Padilla forming Lt. Gov. exploratory committee

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Matthew Padilla, a law student and former U.S. Navy officer, plans to take an official step toward becoming a candidate for lieutenant governor next week by forming an exploratory committee. Padilla, a Democrat, wrote in a letter to supporters that he will file the paperwork to create the committee with the Secretary of State’s Office sometime next week. Padilla wrote that he is “even more determined to add a fresh new perspective to New Mexico politics” after learning this week that almost half of high school seniors in New Mexico didn’t graduate in 2008. Padilla had previously called the “education emergency” one of his top three priorities. “Together we can begin to change the culture of failure in our education system, while taking the steps needed to promote local sustainable (green) development, as we maintain and strengthen our state’s emergency preparedness system,” Padilla wrote in the e-mail to supporters. Continue Reading

Colón to resign party chairmanship on Saturday

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This article has been updated.Brian Colón will resign from the position of chairman of the Democratic Party of New Mexico on Saturday to launch a bid for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, the party confirmed today on its new blog. From the party’s blog: “As many informed Democrats (and those New Mexicans who follow politics) know, our elected party, Chair Brian Colon, is slated to resign as Democratic Party Chair. Although other blogs had stated that this announcement would happen today (Wednesday), Chairman Colon confirmed that he would make his announcement on Friday (August 7) and it would be effective the following day. He is seeking higher elected office with the Party as a candidate for Lieutenant Governor.” Sources confirmed earlier this week that Colón would resign his position as chairman and join the lieutenant governor’s race. Already in the lieutenant governor’s race are Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano, state Sens. Continue Reading

Rep. Campos joins lieutenant governor’s race

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The lawmaker and Santa Rosa mayor will formally announce his candidacy next week State Rep. Jose Campos, D-Santa Rosa, announced today that he’s running for lieutenant governor next year. Campos, who is also the mayor of Santa Rosa, “will formally announce his candidacy” on Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Rudolfo Anaya/Bless Me Ultima monument in Santa Rosa, according to a news release. Click here for a map. Campos’ goals include “job growth, economic stability and improved quality of life through the expansion of renewable energy, innovation in education and vocational training, and the promotion of high quality, accessible, and affordable health care,” the news release states. Campos has been a lawmaker for six years — he chairs the House Voters and Elections Committee — and the town’s mayor for almost 12 years. Continue Reading

A new campaign reporting system requires more cash

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By Mary Herrera This is in regard to the New Mexico Independent article written by Trip Jennings (Lawmakers Mull Withholding Funds to Force Office to Comply With Tech Rules). Please see the attached secretary of state IT plans we submitted in September 2007 for FY 2009 and September 2008 for FY 2010 (Click here for FY 2009 and here for FY 2010). Executive-branch agencies must submit their budgets and IT plans to several committees before a recommendation is given to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee. As you will see, the Secretary of State’s Office has requested funds for a new campaign finance reporting system. Several reporters claim I have been funded appropriately. Continue Reading

Guv goes on TV to talk about release of journalists

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This article has been updated.Gov. Bill Richardson may not have been the one to secure the release of two American journalists imprisoned in North Korea moments ago (that was Bill Clinton), but Richardson is going on national television to talk about it. Richardson has sent two tweets (messages on Twitter) today about television appearances. “Tune into MSNBC for my interview on North Korea,” one tweet states. “Tune into CNN at 2pm MT for my interview on the Situation Room,” the other states. Meanwhile, Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White posted his own tweet about the Bill-Bill dynamic earlier today. Continue Reading

NM legislative staffers win national awards

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The director of New Mexico’s Legislative Finance Committee, David Abbey, has won a national award for his work on budgetary issues. Abbey was named the 2009 winner of the Legislative Staff Achievement Award by the National Association of Legislative Fiscal Officers, according to a news release. In addition, Erlinda Campbell, analyst and administrator for the Senate President Pro Tem office, received the leadership staff award for her contributions to the New Mexico Senate and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) leadership staff section. Abbey, who has been LFC director for 12 years, was recognized “for his work on the solvency plan for the 2009 budget shortfall and for his ongoing work on public policy and the legislative process,” the release states. New Mexico is one of the few states in which the Legislature proposes a state budget. Continue Reading

AP: Investment firms gave more than $640K to guv

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Some of this information has been previously reported, but The Associated Press’ Barry Massey is out today with a new article that takes a comprehensive look at donations to Gov. Bill Richardson from firms with state investments. In all, according to Massey’s analysis, “Money managers, brokers and their marketing agents that secured public investment business in New Mexico in recent years have given more than $640,000 to Gov. Bill Richardson’s campaigns and political organizations since he first ran for governor in 2002.” That’s of course reported in the context of the investment scandal plaguing New Mexico and other states. You can read the AP article by clicking here. Continue Reading

Bill Clinton makes ‘surprise trip’ to North Korea

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There was talk in June about the possibility of sending Gov. Bill Richardson or former Vice President Al Gore to North Korea to negotiate the release of two U.S. journalists who were sentenced to 12 years in labor camps there. Instead, former President Bill Clinton made what The Associated Press is calling “a surprise trip” to North Korea today “amid an international standoff over the country’s nuclear program and concerns about two U.S. reporters imprisoned in Pyongyang since March.” Clinton’s visit “comes amid heightened tensions over North Korea’s string of nuclear and missile tests in defiance of U.N. resolutions, and calls from Washington for amnesty for the two reporters,” the article states. Continue Reading

