- VOTING RIGHTS-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Democrat-backed bill to expand voting access in New Mexico is advancing toward a Senate floor vote. A legislative panel endorsed the bill on a 6-5 vote Thursday, clearing the way for debate on the Senate floor. Lawmakers have until Feb. 17 to approve bills during a rapid-fire 30-day legislative session. The bill as recently amended would make Election Day a holiday for public schools, provide convicted felons with the opportunity to register to vote as they exit prison and distribute mail-in ballots year-after-year to people who prefer them. Currently absentee ballots are available by request only for each election.
- PROTECTING LOCAL JUDGES-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico legislators are considering new criminal penalties aimed at protecting state and local judges and their immediate families from threats and the malicious sharing of home addresses and other personal information. The New Mexico bill would make it a felony to threaten a judge or their immediate family with the intent to instill fear of physical harm, retaliate against a judicial decision or interrupt a judge's official duties. The malicious sharing of personal information — or doxxing — could trigger misdemeanor sanctions. A House floor debate and vote could take place as soon as Friday. Attorney General Hector Balderas has signaled support for the initiative.
- BC-NM-APARTMENT FIRE-BURN VICTIM DIES
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say a woman who was seriously burned in a northeast Albuquerque apartment fire last month has died. Albuquerque police say 29-year-old Ashleigh Keeto died from her injuries Monday at a burn center in Lubbock, Texas. Police spokeswoman Rebecca Atkins told the Albuquerque Journal that Keeto's death is being investigated as a homicide based on information from arson investigators. Keeto and a man were pulled from the fire and both were hospitalized in critical condition with burns and smoke inhalation. A medical update in the male victim wasn't immediately available Thursday.
- LEGISLATURE-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Democratic New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is expressing optimism that legislators will embrace her proposals for tax cuts with a little over a week left in the annual regular legislative session. Her comments Wednesday were coupled with disbelief that legislators in the Democratic majority are hesitating the back major crime-fighting initiatives. The governor also said she is determined to expand voting access through legislation, and is confident that New Mexico will offer some incentives to spur local hydrogen fuel development. Republican legislators say their Democratic colleagues are straying from core obligations to public safety. Lujan Grisham is running for reelection in November.
- BC-NM-STATE REGULATORS-ROLLING BLACKOUTS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Regulators in New Mexico are trying to work with utilities to deal with supply chain problems that could threaten adequate power availability during peak consumer demand this summer. The five-member Public Regulation Commission held an open public meeting Wednesday as they consider emergency measures to mitigate the looming crisis of rolling blackouts. Public Service Company of New Mexico has said it may not have enough generating capacity for customers in the hottest months of July and August when electricity demand climbs to its highest levels. Pandemic-induced supply-chain issues also have delayed the construction of four new solar facilities that were supposed to replace power from the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station when that plant shuts down in June.
- WILDFIRE THREAT-WINTER
AZTEC, N.M. (AP) — A fire official in northwestern New Mexico says there's an active wildfire threat in the region despite it still being winter. Capt. Tony Herrera, the wildland coordinator for San Juan County Fire and Rescue, said fire dangers generally diminish during winter but there has been heightened fire activity due to dry conditions. Herrera said recent snowfall provided much-needed moisture but it hasn't been enough to provide enough relief as the state moves toward warmer weather. Herrera said his agency and the Bloomfield Fire Department on Monday night both had to deal with brushfire sand that people need to be cautious.
- BC-NM-OBIT-FORMER SANTA FE MAYOR JAVIER GONZALES
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Javier Gonzales, who served one term as the mayor of Santa Fe, has died after a battle with cancer at age 55. Gonzales' death was announced Wednesday by Christus St. Vincent where he had worked as vice president and chief development officer of the hospital's foundation after leaving politics. In an interview with the Santa Fe New Mexican in October 2020, Gonzales said he was diagnosed with cancer after he'd struggled with hip pain and a loss of energy. He told the newspaper that doctors found a tumor near one of his kidneys. Gonzales was elected in 2014 and was Santa Fe's first openly gay mayor. He decided against running for a second term in 2018, citing a desire to spend more time with his two daughters.
- 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.