of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota.
Farmington's school district said in a statement Wednesday that it prohibits any modifications to graduation caps and gowns, but students can wear traditional regalia beneath their graduation attire.
"While the staff involved were following district guidelines, we acknowledge this could have been handled differently and better," the statement said.
About 34% of the school district's roughly 11,200 students are Native American or Alaska Natives. The community of Farmington sits on the border of the vast Navajo Nation.
Brenda White Bull, the student's mother, approached the faculty members after they removed her daughter's cap, asking if she could remove the plume herself. The faculty members used scissors to cut it off, she said.
Navajo Nation First Lady Jasmine Blackwater-Nygren, who attended the commencement Monday night, said on Facebook that she was disappointed and called on school officials to allow Native American students the choice to wear traditional regalia at graduation.
"Deciding what to wear goes far beyond a simple decision of what color dress or shoes to wear," Blackwater-Nygren said. "For Native students, this is a day to proudly wear our traditional regalia. Our regalia reminds us of how far we've come as a people, it shows our pride in our culture, and how we chose to identify ourselves as Native people."
Robert Taboada, a school district spokesperson, told The Associated Press on Friday that district officials were working with the Navajo Nation's Department of Diné Education to review and update its policies on graduation attire. Taboada declined to comment further.
Brenda White Bull told the Farmington newspaper that the family had prayed together before placing the plume on the cap.
"That's part of our culture," she said. "When we reach a milestone in our life, we as Lakotas decorate, do our beadwork and place our plume on them."
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe says the school owes Genesis White Bull an apology.
"To be humiliated during one of her young life's most celebrated moments is unacceptable," Chairwoman Janet Alkire said.
Brenda White Bull said Wednesday that school officials haven't reached out. Efforts to reach her Friday for comment weren't immediately successful.
Judge pushes decision to next week on Alec Baldwin's indictment in fatal 2021 shooting - By Morgan Lee Associated Press
A New Mexico judge plans to rule next week on a grand jury indictment against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting on the set of "Rust," after hearing arguments Friday that the proceedings were unfair to the defendant.
The indictment in January charged Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on Oct. 21, 2021, at a movie ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe.
Baldwin, a lead actor and co-producer on the Western, has pleaded not guilty to the charge, which carries a maximum sentence of 1.5 years in prison. His attorneys argued during the virtual hearing on Friday that the grand jury received a one-sided presentation in bad faith from prosecutors who steered jurors away from exculpatory evidence and witnesses.
During rehearsal, Baldwin was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and injuring Joel Souza, the director. Baldwin has maintained that he pulled back the gun's hammer, but not the trigger.
Baldwin's motion to dismiss the indictment argued that the grand jury received inaccurate and limited testimony about the revolver and safety protocols on movie sets.
Over more than two hours of arguments Friday, defense attorneys for Baldwin accused the special prosecutor of neglecting her responsibilities to ensure impartiality and access to the defense's witnesses and evidence.
"The fix was in," said defense attorney Alex Spiro. "There were no (defense) witnesses there to testify. There was no evidence binder of the defense exhibits."
"They never intended for the grand jury to ask for witnesses," he continued. "They never wanted the grand jury to ask for exhibits."
Special prosecutors say they followed grand jury protocols and accuse Baldwin of "shameless" attempts to escape culpability, highlighting contradictions in his statements to law enforcement, to workplace safety regulators and in a televised interview. A jury trial is scheduled for July.
Lead prosecutor Kari Morrissey on Friday defended her oversight of the grand jury, noting that she read to jurors a court-approved letter that outlines procedures for accessing exculpatory evidence and witnesses — and that she physically pointed at the defense's boxes of evidence.
"The grand jury never asked to hear from witnesses. There is nothing I can do about that," Morrissey said. "We followed all of the judge's orders."
Defense attorneys also highlighted that jurors were interrupted when they brought up questions about safety procedures on film sets. Baldwin's attorneys said jurors were guided away from listening to testimony from a sheriff's detective and instead toward an expert witness paid by the prosecution to talk about film set safety.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer seized on that point in a series of questions for Morrissey, asking why the detective wasn't allowed to answer. Morrissey said the detective was well acquainted with the wrong ways to handle gun safety on a movie set from investigating the "Rust" set, but not well versed on proper industry protocols.
"I did not prevent the grand jury from getting answers," Morrissey said. "I made sure the grand jury got the answers to their questions from the witness with the most experience."
