- SPECIAL SESSION-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The state House of Representatives on Friday approved a budget solvency plan that fills a gaping general fund deficit by harnessing federal recovery funds, tapping half of New Mexico's financial reserves and pulling back planned spending increases. General fund spending for the fiscal year that begins July 1 was revised downward to $7 billion from $7.6 billion, while keeping some spending increases on public education. New Mexico legislators also pushed forward Friday with temporary election reforms and an initiative to require body cameras by all law enforcement officers. A proclamation celebrated Juneteenth without making it an official state holiday.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — One of New Mexico's top health officials said about one-quarter of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state involve people who had no symptoms. Human Services Secretary David Scrase said that percentage represents a huge number when talking about a pandemic. Scrase said Friday that New Mexico has been able to keep its cases from skyrocketing like Arizona, Texas and other states because it has kept in place the stay-at-home order and established other counter measures aimed at limiting spread. New Mexico has 10,260 cases and officials say the rate of spread is on a downward trend.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
CHINLE, Ariz. (AP) — A 50-year-old Navajo Nation police officer has died at a Phoenix hospital, becoming the first officer on the tribal police force to die from COVID-19 in the line of duty. Police Department officials say Officer Michael Lee died Friday at Banner-University Medical Center in Phoenix. Police Chief Phillip Francisco said the department was "devastated and heartbroken" by the death of Lee, whom Francisco called "a husband, a father, a son and a protector of his community." Lee served 29 years with the tribal department, beginning his law enforcement career as a police recruit with the Navajo Police Academy in 1990. The department says survivors include Lee's wife and children.
- BANKING RECORDS-PRIVACY PROTECTION
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Supreme Court has ruled that prosecutors can obtain a person's banking records using a warrantless grand jury subpoena without violating the individual's right to privacy under the state's Constitution. In a unanimous decision Thursday, the justices concluded that a district court properly allowed the use of five years of personal financial records as evidence in a pending criminal case against a Taos couple facing charges of tax evasion and other finance-related offenses. The high court rejected the married couple's argument that the state's Constitution provided greater privacy protections for their financial records than offered under the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures.
- ELECTION 2020-VP
WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden is facing growing calls to select a Black woman as his running mate as an acknowledgement of their critical role in the Democratic Party and a response to the nationwide protests against racism and inequality. The shifting dynamics were clear late Thursday when Amy Klobuchar took herself out of contention. The white Minnesota senator told MSNBC that "this is a moment to put a woman of color on that ticket." The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has already pledged to select a woman as vice president. After the police killing of George Floyd, many Democratic strategists say there's growing consensus that the pick should be a Black woman.
- AMERICA PROTESTS-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Crews in Santa Fe , New Mexico, have removed a statue of a Spanish territorial governor from a city park amid a national debate over the appropriateness of monuments and other markers that recognize historical figures. The statue of Don Diego de Vargas was taken down Thursday ahead of a planned protest. In addition to the de Vargas statue, Mayor Alan Webber is calling for the removal of two other monuments that many Native Americans find offensive. The mayor also promised to revive a commission that will evaluate every statue and monument in the centuries-old city.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico State University releases plan for fall returnLAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State University is rolling out plans for students, faculty and staff as they prepare to return to campus in the fall. The document released this week outlines the steps the university will take to ensure what officials said would be a welcoming and functioning campus environment when classes begin Aug. 19. University officials say the plan is a living document and can be updated as more is learned about the novel coronavirus and as best practices evolve. The university planned a town hall for Thursday afternoon. The number of positive tests in New Mexico now stands at 10,153.
- SPECIAL SESSION-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A proposal to distribute absentee ballots directly to registered New Mexico voters without a request or application was rejected by a state Senate panel at the outset of a special legislative session aimed primarily at shoring up state finances. The committee's Thursday vote means absentee ballots will continue to be available only by request in New Mexico. Lawmakers are confronting a 25% decline in estimated state government income for the coming budget year as the coronavirus pandemic takes its economic toll. An amended election reform proposal advanced to the Senate floor that would allow more time before an election to request an absentee ballot.