- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and top public health officials pointed to a recent bump in COVID-19 cases and stressed that more people need to get tested so the state can quickly identify where outbreaks are happening as they try to curb the spread of the virus. However, the governor also said during an online briefing Thursday that she is optimistic given that the rate of positive tests is much lower than it was just a couple months ago. She also noted the state's progress with vaccine distribution. So far, more than 100,000 doses out of the 153,000 that have been sent to the state have been administered.
- LEGISLATURE-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Democratic lawmakers in New Mexico say pandemic recovery will drive their efforts during the upcoming legislative session. They're pledging to pass additional relief to individuals and small businesses. Democrats in the house say education funding to repair learning loss and get students in classrooms sooner is also part of that effort, as well as support for vaccine rollouts. The unsalaried Legislature meets for 60-days in odd-numbered years to consider major policy reforms in addition to crafting an annual spending plan. With solid majorities in the Senate and House, Democrats are expected to push through progressive priorities on civil rights and long-term education funding.
- LEGISLATURE-NEW MEXICO-SECURITY
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's governor declared a state of emergency in response to credible intelligence about threats of violence at statehouse buildings across the country and deployed members of the New Mexico National Guard to Washington for President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration next week. The declaration by Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham came Thursday as fencing was installed in a wide radius around the Capitol building in Santa Fe and an adjacent annex. The Legislature is set to convene Tuesday, the day before Biden's inauguration. The governor says the preparations are aimed at ensuring public safety and that violence will not be tolerated in New Mexico.
- COURT-GUARDIANSHIP REFORMS
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico will now require that proposed guardians and conservators participate in an orientation program before being appointed by a judge to make decisions for people who are incapacitated. The New Mexico Supreme Court issued an order Thursday approving the new rule. It will apply to cases filed on or after Feb. 1. A committee involved with reforming the state's adult guardianship system developed a series of videos that cover topics from filing grievances to identifying and reporting abuse. Justice Shannon Bacon said the videos will ensure that people serving in theses roles understand their duties and responsibilities under the law.
- DECAPITATED KITTEN-CHARGES
BLOOMFIELD, N.M. (AP) — Authorities in New Mexico have arrested an off-duty wildlife officer on suspicion of decapitating a 9-week-old gray kitten at his home in Bloomfield. The Farmington Daily Times reported that Jicarilla Apache Game & Fish employee Joseph Weaver was arrested on a fourth-degree felony charge of extreme cruelty to animals. Bloomfield police said in a statement that officers responded to a home Sunday for a welfare check when they found Weaver's family distraught about the kitten. Police say Weaver's wife told officers that she saw him standing with a pocketknife in his hand and the kitten floating in the bathroom sink. Weaver's attorney declined to comment on the case.
- ALBUQUERQUE-RECRUITING RESIDENTS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's largest city is launching a new marketing campaign to attract remote workers who can do their jobs from anywhere. Albuquerque's effort also is aimed at getting former residents — so-called boomerangers — to move back as a way to boost the local economy. City officials announced Wednesday that they're partnering with a local firm to highlight Albuquerque as an ideal place for people seeking a more healthy lifestyle with room to grow. They're hoping to capitalize on trends that have been accelerated by the pandemic — namely people wanting to move away from large cities.
- GOVERNOR'S AGENDA-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is enthusiastically backing recreational marijuana and hoping to crack down on predatory lending as she outlines a list of top priorities for 2021 legislative session. The endorsements she made Wednesday include authorization and taxation of recreational cannabis and an effort to shore up abortion rights. Lujan Grisham also wants a proposed constitutional amendment to tap more money for education from a state trust. The ouster of several conservative Democratic senators in 2020 elections increases chances for those initiatives during the legislative session that starts Tuesday. For pandemic relief, the governor wants restaurant alcohol deliveries permitted and an overhaul of liquor license regulations.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico health officials say they have detected the first known case of a more contagious variant of COVID-19. The state Health Department announced Wednesday that a man in his 60s who traveled to the United Kingdom in December has the variant. Officials described the man's illness as mild and said no hospitalization was required. Meanwhile, hospitalizations related to the coronavirus have decreased. Health officials say some counties have seen improvements in the rate of spread and positive tests. However, only Harding and Union counties are able to relax some public health requirements. The rest remain in the higher risk category.