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Latest New Mexico news, sports, business and entertainment at 9:20 p.m. MDT

  • ELECTION 2020-NEW MEXICO

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A coalition of liberal groups has begun a campaign to target critical moderate New Mexico Senate Democrats who have blocked some liberal proposals. The coalition calling itself the No Corporate Democrats community coalition said Monday it will work to unseat five Senate Democrats they say oppose more spending on early childhood education. The senators have stopped proposals aimed at dipping into the state's largest permanent fund to pay for the expansion of early childhood programs. The five Democrats also voted against an unsuccessful abortion rights measure in 2019. The bill would have repealed a 1969 anti-abortion law.

  • NEW MEXICO ENERGY FUTURE

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico regulators have green-lighted an application by the state's largest electric utility to abandon its interest in a major coal-fired power plant. The Public Regulation Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously in favor of letting Public Service Co. of New Mexico divest from the San Juan Generating Station. The commission also approved an order allowing the utility to issue $360 million in bonds to fund decommissioning costs, severance packages for displaced workers and job training programs. The bonds will be paid off by utility customers. The votes came after a delay in the online proceeding that resulted from an outburst by a group of young people that included epithet-laden chat messages and rap music.

  • COUGHING ASSAULT

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Santa Fe man is facing charges after police say he entered a store and intentionally coughed on several people. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports Edward Babcock was arrested last week following reports he was coughing on customers at a Big Lots store in Santa Fe. According to a criminal complaint, the 4O-year-old Babcock coughed on a woman and her 10-year-old daughter after telling the woman, "It's on, it's on." A witness told police Babcock was getting close to others and coughing on them, too. Police say the victims all felt Babcock was exposing them to COVID-19. He was charged with two counts of assault. It was not known if he had an attorney.

  • OIL DOWNTURN-AIRPORT EXPANSION

HOBBS, N.M. (AP) — A southeastern airport in the heart of New Mexico's oil region is continuing its expansion despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and drop in gas prices. The Hobbs News-Sun reports officials say the expansion of Lea Regional Airport is on course and the completion of the airport terminal expansion Phase 1 should finish by the end of April. Designed to add about 9,000 square feet to the current 4,400-square-foot terminal, Phase 1 will triple the amount of space available for passengers. Phase 2, the reconstruction of the existing terminal, will start only after Phase 1 is completed. Phase 3 will double the phase 1 gate seating area.

  • ELECTION 2020-MAIL VOTING-NEW MEXICO

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's Supreme Court says it will referee a dispute over how to proceed with the state's June 2 primary election without in-person voting to minimize public exposure to the coronavirus. The New Mexico Republican Party is objecting to universal mail-in balloting procedures proposed by local election officials as a substitute for in-person voting. The dispute erupted as a host of states rush to adopt alternatives to in-person voting amid the pandemic. Among health concerns is the safety of poll workers, who tend to be older and more vulnerable to severe effects of COVID-19.

  • STATE REPRESENTATIVE BALLOT

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico district judge has ruled that Democratic state Rep. Patricio Ruiloba did not follow procedure in collecting petition signatures required to quality for the ballot. The Albuquerque Journal reported Tuesday that Judge Joshua Allison ordered Bernalillo County and the state election officials not to include Ruiloba on the June 2 ballot. The state representative was disqualified because he did not include his district number on his paperwork. Allison says the state Supreme Court had previously ruled the district number is required to ensure voters signing the petition know whether they are qualified to sign. Ruiloba has said he intends to file an appeal.

  • AP-NM-VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico is expanding coronavirus testing to many people without medical symptoms as state health officials are acknowledging that the demand for hospital beds and intensive care resources may outstrip capacity as infections accelerate. Officials including Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Tuesday described in detail the state's scientific forecasting for the spread of COVID-19, noting that an early surge of infections is expected in the northwest region of the state in the coming week. New Mexico's death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has increased to five, with the case of a man in his 40s. 

  • POLICE SHOOTING-ALBUQUERQUE

ALBUIQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A man accused of beating his neighbor with a hammer and threatening to kill him just weeks ago is dead after being shot by Albuquerque police. Authorities say the shooting occurred at a home Monday after officers attempted to make a welfare check on 52-year-old Valente Acosta-Busttillos. Police were contacted by his concerned employer, who had not heard from him in several days. Officers discovered Acosta-Busttillos had a warrant for a violent felony related to the incident with his neighbor and attempted to arrest him. Authorities say officers tried less-lethal force but that's didn't work. At least one officer fired his weapon, striking the Acost-Busttillos.