It's Tuesday, May 8, 2018.
Here we go
Over the next four weeks, Republicans and Democrats across New Mexico will vote in the party primaries. In-person absentee voting (which is technically different from early voting, though they look a whole lot alike) begins today, and absentee ballots will also be mailed out by the state's 33 county clerks. It's the last day to register as a Democrat or Republican, too, if you want to vote sometime between now and June 5. If you're a voter who "declines to state" your party affiliation, as the state terms it, you're not invited. These are closed primaries.
Justice delayed
The family of José Farfan is suing the city of Albuquerque for his death. They claim two former APD detectives shot and killed him in the East Mountains. That was in 1976. It was just a few months before state law changed to permit such wrongful death lawsuits against the government. Yesterday, at the state Supreme Court, attorneys argued over whether the lawsuit should be allowed to move forward ($). Farfan's family said they didn't learn the details of his death until barely two years ago. The city says the 1976 law is unambiguous and it should be protected.
Meet the new boss(es)
Rebecca Moss at The New Mexican does double-duty today, delivering a roundup ($) of the groups that have applied to run Los Alamos National Laboratory and some other names to keep in mind as the more than $2 billion annual contract is up for bid. She also looks at the safety records of the leading contenders ($), as well as passing along this quote: "Any new management team, if they have got half a brain, is going to have to address the issue of culture."
Former state cop charged with DWI, tampering
Jessica Turner resigned her position as a state police officer recently. The department was after her badge following the revelation of a traffic stop in Otero County in which a deputy let her off the hook. Turner appeared drunk and failed a field sobriety test, but challenged the deputy over where her keys were. The district attorney reviewing the case found that a door chime when Turner's vehicle was opened was evidence that the keys were in the ignition. She's since been charged with DWI and tampering with evidence.
SF Symphony founder retiring
Santa Fe, our fair city of 84,000 people, has its own symphony orchestra. Of course it does. Gregory Heltman helped found it in 1984, when the city had considerably fewer people. Two years after that, the group added a chorus. Heltman's been with the musical endeavor since the start ($) and announced his retirement yesterday.
Fair pay?
Who knows, at the state. Before Bill Richardson left office as governor, he ordered the State Personnel Office to deliver a pay equity report every year. It was meant to help the state face its gender pay gap. Susana Martinez makes about the same as Richardson, but other than that, the state has failed to deliver the report ($) for eight straight years. Recently, the state auditor's office flagged the agency's failure.
Supremes expect textbook decision this year
After hearing arguments once again over whether private schools have a right to funds for textbooks paid for with public money, the state Supreme Court expects to deliver a decision this year. Justices heard the case yesterday, after it was remanded to the state by the US Supreme Court. New Mexico's high court ruled the practice unconstitutional in 2015, but case law has changed since then.
Dry
The Colorado River is set to deliver its fifth-lowest amount of water, 43 percent of normal, in more than five decades this year. The monumentally over-allocated river is stressed to the max, experts say. Here in New Mexico, the Rio Grande has already dried up for a stretch of 20 miles that could grow to 120 by summer. Many worry it could be the new normal.
Thanks for reading! The Word feels drier just reading all that. Rainnnnnnn …
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