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Well, that was interesting. Despite CNN and Fox News
, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of President Barack Obama's health care reform law. NM Telegram
collected some of the responses from New Mexico politicians
.---As one would imagine, these fell along party lines. Democrats in the state hailed the decision while Republicans vowed to repeal the law.
On to the Word:
- The Associated Press had thumbnail sketches of
- where each state stands when it comes to health care
- .
WHERE THE STATE STANDS: New Mexico this week announced formation of a task force to develop a proposal for creating a state health insurance exchange. Republican Gov. Susana Martinez's administration is also working on an overhaul of Medicaid to try to slow the growth of the program without cutting enrollment or changing who's eligible to receive medical services. The state wants to have the revamped Medicaid program implemented in the fall of 2013.
- Gov. Susana Martinez didn't quite get all the same talking points as other Republicans. Martinez listed some of the popular provisions of the health care reform law.
- But as Steve Terrell notes...
The Obama campaign sent out a news release linking to an edited version of this video by Capitol Report New Mexico. (It leaves out the part where she slams the individual mandate as a "tax" many people can't afford.)
- The Washington Post has
- a handy tracker
- to see what the law will mean to you and your family.
- The Albuquerque Tea Party ignored the ruling in its
- monthly newsletter
- (PDF). Lest you think that it was after their time to file the newsletter, the edition mentions that Attorney General Eric Holder was held in contempt of Congress -- which happened hours after the Supreme Court ruling was announced.
- The state Supreme Court also had a notable ruling today -- clarifying who can and cannot use executive privilege in the state. From
- the Albuquerque Journal
- :
Only the governor, not the executive agencies under her control, can invoke executive privilege and keep certain information from being publicly disclosed after a records request, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
And not all communications with the chief executive are subject to executive privilege: They must relate to the governor’s decision-making, and be to, or from, her or her top advisers, the high court held.- The case is a big win for open government advocates, who have been busy in recent weeks. The case came from Republicans wanting the names and addresses of illegal immigrants from Department of Motor Vehicles databases in 2006.
- The House voted to hold Attorney General Holder in contempt of Congress for the Fast and Furious probe, even as the Fast and Furious conspiracy theory unraveled in recent days. Rep. Steve Pearce voted for holding Holder in contempt and said in a statement after the vote, “I would rather have the truth and the documents than have had this vote. It should not have come to this. The Attorney General is not above the law, which the House made clear with today’s vote. It is a sad day for America but I hope this action begins to lead to some answers for Brian Terry’s family.”
- Heather Wilson slammed Martin Heinrich for voting against the Republican effort to holder Obama's cabinet member in contempt. “Americans deserve to know the truth. New Mexicans want an independent leader who will put politics aside to do what’s right — not what their party tells them to do," she said in a statement.
- Speaking of health insurance, did you know that
- those fighting the forest fires on behalf of the federal government are uninsured
- ? They risk their lives to save many lives and homes and it seems bizarre that they do not get health insurance.
- Heath Haussamen says that the latest email scandals from the Martinez administration
- look a lot like something that would have gone on under Richardson
- . A hefty charge, considering Martinez swept into office by largely running against Richardson's tenure in office.
- As for the latest emails, which show that Martinez and Republican officials used private email accounts to discuss business related to the controversial Downs at Albuquerque lease,
- the governor's office says they were illegally obtained
- , though it is unclear how. A spokesman for the governor also did not address the content of the emails.
- Solar company Schott Solar is shutting its doors in New Mexico and
- will close down its production plant in Albuquerque
- . teh plant currently employs 250 people.
- The ACLU is getting involved after
- a pharmacist at a Walgreens refused to fill a prescription for birth control
- , citing religious beliefs.
“Something is very wrong when a man can walk in to any pharmacy and buy condoms, but a woman can't fill a birth control prescription prescribed to her by a doctor,” says [Susanne] Koestner in the release. “As a patient, I am at the mercy of licensed pharmacists and pharmacies when it comes to being able to receive the medications my doctor has prescribed for me.”
- Hold your horses before you pop champagne over the downtown Albuquerque grocery store. The
- Alibi
- :
There’s not yet a national chain or local grocer selected to move in. Instead, the city will put out a request for proposals on Friday. Developers will have 120 days to respond. The mayor said he is confident there will be plenty of proposals.
- The
- Journal
- :
City Councilor Isaac Benton, who lives west of the Downtown core, said he hopes the effort will succeed, but he’s not convinced the demographics will support a store. He wasn’t at the mayor’s news conference.[...]“I wouldn’t say I’m pessimistic, but I can’t say I’m super-optimistic either,” Benton said. “I think there are some market forces that are going to have to be overcome.”
- The Taos News
- has an iPhone and iPad app
- . But, man, it is one expensive app.
After the free introductory period ends, the app will cost $19.95 for a year or $12.95 for six months.
- UNM Hospital
- needs more space
- .
- A young woman
- caused a ruckus when she spread human ashes at Four Corners National Monument
- .
The park, like all six Navajo tribal parks, alerts visitors at the entrance and on its website that it is against the Navajo people's cultural beliefs to dispose of human remains on Navajo land, said Geri Hongeva, a spokeswoman for the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation Department.
- The woman who was arrested for overdue library fines say the fines were not hers.
Teel, pregnant and the mother of five small children, was arrested, handcuffed and hauled away to jail in front of her kids for failing to pay library fines of $35.98.[...]Teel and her attorney Eric Dixon filed notice Tuesday that she intends to sue the city of Portales and Roosevelt County for false arrest and because of the way she was treated by courts and police.
