BREAKING NEWS: President declares county a federal disaster area

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President George Bush has officially declared a federal disaster in Doña Ana County due to recent flooding. The Federal Emergency Management Agency officially notified Gov. Bill Richardson of the decision this afternoon, Richardson’s office said in a news release. Richardson is on his way to Washington, D.C. this evening to plead to a similar declaration for Otero County. “This means relief is on the way for residents who are struggling to take care of their families and businesses and get back on their feet,” Richardson said. “I am grateful the president and FEMA recognize the extensive damage caused by heavy rain and flooding in Hatch and other communities in Southern New Mexico. Continue Reading

Magistrate Garza apparently planned to resign until allegations of drug use became public

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Embattled Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Carlos Garza was apparently prepared to resign until the Judicial Standards Commission made public last week allegations that he may be using drugs. The commission filed a week ago a petition asking the New Mexico Supreme Court to immediately suspend Garza without pay, force him to undergo urine and hair tests for illegal drugs, and explain why he should not be held in contempt for refusing the commission’s previous demand for the tests, which were sought because of allegations that Garza is using drugs. The court has not yet responded. Garza had already been placed on suspension with pay until Nov. 3 while the commission conducts five separate investigations into other serious allegations. Continue Reading

Task force recommends compensating legislators

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Compensating legislators is one of three proposals that will be recommended to Gov. Bill Richardson by the state ethics task force. The group opted Tuesday to proceed with three recommendations. In addition to compensation for lawmakers, they include the creation of an independent ethics commission and an appointed state treasurer and auditor, according to an article from the Associated Press that you can read via the Albuquerque Journal. Details of all three proposals, some of them controversial, will be worked out later. The task force’s members agreed that the New Mexico Constitution should be changed to give lawmakers some sort of compensation, whether it be a salary or reimbursement of expenses or some combination, but only if the law is also changed to ban the use of campaign funds for anything other than campaigning, the Associated Press reported. Continue Reading

County goes to arbitration with jail, other workers

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After agreeing to three extensions to continue negotiations, Doña Ana County has ended talks with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and the parties now go to arbitration. The decision came after the union rejected the county’s final offer late Tuesday, minutes before the deadline. The sides have been negotiating for six months. The union represents the county’s detention center workers, custodians and some roads department employees. This is their first attempt at unionizing, and they’ll now have to start from scratch. Continue Reading

Former Magistrate Galvan sued over rape allegation

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Former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Reuben Galvan is being sued by the woman whose accusations of rape and bribery ended his career. The woman filed a federal lawsuit on Aug. 16 alleging civil rights violations based on claims of battery, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress. She’s seeking compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and whatever other relief the court deems “just and proper,” according to the complaint. Galvan has not yet responded. Continue Reading

Region VII Housing Authority shuts down

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The members of the scandal-plagued Region VII Housing Authority board voted today to cease operations. The housing authority’s records will be sent to Albuquerque and kept by the Region III authority, which, for the time being, is continuing operations. Region VII’s last day of operation will be Thursday. “What’s taking place today is very devastating, in my opinion,” Board member Bennie Barreras of Socorro said at today’s meeting, before the board voted to shut down the operation. The state’s housing authorities have been plagued by scandal in recent months that has included the resignations of the directors in Las Cruces and Albuquerque, the defaulting on $5 million in bonds owed to the state and other mishandling of funds. Continue Reading

BREAKING NEWS: Auditor candidate quits race

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Democrat Jeff Armijo has withdrawn from the race for state auditor. The move comes after a meeting earlier today with Gov. Bill Richardson. “Governor Richardson has convinced me that I must leave the race for state auditor,” Armijo said in a statement to the Associated Press. “A debate on the issues could not take place if I remain in the race. I started this campaign with the notion to contribute to all the Democratic candidates. Continue Reading

