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Morning Word
LFC analysis raises red flags on pretrial reform measures
Legislators have a controversial bill that proposes revamping New Mexico’s pretrial detention system scheduled for its first hearing before the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee tomorrow afternoon (the bill was previously heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee, but was not voted upon). A fiscal analysis from the Legislative Finance Committee says implementing the bill could cost more than $15 million annually, at minimum, based on calculations of increased detainees and increased costs to the Public Defender’s office. Additional costs to police, courts and other agencies also are anticipated. Moreover, the report notes concerns from multiple agencies, including the public defender’s office, attorney general’s office, Administrative Office of the Courts and the state Sentencing Commission that creating a rebuttable presumption against pretrial release could violate Article 2, Section 13 of the New Mexico State Constitution. The bill would essentially shift the burden from the state to the defendants and has the backing of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, even though multiple studies have shown the governor proposes would not significantly reduce crime. The new LFC analysis reinforces that outcome: “Pretrial defendants are small contributors to New Mexico’s overall violent crime rate based on reported crime,” the analysis notes. “Research has concluded most proposals to create rebuttable presumptions are “roughly equivalent to detaining a random sample of defendants who are currently released.”
New energy leader defends group
The head of nonprofit New Energy Economy say attacks on her organization were timed in advance of this morning’s hearing at the Legislature for the proposed Local Choice Energy Act. That bill, as described by NEE, “opens up New Mexico’s electricity markets to competition and puts local communities in control of who supplies their energy.” A news release issued yesterday from a group called Better Together New Mexico accuses NEE of illegally fundraising last year when its nonprofit status had been revoked by the IRS, and says complaints from Larry Sonntag of that group have been filed with the IRS and the state attorney general’s office. “There was no disclosure to potential donors that their contribution was going to an organization that had lost its 501(c)(3) status,” the news release reads, while also noting that its director, Mariel Nanasi “has led a targeted political attack for years against publicly traded utility companies under the guise of a charitable mission, pushing for their closure and replacing them with government-controlled utilities.” Nanasi issued a response that her organization had to resubmit missing paperwork to the IRS from 2019. “It is true that due to an administrative error, either on the part of our certified CPA who suffered a family loss during COVID, or on the part of the IRS, we had to resubmit a 990 that was missing from their records,” Nanasi writes, noting the IRS said the organization could continue to receive donations until the nonprofit status was retroactively reinstated. Given the pending hearing on the energy bill, Nanasi noted, the complaints against NEE—which she described as coming from someone in “a right wing advocacy group” with ties to PNM—are “no accident,” she says.
City hires Public Utilities director
Yesterday, we noted Santa Fe County hired a former City of Santa Fe manager as its new public works director. Now, the City of Santa Fe has announced its incoming public utilities director used to work for the county in the same position. According to a city news release, John Dupuis served as the county’s public utilities director for more than five years, and also “has experience in water management and served as the Upper Chama Water Master for NM Office of the State Engineer.” He will start with the city on March 6; Water Division Director Jesse Roach will serve as interim public utilities director until then. “John is extraordinarily qualified to lead Santa Fe’s utilities department and ensure we provide 21st century utility customer service, continue our progress on sustainability and water conservation,” City Manager John Blair said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to welcome John to Team Santa Fe.” SFR was unable to determine if Santa Fe County representatives object to city employees being referred to as “Team Santa Fe,” because we did not try to do so. For his part, Dupuis described himself as honored to “serve the community” and city in his new role: “Now more than ever, given the uncertainty of impacts to public utilities from our changing environment, innovation is necessary to adapt and improve,” he said in a statement.
More access on the Continental Divide Trail
The Bureau of Land Management’s New Mexico office has acquired a right-of-way from the State Land Office to improve recreational access on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, both agencies announced yesterday. The acquisition took seven years of “tireless dedication and successful collaboration,” between BLM, NMSLO and the nonprofit Continental Divide Trail Coalition, BLM New Mexico State Director Melanie Barnes said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing this partnership to ensure the public has continued access to primitive hiking, horseback riding, biking and high-quality sightseeing for years to come.” New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard said in a statement projects like this are one of the goals of NMSLO’s Office of Outdoor Recreation. “We like to say that the State Land Office is open for adventure, and that has never been truer than it is today as this partnership will significantly improve access to one of the world’s most beloved thru-hike trails,” she said. According to a news release, prior to the right-of-way acquisition, the State Land Office provided the CDTC with permits to issue to hikers “allowing them to lawfully cross state land as they trek the trail.” Those permits are no longer needed and BLM can now maintain the trail, which extends from the Canadian border to Mexico through five states and more than 3,000 miles—approximately 820 in New Mexico. “We are thrilled to see this acquisition be finalized” CDTC Executive Director Teresa Martinez said in a statement, “and we are thrilled to see how cooperative stewardship efforts in New Mexico will be a model for efforts all along the CDT and show what great things can be accomplished when work is done in partnership.”
COVID-19 by the numbers
Reported Feb. 6 : New cases: 326 (includes the weekend); 665,742 total cases. Deaths: nine; Santa Fe County has had 395 total deaths; 8,977 total fatalities statewide. Statewide hospitalizations: 61. Patients on ventilators: five
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent Feb. 2 “community levels” map shows the same four county categorized as “yellow”—medium risk—for COVID-19 as last week: De Baca, Curry, Quay and Roosevelt counties. The rest of the state—including Santa Fe County—is green, aka has low risk. Corresponding recommendations for each level can be found here.
