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No deal: Special session fighting erupts again

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There is apparently not a deal in place that will bring a peaceful end to the special session that has, thus far, been a disaster. The Senate is in the process of voting to adjourn sine die again after the House apparently refused to accept versions of two bills the Senate approved Thursday. The move sets up another three-way showdown between the House, Senate and governor. After the Senate reluctantly approved public financing and road funding bills on Thursday that were significantly different than those previously approved by the House, senators essentially told the House and governor to take it or leave it. The governor opted to take it, praising the Senate in a news release. Continue Reading

UP Aerospace to try new launch next month

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UP Aerospace will make its second attempt to reach space from the Southern New Mexico desert on April 28, officials say. The Connecticut-based firm plans to make the launch from Spaceport America on that day, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News. It will be the first attempt since its Sept. 25 launch went awry. Officials blamed the problem on a design flaw in the tail fin, and have spent months correcting it. Continue Reading

Richardson to travel back to North Korea

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How many presidential candidates get to campaign for the job in North Korea? According to the Associated Press, Gov. Bill Richardson will be doing just that next month. The news service quoted sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plans are still being firmed up. Richardson’s campaign has not made an announcement. Richardson will travel to the Asian state to meet with government officials. Continue Reading

Richardson promotes spaceport tax in Las Cruces, but signs of nervousness and dissent color rally

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Gov. Bill Richardson made one last stop in Las Cruces on Thursday to push for approval of a 1/4 percent gross receipts tax increase to help fund Spaceport America. He was joined by a bipartisan group of local public officials at the rally, held at his office in Las Cruces. Not all of them expressed support for the tax increase, however. “You can vote for a new industry – 5,000 new jobs – or you can vote for the status quo,” Richardson said. “… This is a vote for the future.” The election is Tuesday on whether to raise the tax in Doña Ana County. Continue Reading

Senate OKs road funding, public financing bills

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After tacking an amendment on to one and completely rewriting another, the Senate has approved two of the proposals on the special session agenda. Senators approved House Bill 6, which would expand the public financing system to include judicial elections, but amended it to take affect only if voters remove the state’s retention system and subject judges to a competitive election process. They also approved House Bill 2, which would have provided $208 million for road projects around the state, but only after scaling it back and reworking it. The House must come back and consider the changes made by the Senate. That chamber is scheduled to convene at noon on Friday. Continue Reading

Here are details of the Metro Court plea agreements

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Here are summaries of the plea agreements in the case involving the Bernalillo County Metro Court: Marc E. Schiff The former president of the architect firm that designed the courthouse, Design Collaborative Southwest, has agreed to plead guilty to one felony count of conspiracy and one felony count of mail fraud. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 5 years and a $250,000 fine. The mail fraud charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a $250,000 fine. Both could also result in restitution. Schiff stated in his plea agreement that the scheme began when his company’s lobbyist, former Albuquerque Mayor Ken Schultz, wanted a cash bonus for securing the architect contract. Continue Reading

Here are the details of the Metro Court indictments

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The indictment of former Senate President Manny Aragon and others alleges a far-reaching scheme to secure money through the legislative process and then steal it from taxpayers. The alleged conspiracy began in 1999 when the New Mexico Legislature, during a special session, approved $46.5 million for construction of the Metropolitan Courthouse in Bernalillo County. In March, Design Collaborate Southwest, which has since changed its name, was hired to design the facility. DCSW’s president, Marc Schiff, hired former Albuquerque Mayor Ken Schultz to be its lobbyist. Over the next several years, according to the indictment, the defendants and those who have entered into plea bargains carried out an elaborate scheme relating to the DCSW contract and a separate contract for electrical wiring. Continue Reading

Aragon, others indicted in public corruption scandal

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Former Senate President Manny Aragon was indicted today, along with three others, in a massive public corruption scandal involving construction of the metro court facility in Bernalillo County. Aragon is facing one count of conspiracy, seven counts of fraud, 11 counts of money laundering and other charges. Read the indictment by clicking here. I’ll have an update on this soon. Update, 5:15 p.m. Also indicted were former metro court Administrator Toby Martinez, his wife Sandra, and Raul Parra, a contractor. Continue Reading

Preservation group, spaceport authority, make deal

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A non-profit group that exists to help protect El Camino Real, the remains of a historic trade route that cuts through the land that is set to become Spaceport America, has agreed to not oppose the spaceport after the state agreed to help protect the trail. That’s good news for supporters of the proposal to raise the gross receipts tax 1/4 percent in Doña Ana County to help fund the spaceport. Opposition from the group might have been enough to tip the scales in an election that is expected to be very close. Officials with the Camino Real De Tierra Adentro Trail Association, the preservation group, aren’t necessarily endorsing the spaceport and the tax. They generally realized, however, that calls to move the spaceport away from the historic trail wouldn’t be successful, and took the more practical route of attempting to find compromise. Continue Reading