Baldwin did not appear at the hearing. Prosecutors have turned their full attention to Baldwin after a judge in April sentenced movie weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed to the maximum of 1.5 years at a state penitentiary on an involuntary manslaughter conviction for Hutchins' death.
Prosecutors last year dismissed an earlier involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin after being told the gun he was holding might have been modified before the shooting and malfunctioned. A new analysis of the gun last year enabled prosecutors to reboot the case.
The indictment against Baldwin offers two possible standards for prosecutors to pursue. One would be based on the negligent use of a firearm. An alternative is to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Baldwin caused Hutchins' death without "due caution" or "circumspection," also defined as "an act committed with total disregard or indifference for the safety of others."
Defense attorneys also accused prosecutors of making little to no effort to ensure the jury could access several witnesses, including the film's director, as well as assistant director and safety coordinator Dave Halls and props master Sarah Zachry. Halls last year pleaded no contest to negligent handling of a firearm and completed a sentence of six months of unsupervised probation.
The judge asked Morrissey of Friday about her efforts to communicate with defense witnesses in case they were called upon by the grand jury. Morrissey said she contacted several but not all witnesses — but received assurances from a relevant judge that the grand jury's time could be extended if a witness was not immediately available.
The two-week trial of Gutierrez-Reed gave attorneys for Baldwin and the public a unusual window into how the actor's own trial could unfold.
Baldwin figured prominently in testimony and closing arguments that highlighted his authority as a co-producer and the lead actor on "Rust." Both the prosecution and defense in Gutierrez-Reed's trial dissected video footage of Baldwin before the fatal shooting for clues about breakdowns in firearms safety.
Prosecutors said Gutierrez-Reed unwittingly brought live ammunition onto the set of "Rust," where it was expressly prohibited, and failed to follow basic gun safety protocols.
Gutierrez-Reed is appealing the conviction, decided by a jury in March, to a higher court but hasn't yet filed detailed arguments. At sentencing, Gutierrez-Reed told the judge she tried to do her best on the set despite not having "proper time, resources and staffing."
After the shooting in New Mexico, the filming of "Rust" resumed but in Montana, under an agreement with Hutchins' husband, Matthew Hutchins, which made him an executive producer. A wrongful death lawsuit in civil court by Matthew Hutchins and the Hutchins' son was settled under undisclosed terms.
Defense attorneys say Baldwin last year was offered a deal to plead to a "minor offense" before a grand jury was convened, but the offer that was "inexplicably retracted" before the deadline to respond.
Council provides ‘basic human rights for almost everybody’ - Bethany Raja, City Desk ABQ
This story was originally published by City Desk ABQ
Albuquerque City Councilors passed an amendment to the city’s Human Rights Ordinance to prohibit discrimination based on mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, or conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth.
The amendment is an update to the city’s Human Rights Ordinance to match the State of New Mexico’s Human Rights Act, Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn said at the May 6 council meeting.
“The state, a couple of years ago, updated the state-wide Human Rights ordinance. What this does is bring us up to the level of the state,” she said.
Fiebelkorn said the city is required to follow the state law anyway but by approving the amendment, it affirms that it believes in basic human rights and the ability to enforce the ordinance’s provisions.
“While I would like the city to be on the forefront and the first one to do this, I think now it’s just a point of catching up with the state and making sure we have local enforcement opportunities,” she said.
LONG TIME COMING
Anami Dass, chairperson of the city’s Human Rights Board told City Desk ABQ that this is something the board has been advocating for for dozens of years.
“We finally have those in the city ordinance. All of those protections are already listed in the state law and I believe all of them are in the federal law as well, but now the city is able to offer its Office of Civil Rights and the discrimination complaint process to cases relating to those now prohibited forms of discrimination,” Dass said.
CONTROVERSY
Council President Dan Lewis asked if the city would be able to use state law to enforce human rights. Assistant City Attorney Julia Ronquillo told him that the Human Rights Board was tasked with the Human Rights Ordinance for the city — not the state equivalent.
Councilor Dan Champine made an amendment to strike the words “sex assigned at birth,” because those words aren’t in the state statute.
“It’s not mirroring. It’s adding to more than what the state is. If we’re truly mirroring what the state has to say, this sex assigned at birth is not in the state law,” he said.
Champine said it doesn’t make any sense to make the Human Rights Ordinance longer than it needs to be and to go further than what the state legislature already has.
