- HYDROGEN INCENTIVES-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A panel of state legislators have rejected a bill that would have provided new financial incentives for hydrogen fuel derived from natural gas under certain conditions. A Senate panel suspended consideration of the bill on a 7-2 vote Tuesday amid lengthy and impassioned public comments. The initiative is sponsored by Democratic Sen. George Muñoz of Gallup and would treat some hydrogen and hydrogen-fueled generating stations for electricity much like renewable energy sources that get favored treatment in the procurement process. The preferences would only apply to hydrogen made from "responsibly sourced" natural gas where pollution from hydrogen production is captured and stored underground.
- PREDATORY LENDING-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico House legislators have approved legislation aimed at discouraging predatory lending by lowering the state cap on annual interest rates on storefront loans. Democratic state Rep. Susan Herrera of Embudo is sponsoring the bill that would lower the maximum interest rate on storefront loans to 36%. The bill won House approval on a 51-18 vote Monday nigh and now moves to the Senate for consideration. Advocates for the new cap on interest rates say it would ensure borrowers don't fall into vicious cycles of debt that contribute to poverty in New Mexico. Opponents warn that small installment loans may dry up for consumers with no alternatives.
- BC-NM-LOS ALAMOS-RADIOACTIVE LEAK
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The National Nuclear Security Agency has formed an accident investigation board to look into last month's reported leak that contaminated several workers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that a breached plutonium glove box at Los Alamos on Jan. 7 released airborne radioactive material that was more than double the yearly limit for a work area. The newspaper says the leak occurred in a sealed compartment which has attached gloves so workers can handle radioactive material. According to a report by the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, a Los Alamos employee noticed the breach after working with a container of legacy waste in the glove box. Alarms then sounded, prompting the six-person crew to evacuate..
- BORDER PATROL MORALE
WASHINGTON (AP) — A strained Border Patrol is getting increased attention from the Biden administration. Tense meetings have taken place between senior officials and the rank-and-file as the agency deals with the largest influx of migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border in decades. The Department of Homeland Security plans a series of measures aimed at addressing the workload and morale of agents in the agency it oversees. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is pledging to more forcefully pursue criminal prosecutions of people accused of assaulting Border Patrol agents. Chris Magnus, the new commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, says, "That's something that agents in the field want to hear because assaults are on the uptick."
- BC-NM-BASEBALL PLAYER KILLED-SENTENCING
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A judge has sentenced an Albuquerque man to life in prison in the 2019 shooting death of a University of New Mexico baseball player outside a bar. Darian Bashir was sentenced Tuesday in Bernalillo County District Court three months after a jury convicted him on charges of first-degree murder and evidence tampering. Prosecutors told Albuquerque TV station KRQE that the sentence will ensure Bashir stays in prison for at least 33 years. The 25-year-old Bashir will be eligible for parole in 2055 after serving 30 years for first-degree murder and three years for the evidence tampering charge. Bashir acknowledged his role in the shooting and offered an apology and condolences Tuesday to the Weller family.
- CLERGY SEX ABUSE-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A federal bankruptcy judge will hold a hearing next week on whether the Archdiocese of Santa Fe must disclose records on insurance coverage expected to pay much of a settlement in a case involving over 400 hundreds of victims of clergy sexual abuse. The diocese has requested insurance coverage documents be sealed because agreements between the archdiocese and insurers indicated they'd be confidential. A diocese attorney said breaching confidentiality provisions could cause the agreements to be voided and lead to expensive and extended litigation of coverage disputes. Lawyers for victims object to sealing the records and one says secrecy contributed to the widespread abuse in the first place.
- ELECTION WORKER-THREATS
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's state Senate unanimously endorsed a bill Monday that seeks greater protections for election officials and volunteers amid growing concerns for their safety. The Senate on Monday voted 38-0 in favor of the bill from state Sen. Katy Duhigg of Albuquerque to expand the felony crime of intimidation to include acts against employees and agents of the secretary of state, county clerks and municipal clerks across New Mexico. New Mexico is among a handful of states are seeking greater protections for election workers after officials were targeted by threats of violence following the 2020 presidential election. Vermont, Illinois, Maine and Washington have introduced related bills.
- VOTING RIGHTS-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Democrat-backed bill to expand voting access in New Mexico has won a crucial endorsement from a Senate panel. The committee voted 7-4 along party lines Monday with Republicans in opposition to a bill that would make Election Day a holiday, streamline mail-in voting and further automate voter registration. The bill also would provide convicted felons with the opportunity to register to vote as they exit prison. Republican Party leaders have raised concerns that the bill would increase opportunities for deceitful voting. Legislators have until Feb. 17 to send the bill a governor, who supports the initiative.