Resources: Receive four free at-home COVID-19 tests per household via COVIDTests.gov; Check availability for additional free COVID-19 tests through Project ACT; CDC interactive booster eligibility tool; NM DOH vaccine & booster registration; CDC isolation and exposure interactive tool; COVID-19 treatment info; NMDOH immunocompromised tool kit. People seeking treatment who do not have a medical provider can call NMDOH’s COVID-19 hotline at 1-855-600-3453. DOH encourages residents to download the NM Notify app and to report positive COVID-19 home tests on the app.
You can read all of SFR’s COVID-19 coverage here.
Listen up
On the most recent episode of Pet Chat, Santa Fe Animal Shelter CEO Jack Hagerman talks with hosts Murad Kirdar, public relations officer of the Santa Fe Animal Shelter, and Felines and Friends Executive Director Bobbi Heller about a new program to help keep animals in their homes and out of the shelter. Plus, in the post pandemic world, he shares his thoughts on why animal shelters struggle with higher admission rates and the crisis-level veterinarian shortage. To engage with the show, email the hosts at petchat@santafe.com
Waiting for justice
James Harry Reyos (Jicarilla Apache) wants to come home to Dulce, New Mexico. He’s not allowed to, though, due to restrictions from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles stemming from his conviction in 1983 for the Odessa murder of a Catholic priest, Patrick Ryan. In a gripping Texas Monthly story, “The Apache, the Irish Catholic Priest, and a 40-Year-Old Miscarriage of Justice,” Executive Editor Michael Hall retraces the events that led to Reyos’ conviction—including his confession, which he later recanted—as well as the lack of evidence connecting him to the crime. Reyos has steadfastly maintained his innocence for decades, and emerging evidence that came to light late last year identifies new suspects and confirms he did not kill Ryan. In retrospect, Hall writes, Reyos believes alcohol use, homosexuality “and his identity as an Apache likely contributed” to his jury verdict “as did the identity of the victim: a Catholic priest, in a state where priests are venerated.” Reyos has been paroled since 2012, and lives in South Austin. These days, the 66-year-old increasingly dreams of home and “thinks of the mountains, the snow, and his three brothers, whom he hasn’t seen in decades. Reyos’s mom died when he was a teen and his dad when he was in prison; a couple of his siblings have died too. Reyos would like to visit their graves and walk in the fields where he played as a boy. He’d like to be with his tribe.” He subscribes to the Jicarilla Chieftain newspaper to keep up on happenings in Dulce and among his tribe. With exoneration likely and pending, Reyos’ lawyer told him she could help arrange to release the parole restrictions so he come home. “He told her he would rather wait until he can tell others his whole story, from 1982 to whenever, from wrongful conviction to exoneration. ‘I’m not going to leave Texas until I’m officially considered actually innocent,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to leave Texas until I know I don’t have to come back.’”
Hungry for New Mexico
New Mexico-based food writer and Salon columnist Maggie Hennessy writes of the “restorative power” afforded by “pozole,” specifically the variety available from the Las Cruces food truck Tacos Romero. She just wishes she could have it more often: “Though I delight in the anticipation of Romero’s short-lived pozole, I don’t agree with this Southwestern notion of a finite soup season. Sure, when temperatures soar into the triple digits beneath a blazing sun, you might not crave a simmering cauldron of liquid, meat and veg. But soup has a weightier emotional load to carry—as the food equivalent of being hugged. Indeed, I can’t think of many other foods that bear the responsibility of restoring us when we’re sick, homesick, heartbroken, or even hungover. Nor, for that matter, can I name a culture without a significant soup tradition.” Truer words (although here in Northern New Mexico, we’re allowed to have soup all year). Hennessy unpacks the soup’s Mexican heritage and even supplies a recipe from Mexico City native Jose Avila, chef and owner of La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal in Denver. “That’s Mexican food,” Avila says of pozole. “Simple, comforting food.” As for New Mexican food, unsurprisingly, a proposed resolution in the state Legislature to create a “state aroma” category has made the national news. Food and Wine magazine, among other publications, notes succinctly: “In New Mexico, they take their chiles seriously.” Senate Bill 188, which would officially make the “aroma of green chile roasting in the fall” as the state aroma, has already passed the Senate Indian, Rural and Cultural Affairs committee and will next be heard by the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee on Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 8.
“Blow, blow, thou winter wind”
The National Weather Service forecasts a mostly cloudy day with a temperature near 39 degrees; north wind 10 to 15 mph becoming south in the afternoon; and a 30% chance of show showers today and a 20% chance tonight before 11 pm. It would appear cold winter temps will be the norm for the next week and then some.
Thanks for reading! The Word looks forward to reading Salman Rushdie’s first novel since he was attacked. After spending six weeks in the hospital, Rushdie is slowly recovering, both physically and otherwise, he tells The New Yorker in his first post-attack interview: “I’m lucky,” he said. “What I really want to say is that my main overwhelming feeling is gratitude.”