“It’s already covered. I don’t believe the additional definition is necessary to accomplish the goal of protecting people based on gender or gender identity,” he said.
Ronquillo clarified that the term “sex assigned at birth” is included in the state’s definition of gender identity, but that’s the only place that the words “sex assigned at birth” appear in the New Mexico Human Rights Act.
City Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Samantha Sengel also confirmed to the council that the term “sex assigned at birth” is within the New Mexico Human Rights Act but the city’s ordinance defined the term and the state’s statute is not defined for enforcement purposes.
Champine’s amendment to take out the “sex assigned at birth” verbiage passed on a 5-4 vote with the sponsors of the original measure, Councilors Fiebelkorn, Nichole Rogers, Joaquín Baca along with Klarissa Peña casting the votes against the amendment.
After the amendment vote, the amended ordinance was up for a vote and passed unanimously with Fiebelkorn saying the measure gives “basic human rights for almost everybody.”
Federal agency takes control of investigation of fiery train derailment in New Mexico - Associated Press
The Federal Railroad Administration is now leading the investigation of last month's fiery train derailment in New Mexico.
National Transportation Safety Board officials said Thursday that the FRA will determine the probable cause of the April 26 derailment.
NTSB investigators have examined the track and derailed tank cars and will focus on the performance of the tank cars and emergency response actions.
The derailment of an BNSF Railway freight train forced a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 40 to close and led to two days of precautionary evacuations for 52 Manuelito residents who lived within a two-mile radius of the derailment site.
No injuries were reported, McKinley County officials said.
The train had left Belen, New Mexico, and was headed to Phoenix and was traveling about 53 mph at the time of the derailment, well below the maximum authorized speed of 70 mph near the derailment site, NTSB investigators said.
Of the 35 cars that derailed, six tank cars were carrying non-odorous propane, the NTSB said.
Four of the six tank cars were breached and released their contents, which ignited, investigators said.
A fifth tank car carrying propane — a type of liquefied petroleum gas — was exposed to the flames and released vapor through its pressure relief device, investigators said.
Each derailed tank car was carrying about 30,000 gallons of liquefied petroleum gas, according to investigators.
Journalist arrested during clearing of UNM encampment - By Nash Jones, KUNM News
While clearing the pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of New Mexico Wednesday, UNM and State Police arrested seven people, charging them with criminal trespass and wrongful use of public property. Among them was journalist Bryant Furlow, who regularly publishes with New Mexico In Depth, and his wife, photographer Tara Armijo-Prewitt.
In a statement released by New Mexico In Depth, Furlow said Armijo-Prewitt has been documenting the campus protests “for weeks” and that he joined her Wednesday “as a journalist interested in possibly reporting” on the law enforcement operation.
He said he took steps to identify himself as a reporter, including asking officers where members of the media were permitted to stand, which he said was not answered. He said he also asked if a public information officer was available to speak with, which there was not.
Furlow said he and his wife followed police instructions and stayed behind a police tape line. Despite this, police arrested them “while photographing the operation.” During his arrest, Furlow said he “repeatedly and loudly” announced he was a member of the press.
Both have since been released from the Metropolitan Detention Center. They intend to fight the criminal charges against them.
When asked about Furlow’s arrest, UNM spokesperson Cinnamon Blair said he was arrested for the same reason the six other people were arrested — for failing to leave the encampment despite repeated warnings.
Downwinders in D.C. lobbying House to pass compensation for radiation exposure - Santa Fe New Mexican, KUNM News
A coalition of radiation victims is hoping to put a human face on the grim aftermath of a nuclear era as they press congressional leaders to broaden compensation for exposure.
As theSanta Fe New Mexican reports, a group of Downwinders, former uranium workers and bereaved family members is in the U.S. Capitol this week to urge Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to call a vote on a bipartisan bill to expand who’s eligible for compensation under federal law.
The bill, which passed the Senate in a 69-30 vote, has stalled in the House because Republican leaders think it’s too costly.
It would enable New Mexico residents to receive federal compensation for exposure to radioactive fallout from nuclear tests — including the atomic bomb detonated at the Trinity Site in the Southern New Mexico desert during the Manhattan Project — and uranium mining after 1971.
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández wrote in a statement, “Republicans have concerns about the price tag of the bill, but remember, the nuclear program incurred these costs already.”
The clock is ticking to extend and expand the existing program. It is set to expire June 7, and Congress will recess in the last week of May and return in early June.