House Republicans’ immigration stalling tactic coming to Las Cruces

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House Republican members are coming to Las Cruces on Thursday to conduct an on-the-road hearing on immigration, according to an article in the El Paso Times. They’ll also be in El Paso on Aug. 17. It’s part of their 13-state tour in August. The Las Cruces hearing of the House Administration Committee will deal with the question of how Congress can “best protect the integrity of the federal voting process by combating election fraud and eliminating non-citizen voting.” That’s a contentious issue here. Continue Reading

Nominating commission grills judicial candidates

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Some who applied for a children’s court vacancy in the 3rd Judicial District had to answer tough questions during Thursday’s judicial nominating commission meeting. Ultimately, the panel opted to forward the names of Fernando Macias and Bernadette Sedillo, both Democrats, to the governor. Only Republican Bill Lutz, an attorney from Las Cruces, voted against the recommendation. The governor can select one of the two candidates or ask the commission for additional names. Lutz expressed unease during Macias’ interview about the fact that he hasn’t practiced law in several years. Continue Reading

BREAKING NEWS: Macias, Sedillo to be considered for children’s court judgeship

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A judicial nominating commission today recommended two candidates to fill the vacant position of children’s court judge in the Third Judicial District in Las Cruces. Those candidates are Bernadette Sedillo and Fernando Macias, and their names have been forwarded to Gov. Bill Richardson, who makes the selection. Their recommendations followed hours of tough questioning of several candidates by the commission, but wasn’t a surprise to most. I’ll have in-depth analysis of what’s happening later today, but I wanted to share the immediate news. Continue Reading

In area code battle, PRC should split state

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Some are seeking a compromise in the battle over who gets the new 575 area code that would assign it to all new numbers in the state, allowing all existing phone numbers to retain the 505 area code. That’s a bad idea. Though it dodges the question of who has to change letterhead, business cards and other materials because they have a new area code, it leads to a huge inconvenience for everyone in the state, and it doesn’t solve the problem. Under that proposal, local phone calls would require the dialing of ten digits instead of seven. That’s right. Continue Reading

Sides disagree on whether House bill would leave Jemez casino proposal intact

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The two sides in the fight over the proposed Anthony casino had different takes on the impact of a bill that passed the House Committee on Resources Wednesday. The bill, sponsored by the committee’s chair, Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif., would effectively ban off-reservation casinos, period. The bill includes a grandfather clause that applies to proposals submitted before March 2006, as the Jemez proposal was, but only if the tribes have historical ties to the area where they want to build casinos. What’s disputed is whether the Jemez have historical ties to this area. The Committee to Protect Doña Ana County, which opposes the Jemez proposal, sent out a news release after Wednesday’s vote declaring that the Jemez, “by their own admission, have no geographical or historical ties to the area.” The committee declared this the “possible death blow” to the Jemez proposal. Continue Reading

Judge honored for work to educate attorneys

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District Judge Robert E. Robles of Las Cruces has been honored for his work to educate attorneys. In a time when so many of the state’s judges are in the news for allegations of misconduct, it’s important to note the good work of other judges. Robles, the presiding judge in the 3rd Judicial District Court, was given the Peak Award of Excellence for Continuing Legal Education by the Center for Legal Education, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News. The center is part of the New Mexico State Bar Foundation. Robles, 56, has assisted the center in bringing continuing education to attorneys in Southern New Mexico by conducting seminars and giving lectures, the Sun-News reported. Continue Reading

Richardson praised by Washington State bloggers

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Note: I know I said RichardsonWatch would be about the governor’s out-of-state travels, but I changed my mind. It’s going to be about the governor’s national stature and potential 2008 presidential run. That will include out-of-state travel. Gov. Bill Richardson’s visit to Washington State last week earned his potential presidential bid praise from liberal bloggers there, though some of it was a bit reserved. Richardson, who was in town to promote a congressional candidate, met with a group of about 15 liberal bloggers in that state during his visit. Continue Reading

