In 1995, he added, New Mexico’s economy was much stronger.
The annual employment growth was almost 5 percent leading up to the 1995-96 shutdown. But the state now places last for job growth in the past three years compared with the rest of the country.
The presenters explained that while individuals can create NMHIX accounts and apply for insurance through the website -- which can be accessed at BeWellNM.com -- they will automatically be re-directed to a federal exchange site during the system's first year. NMHIX hopes to offer plans to individuals directly through the state exchange sometime next year.
The year-end report cards for the Workforce Solutions Department showed that the average wait time to connect to the agency’s unemployment call center was 36 minutes during the budget year that ended in June – more than double the 15-minute average wait time in the previous year.
In addition, only 64 percent of eligible unemployment claims were processed within 21 days of filing, compared with 72 percent in the earlier budget year.
"For public health and our environment, we need to put a stop to fracking," said Sanders Moore, director of Environment New Mexico, which is affiliated with the national organization that authored the study.
Soon after the report was made public, an oil industry spokesman and a politician in oil-rich southeastern New Mexico said it was unfair, its criticisms overblown.
A proposal to give a two-year County employee a $7,280 raise resulted in a heated meeting of the Rio Arriba County commissioners last week. Public comments from the gallery warned it could be the costliest raise the commission will ever approve, considering its potential political backlash from County employees. The public perception of systemic favoritism and unfairness in Rio Arriba County government was cited by two people speaking during the meeting’s public comment period.
"We had two main issues going into Tuesday's closed meeting," Williams said. "One was the policy that would merge all the fire departments into one department with Joel Arnwine as the head. The second was the issue we all have with Joel."
, but the Public Education Department secretary designate is not biting.
Larry Behrens, spokesman for the state Public Education Department, said Thursday that Skandera will not be meeting ATF members for any such debate.
“What is disappointing, but not surprising, is that this so-called offer from the status quo defenders does not once mention the most important element of education – our students,” said Behrens. “It’s unfortunate our students can’t afford the organized political operation from which ATF union leaders benefit.”
Davis said his organization also advocates for a raised minimum wage in New Mexico and increased voter access. It opposed a recent legislative bill that could have made it a felony for victims of rape to get abortions.
The organization also advocates for legislators to break contact with ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, which calls itself "the nation's largest, non-partisan, individual public-private membership association of state legislators."
Power, a Denver native, will talk about her evolution from student activist against the Vietnam War to guerrilla warrior, to fugitive on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, to prisoner, penitent and, now, practical peace catalyst.
Power was the getaway driver for a bank robbery gone bad in 1970. A student protester at Brandeis, she joined a group willing to take radical action against the Vietnam War. But things went wrong when an Irish policeman and father of nine was shot and killed during the robbery.