Poll: King maintaining sizable lead in AG race

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A new poll has Democrat Gary King ahead of his opponent, Republican Jim Bibb, by a 2-1 margin in the attorney general race, but more than a quarter of voters are undecided. The poll, conducted by Lake Research Partners, has King ahead with 49 percent of the vote to Bibb’s 25 percent. 26 percent of voters are undecided. The poll was released Tuesday by King’s campaign. The poll isn’t much different than one released by the King campaign at the beginning of July, which had King ahead with 49 percent of the vote to Bibb’s 28 percent, with 23 percent undecided. Continue Reading

Albuquerque mayor says Richardson must oppose cockfighting if he wants to be president

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Albuquerque’s mayor says Gov. Bill Richardson must oppose cockfighting or he can’t be president of the United States. Mayor Martin Chávez told an animal welfare conference Monday that Richardson’s wishy-washy stance on the controversial practice might kill his chance at being elected president, according to the Albuquerque Journal. “You can’t be president of the United States if you think cockfighting is a good thing,” the Journal quoted Chávez as saying. It’s the second time the mayor has gone after his party’s leaders in recent days. About a week ago, he criticized Lt. Gov. Diane Denish after her driver parked illegally in Albuquerque. Continue Reading

ACLU sues NMSU, alleges religious discrimination by football coach against Muslim players

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The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit against New Mexico State University Monday alleging that head football coach Hal Mumme discriminated against three former players because they are Muslim. The lawsuit didn’t come as a surprise. After the allegations surfaced last year, the ACLU said it was preparing a lawsuit. But the news came three days before the Aggie season opener and became, for a time, the top college football story in the nation. Peter Simonson, executive director of the New Mexico chapter of the ACLU, told the Las Cruces Sun-News the season’s start had nothing to do with the timing of the lawsuit, adding that anyone who believes so “is seriously overestimating the sports sense in the office. Continue Reading

Embattled auditor candidate gets cold shoulder at fundraiser in Las Cruces

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Jeff Armijo, the embattled Democratic candidate for state auditor, was given a cold shoulder by members of his party at a fundraiser in Las Cruces today, and Gov. Bill Richardson plans to discuss with him whether he should resign. Prosecutors are investigating allegations that Armijo made unwanted sexual advances toward a campaign volunteer. The 21-year-old woman reported to police on Aug. 3 that she had been at Armijo’s home doing volunteer work for his campaign. The two were at a computer, she said, when Armijo grabbed her and kissed her repeatedly, though she told him they should not be kissing. Continue Reading

Richardson is off to Boston in a couple of weeks

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Gov. Bill Richardson will be heading to Boston in about three weeks to help raise money for the Democrats’ candidate for Massachusetts governor. It’s part of the party’s effort to raise $3 million for the election. Richardson will be in Boston the week after the state’s Sept. 19 primary, according to an article in the Boston Globe. Richardson is one of many high-profile politicos helping out in that state, including the wives of the state’s two senators and former President Bill Clinton, the Globe is reporting. Continue Reading

Carmen Garza sworn in as a federal magistrate

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The news isn’t all bad for the Garza family. Carmen Garza, the older sister of embattled Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Carlos Garza, was sworn in late last week as a federal magistrate judge in Las Cruces. Carmen Garza is a competent and respected attorney. She was selected for the judgeship several months ago, but had to go through a vetting process before she could be sworn in. That was completed last week. Continue Reading

Garza vows to fight, says he’s acting erratic and paranoid because ‘people are out to get me’

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Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Carlos Garza says he has been acting “erratic” and “paranoid” lately not because he is using drugs but because “people are out to get me without reason.” Garza called me Saturday to respond at length to a host of allegations that threaten his future as a judge. He spoke quickly, saying his telephone battery might die, and did not allow questions. The Judicial Standards Commission has asked the New Mexico Supreme Court to immediately suspend Garza without pay, force him to undergo urine and hair tests for illegal drugs, and explain why he should not be held in contempt for refusing the commission’s previous demand for the tests, which were sought because of allegations that Garza is using drugs. The court has not yet responded. Garza is already on suspension with pay until Nov. Continue Reading