County ends membership in lobbying group that has been plagued by scandal

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Doña Ana County is pulling out of the South Central Council of Governments, the second major blow to the organization in the past few weeks. In June, the Workforce Investment Act board voted to move a lucrative contract from the organization to New Mexico State University. The council of governments, based in Elephant Butte, has been struggling to recover since last summer, when its director and deputy director were indicted on drug charges stemming from a Las Cruces incident. Both agreed to plea bargains, but lost their jobs. At Tuesday’s county commission meeting, commissioners asked representatives from the Elephant Butte organization and the Rio Grande Council of Governments to tell the county what benefits it received from membership. Continue Reading

County commission creates investment committee

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Doña Ana County Treasurer Jim Schoonover will now have to work with an investment committee created Tuesday by the board of commissioners. The seven-member committee is similar to the state investment council. Its members will include Schoonover, Manager Brian Haines and members of the public. The commission also voted to lower the percentage of county funds that must be insured by banks wanting to do business with the county. Schoonover convinced commissioners earlier this year to change the number from 50 percent to 102 percent by telling them it was required by the state. Continue Reading

County manager gets hefty pay raise

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The Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted Tuesday to give Manager Brian Haines an 18 percent pay increase and a new 3-year contract. That extends his contract through 2009, with a $130,000 annual salary. Haines had been making $110,000 per year. The move is a strong endorsement by the commissioners of the job Haines is doing. It also brings his salary in line with that of the Bernalillo and San Juan county managers. Continue Reading

Richardson holds own with Sen. Clinton and others

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Many had packed up and left before Gov. Bill Richardson got a chance to address the Democratic Leadership Council Monday in Denver, but those who stayed were impressed, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Richardson promoted himself and state-level leaders as those who are moving America forward, taking shots at the White House and Congress for doing nothing. The governor was one of four potential 2008 presidential candidates to address the group. He was joined by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack. Richardson was the last to address the group, and even C-SPAN packed up before his speech, the Journal reported. Continue Reading

In the end, Galvan simply gave up fighting

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He beat two criminal trials and apparently had a chance to beat misconduct allegations, but in the end, former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Reuben Galvan just gave up. “He knew it was coming. It was expected, so there’s nothing new on the horizon,” Galvan’s attorney, Joe Arrieta of Las Cruces, told the Las Cruces Sun-News about last weeks’ Supreme Court ruling barring Galvan from the judiciary. Arrieta called the decision “pointless,” saying Galvan never planned to seek judicial office again, and his history would almost ensure he couldn’t be elected. “Obviously, the disciplinary background of Judge Galvan would keep him (from public office),” Arrieta told the newspaper. Continue Reading

Galvan, though barred from office, not found by high court to have violated judicial ethics

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When the New Mexico Supreme Court issued an order Thursday barring former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Reuben Galvan from ever again holding judicial office, it also denied the Judicial Standards Commission’s request for financial reimbursement from Galvan. That’s because, the high court wrote in its order, Galvan “had already resigned from office when the commission conducted its hearing and … the commission failed to prove its case by clear and convincing evidence.” Essentially, the justices were making clear that they were not finding Galvan guilty of the judicial misconduct of which he was accused. It’s interesting that, at the end of the Galvan saga, he’s been twice acquitted of criminal charges and also not found to have violated the judicial code of conduct. Then why order him permanently barred from holding judicial office in New Mexico? The court’s order doesn’t answer that question. Continue Reading

Area code discussion comes to Mesilla

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Discussion of the new 575 area code that’s coming to New Mexico reaches Doña Ana County on Wednesday. The Public Regulation Commission will hold two public meetings in Mesilla on that day, both at the town hall, 2231 Avenida de Mesilla. The first is from 10 a.m. to noon, and the second is from 6-8 p.m. Two proposals are being considered for implementation in the next two years: Either all new telephone numbers in the state will have the 575 area code, or the PRC will split the state, with one area including Southern and Eastern New Mexico and the other including the central and northwestern parts of the state. If the second option is selected, the PRC must decide which area will have to switch to the new area code. The cost of changing materials such as letterhead and business cards has caused quite a controversy about which portion of the state will keep the 505 area code. Continue Reading