- CAPITOL BREACH-COWBOYS FOR TRUMP
ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin has said he will not resign his seat on the Otero County Commission as he awaits trial in connection with the Jan. 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol. The Alamogordo Daily News reported that Griffin made the declaration in response to a press release last week from county commissioners Gerald Matherly and Vickie Marquardt calling for Griffin's resignation. The topic took up more than an hour of the commission's meeting last Thursday after it was placed on the agenda for discussion. Griffin has denied the allegations against him related to the Capitol insurrection.
- CONGRESS-HAALAND'S SUCCESSOR
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Rep. Deb Haaland's departure from Congress to serve as Secretary of the Interior will trigger a special election to choose a successor, starting with an rarely invoked nomination process that relies on party insiders. Haaland's resignation from Congress is likely to be formalized Tuesday and sets in motion a June general election for her 1st Congressional District seat. Major party nominees will be chosen by central committee members. First Congressional District voters rejected the Democratic nominee under similar procedures in 1998 to elect Republican Heather Wilson. The District has grown increasingly progressive since then.
- POLICE SHOOTING-TORRANCE COUNTY
BOSQUE FARMS, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say one person was shot during an encounter with at least one Torrance County sheriff's deputy. The New Mexico State Police said the incident occurred Tuesday in Bosque Farms and that no deputies were injured. A State Police statement said a "suspect" was struck by gunfire and taken to a hospital. The statement did not specify the wounded person's condition or provide any information on circumstances related to the shooting. Bosque Farms is 16 miles south of Albuquerque.
- ALBUQUERQUE SCHOOLS-SUPERINTENDENT
The Albuquerque Public Schools board has named Scott Elder as superintendent of New Mexico's largest school district, a post he has held on an interim basis since last summer. The board's announcement of Elder's appointment Monday noted his work helming the district during the pandemic and also said Elder was "has committed to making APS classrooms culturally and linguistically responsive." Elder took over on an interim basis with the retirement of Raquel Reedy was selected by the board after a lengthy search process initially launched after Reedy announced in October 2019 that she would retire. The process later was suspended and then restarted.
- BIDEN CABINET-INTERIOR-REACTION
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Citizens of tribes across the U.S. are cheering Deb Haaland's confirmation as the first Native American secretary of a Cabinet agency. The U.S. Senate on Monday voted 51-40 in favor of the Democrat's nomination to lead the Interior Department. Many Native Americans have called Haaland's historic confirmation an answer to their prayers and a long time coming. They say the move positions someone they trust and admire to carry forward their hopes and expectations. The Interior Department has broad oversight of tribal affairs and energy development.
- STATE BUDGET-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Lead state budget negotiators are rewriting spending plans to quickly tap federal pandemic relief money and shore up unemployment insurance, student financial aid, Medicaid insurance, teacher pensions and select state agency budgets. New Mexico's lead Senate budget committee on Monday put the finishing touches on proposed amendment to a spending plan for the coming fiscal year that starts on July 1. The amended plan would increase general fund spending by 4.8% over current annual spending obligations to $7.45 billion, a $373 million increase. The panel plans to vote Monday or Tuesday on amendments that funnel $600 million in federal relief toward the state's indebted unemployment fund.
- LEGISLATURE-ASSISTED SUICIDE
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico state Senate is advancing legislation that would allow terminally ill patients to die with the assistance of medical professionals. The law would require a terminal health diagnosis, a physical and mental health evaluation, and a waiting period after a lethal prescription is filled. The Elizabeth Whitfield End-of-Life Options Act is named for a former New Mexico judge who testified in support of a right to die in 2017 and later died from cancer. Republicans and two Democrats opposed the bill over ethical concerns. Supporters argue it gives dignity to those who cannot otherwise escape a pending and painful death.
- NEW MEXICO-DAMAGES CAP
New Mexico's highest court has ruled that monetary limits on some types of damages due to medical malpractice are not unconstitutional. The New Mexico Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld the Medical Malpractice Act, which maintains non-medical and non-punitive damages at $600,000. The limit does not extend to punitive damages and compensation for medical and rehabilitative care. The five-member panel argue that a cap will just be a legal consequence when juries determine amounts to award. The decision reverses a 2018 ruling made by the Bernalillo County District Court. A woman was awarded $2.6 million in damages in her lawsuit against an Albuquerque doctor and health provider.