Indictments coming today in courthouse probe

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Multiple sources told the Albuquerque Tribune that long-awaited indictments in a major corruption investigation are expected today. In investigation into kickbacks related to the awarding of government contracts for buildings in Bernalillo County has been ongoing for more than a year. One of the targets of the probe has been former Senate President Manny Aragon. This is the investigation U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson called former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias about last year, a month before the November election and two months before he was fired. Iglesias alleges the two members of Congress pressured him to speed indictments in time to sway voters in the November 2006 election, which both deny. Continue Reading

Senate scheduled to meet at noon

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The New Mexico Senate is scheduled to meet at noon today. Expect caucus meetings again as Democrats decide what to do. They’ve twice voted to adjourn sine die since Richardson called the session on March 17. They might do that again – the votes are there. The might decide they don’t want to come back every three days, and vote to stand in recess until the end of the session and let time expire on it. Continue Reading

Richardson’s campaign schedule for the next week

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Here’s the schedule for Gov. Bill Richardson’s time in Texas this week and New Hampshire next week, as released by his campaign: Thursday, March 29 WHEN: 7:00 p.m. (MDT) WHAT: The Governor will receive an award and deliver a speech at the Sembrador Del Bien Awards Dinner WHERE: Headstart Conference Center, 11670 Chito Samaniego, El Paso, TX Friday, March 30 WHEN: Evening WHAT: Fundraising and other closed campaign activities WHERE: Dallas, TX All New Hampshire Times EDT Wednesday, April 4 WHEN: 8:00 a.m. WHAT: Meet-and-greet WHERE: Consuelos Taqueria, 36 Amherst Street, Manchester, NH WHEN: 2:30 p.m. WHAT: Town Meeting WHERE: New England College, Simon Center Great Room, 24 Bridge Street, Henniker, NH WHEN: 6:00 p.m. WHAT: Speech to College Democrats WHERE: Dartmouth College, Alumni Hall, Hanover, NH Thursday, April 5 WHEN: 8:00 a.m. WHAT: Town Meeting WHERE: Littleton Community Center, 141 Main Street, Littleton, NH WHEN: 9:30a.m. WHAT: School Assembly WHERE: White Mountain Regional School, 14 King Square, Whitefield, NH WHEN: 12 noon WHAT: Meet-and-greet WHERE: Tea Birds Café, 101 Main Street, Berlin, NH WHEN: 2:30pm WHAT: Town Meeting WHERE: Benz Center, 18 Heard Road, Center Sandwich, NH Continue Reading

Richardson gellin’ after joke fest on The Daily Show

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Gov. Bill Richardson was funny and competent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Wednesday night. During an appearance that was technically tied to the paperback release of his book “Between Worlds: The Making of an American Life,” Richardson managed to get in his familiar points about experience and policy while also cracking a few jokes and taking Stewart’s shots in a lighthearted manner. Stewart started by asking Richardson, “What will be the secret that derails your campaign?” Richardson didn’t really answer, but said his campaign has shown progress. “I started below the margin of error, and now I’m moving up,” he said. “… We’re in the second tier, but I’m doing better.” When discussing the world leaders with whom he’s negotiated, Richardson mentioned Saddam Hussein, the Taliban and North Korea’s leader. Continue Reading

Domenici staffer thanked Karl Rove ‘for everything,’ but did that include getting rid of Iglesias?

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An e-mail that was originally overlooked by congressional investigators but rediscovered this week provides further insight into Karl Rove’s involvement in replacing former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias. The e-mail, written to Rove from U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici’s chief of staff, Steve Bell, is dated Jan. 8. Domenici had already recommended four candidates to replace Iglesias, and the e-mail indicated that a fifth name was coming. “To repeat (name redacted) is our overwhelming choice and will take the job,” the e-mail states. Continue Reading

Watch TV interviews on spaceport tax

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ABC-7 reporter Jayme Rubenstein conducted lengthy interviews Wednesday with two Doña Ana County commissioners about whether voters should approve a 1/4 percent increase in the gross receipts tax to help fund Spaceport America. Commissioner Kent Evans argued for the tax and Commissioner Oscar Vasquez Butler argued against it. Both made now-familiar points, but the in-depth interviews are worth your time if you can watch them. Click here to watch the 21-minute video. Continue Reading