AG disappointed by judge’s ruling in nonprofit dispute

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The office of Attorney General Gary King isn’t happy with today’s decision that attempting to force two nonprofits to register as political action committees violates their First Amendment right to free speech. “We are disappointed in the outcome of today’s ruling and we will take some time to thoroughly review the court’s decision before deciding our next course of action. We are assessing our options and will likely make that public in a few days,” King said in a statement released by his office. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mary Herrera wrote in an e-mail only that her office and the AG “will be reviewing the opinion.” Earlier today, U.S. District Judge Judith C. Herrera issued a 30-page decision stating that mailers like this one sent out by New Mexico Youth Organized (NMYO) — which is a project of the Center for Civic Policy (CCP) — and SouthWest Organizing Project (SWOP) two to three months before last year’s June primary don’t meet the narrow definition in federal law of political activity and thus can’t be regulated as such. King has said the mailers cross the line between issue advocacy and political campaigning as defined by the state’s Campaign Reporting Act, alleging that they were designed to help progressive legislative candidates win elections. Continue Reading

Court sides with nonprofits in dispute with SOS, AG

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Judge says nonprofits’ mailers are ‘precisely the type of political expression that is constitutionally protected’ by the First Amendment This article has been updated.A federal judge sided with two nonprofits today in ruling that an attempt by the Secretary of State’s Office to force them to register as political action committees violates their First Amendment right to free speech. The 30-page decision, issued by U.S. District Judge Judith C. Herrera, states that mailers like this one sent out by New Mexico Youth Organized (NMYO) — which is a project of the Center for Civic Policy (CCP) — and SouthWest Organizing Project (SWOP) two to three months before last year’s June primary don’t meet the narrow definition in federal law of political activity and thus can’t be regulated as such. The mailers, Herrera wrote in her decision, didn’t mention any election in which the legislators might be running. Instead, they focused on an upcoming special legislative session on health care reform, cited positions taken by lawmakers in the regular session that had just ended, warned of influence corporate interests might have been trying to buy with campaign contributions and urged recipients to contact their legislators. “Rather than being unambiguously campaign-related and the functional equivalent of express advocacy for the defeat of a particular candidate, the ads identify an issue, give the recipients information related to that issue, and urge them to contact their legislator with respect to that issue,” the decision states. Continue Reading

Colón to resign party job, run for lieutenant governor

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News is all over the Internet this morning — and has been confirmed by my sources — that Brian Colón will resign his position as chairman of the Democratic Party of New Mexico later this week and announce that he’s running for lieutenant governor next year. Colón, 39, enters an already crowded primary field, but many Democrats expect him to compete heavily for the nomination. 770 KKOB-AM reporter Peter St. Cyr reported that the party’s first vice chair, Annadelle Sanchez, will become interim party chair, and a special election to replace Colón will be held within 60 days. Colón did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Continue Reading

Women dominate governor’s race, at least for now

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Though others are likely to enter the race, right now it’s just three women officially vying for the right to be governor No woman has ever been governor of New Mexico, but there’s a good chance that will change next year. Though there will likely be other candidates entering the 2010 gubernatorial race, there are currently only three who have said with certainty they are running. All three are women. On the Democratic side, there’s the party’s likely nominee, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, who has been running for governor for years and already has about $2 million on hand for her campaign. On the Republican side, there are two: Doña Ana County District Attorney Susana Martinez, who entered the race earlier this month, and state Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones of Albuquerque, who has formed an exploratory committee and said last week that she will make her candidacy official in a few weeks, as soon as she recovers from knee surgery. Continue Reading

More layoffs at The Santa Fe New Mexican

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The worst part about having to write about more layoffs at a New Mexico newspaper is that this probably isn’t going to be the last time I have to do it. Regardless, several people lost their jobs and others saw their hours slashed in half in a round of cuts announced Friday by The Santa Fe New Mexican. In all, the equivalent of 12 full-time jobs were cut. The cuts come almost exactly a year after the newspaper eliminated the equivalent of 16.5 full-time jobs to cut expenses. The number of pages the newspaper publishes each day has also been cut in the last year. Continue Reading

Voters in poll say Bingaman is most ethical

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U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman won last week’s non-scientific poll on this site asking which member of New Mexico’s congressional delegation is the most ethical. Of 256 voters, 87, or 34 percent, picked Bingaman, while 79, or 31 percent, picked Sen. Tom Udall. Forty-six, or 18 percent, picked Rep. Martin Heinrich; 34, or 13 percent, picked Rep. Harry Teague; and 10, or 4 percent, picked Rep. Ben Ray Luján. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading

Martinez campaigns on ‘voter fraud’

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But was it voter fraud or incompetence that the district attorney’s office prosecuted in 2003?Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez claims in a news release sent today that, “on her watch” as Doña Ana County district attorney, the county clerk “was successfully prosecuted for voter fraud — convicted of five felony counts of violating the election code.” A look at the facts reveals a slightly more complicated situation. Then-Clerk Ruben Ceballos was removed from office in 2003 after being convicted of five felonies for violating the state elections code — failing to file voter registrations in a timely manner, failing to notify voters of precinct changes, appointing unregistered voters as poll workers, unlawfully changing a polling place, and failing to destroy unused absentee ballots. But are those problems proof of voter fraud or incompetence? In a Nov. 20, 2003 article published in the Las Cruces Sun-News, Martinez’s chief deputy district attorney, Susan Riedel, was quoted as saying this about what led to the charges against Ceballos: “There was no training of employees, no attention to detail. Continue Reading