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Morning Word
NM SOS counters presidential election misinformation
Following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 campaign on Sunday, New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver says online misinformation emerged that “mischaracterized the process for how the Democratic nominee will appear” on November’s general election ballot. “Let me set the record straight,” Toulouse Oliver says in a statement. “The ballot deadline has not passed in New Mexico. New Mexico follows major party rules for the selection of presidential candidates and, as long as they meet the ballot deadline of Aug. 27, 2024, whoever is nominated for president at the upcoming Democratic Convention [Aug. 19-22 in Chicago] will appear on New Mexico’s General Election ballot. I encourage voters to always seek out trusted sources of election information, like their county clerk or the Secretary of State’s office, and to verify information about voting and elections before repeating or reposting it.” Other points the news release makes: New Mexico will not hold another primary election, as state law does not provide for doing so, nor is it necessary under the Democratic Party Rules governing delegates. President Biden will need to file a notarized statement of withdrawal as a candidate to the Secretary of State’s Office before Aug. 27.
In other post-Biden-withdrawal news, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who praised Biden for his decision to leave the race (on her official Twitter page), yesterday endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s presidential nominee (on her campaign’s Twitter page). “I’ve known Vice President Harris since we served in Congress together,” the statement reads. “She is a smart, conscientious and highly experienced public servant who is uniquely qualified to defeat Donald Trump. A former prosecutor, Vice President Harris is best equipped to make the case against convicted felon Donald Trump.” A photo of Harris officiating the governor’s wedding in May 2022 accompanies the post. The Associated Press reports Harris has secured enough delegates to become the Democratic Party’s nominee; an unofficial tally by the AP includes support from of all of New Mexico’s delegates.
State recruits health care workers from Texas, Arizona
New Mexico’s health department yesterday launched a new marketing campaign to lure health providers to New Mexico, particularly ones from neighboring states with more restrictive laws governing reproductive and gender-affirming health care. The Free to Provide campaign website highlights expedited licensing options here, as well as its quality of life and culture. “Whether you’re a seasoned physician, a dedicated nurse, a compassionate public health worker, or a skilled certified nursing assistant, we welcome professionals from all healthcare backgrounds,” the website reads. “Our inclusive community values diversity and celebrates the unique contributions of everyone, creating a supportive environment where every voice is heard and respected.” A news release notes the campaign will run in Texas and Arizona, both states with highly restrictive abortion laws. “Providing health care is hard everywhere,” Health Secretary Patrick Allen says in a statement. “The legal and political environment in Texas and other states is making it even harder. We think there’s an opportunity to let providers know in New Mexico they can deliver care without the local sheriff or district attorney looking over their shoulder to second guess their medical judgement.”
Animal advocates join spay/neuter bill lawsuit
First Judicial District Judge Matthew Wilson last week gave Animal Protection Voters and Española Humane the go-ahead to intervene in a 2020 lawsuit brought by the Pet Food Institute and others that attempts to overturn Senate Bill 57. The law, passed in 2020, established an additional fee on pet food for dogs and cats in order to fund spaying and neutering assistance for those animals, as well as help fund the Animal Sheltering Act. The animal welfare groups filed a motion in April to intervene in the lawsuit—whose plaintiffs include the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, NM Chamber of Commerce, NM Farm & Livestock Bureau and the Rio Grande Kennel Club—brought against Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Attorney General Raúl Torrez and Department of Agriculture Secretary Jeff M Witte. In statements provided to SFR, Española Humane Executive Director Bridget Lindquist says the groups “are thrilled by this decision, which allows us to defend affordable spay/neuter services in New Mexico actively. This case is vital for our communities and sets a precedent for animal welfare nationwide.” Elisabeth Jennings, executive director of Animal Protection Voters says, “Robust, affordable and accessible spay/neuter services are crucial to New Mexico’s communities, and the 2020 passage of Senate Bill 57 reflects that need. Animal Protection Voters and our allies will defend that state law and fight against ongoing, cynical attempts to undo our community’s powerful work to help animals and those who care about them.”
LCS names new director
Following a months-long search, the Legislative Council yesterday named Shawna Casebier as the new director of the Legislative Council Service. In that role, she will oversee many of the permanent staff and year-round operations at the Roundhouse, including bill drafting and research; building and ground maintenance; information technology; capital outlay and legislative human resources. The director is also responsible for administering legal cases brought by and against the Legislature; the census redistricting process; ethics complaints and requests for public records. “I’m excited for the opportunity to be in this role to help steer the direction into the future,” Casebier tells SFR. “It is a tremendous honor to be selected, and I’m really overwhelmed in a positive way by the support and encouragement and belief in me.” Her priority list includes preparing for the roll out of new district staff to provide additional aid to legislators. “Each legislator over the next nine months or so will end up with one personal staffer, and the LCS will play a big role in that in terms of administration,” she says, noting the process will require help from the IT, human resources and accounting staff. “We’re staffing up in all of those areas to make sure we have a robust support staff for that implementation.” Casebier will take on the new role next month, following the retirement of LCS Director Raúl Burciaga, who served in the position for the last 14 years.
Listen Up
Travel podcast Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer devotes several episodes to New Mexico. Wilmer checks out artists, murals and thrift stores in Las Vegas; visits with grad student Noah Aragon, who serves as a field and lab technician at New Mexico Highlands University’s Department of Forestry, to discuss the department’s work in the aftermath of the 2022 Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire; and chats with Isaac Sandoval, owner of The Skillet in Las Vegas, along with Ranger Mike Weinstein at Fort Union National Monument.
Rust jurors weigh in
The New York Times speaks with several of the jurors who would have decided Rust actor Alec Baldwin’s fate had First Judicial District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer not dismissed his case. Two jurors tell the Times they already had their doubts even before the case abruptly ended on July 12. “As the week went by, it just didn’t seem like a very strong case,” Johanna Haag, aka juror No. 7, tells the paper. Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist Gabriela Picayo, No. 9, also had doubts, she says, citing the moment she learned Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s former armorer, had already been convicted for involuntary manslaughter for the on-set Oct. 21, 2021 shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. “I’m still here, I’m still open to hearing and obviously trying to stay unbiased,” Picayo tells the Times she thought upon learning that fact, “but I was starting to move towards the direction of thinking that this was very silly and he should not be on trial.” She says she also began to think, as she heard the evidence, that Baldwin should have been able to rely on the weapons experts on set. “Alec Baldwin is an actor, right?…I think he would have trusted the people, you know, on the set to do their job.” As the story notes, had the case not been dismissed, all 12 jurors would have had to agree to find Baldwin guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
What a long strange trip...
The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center yesterday announced its researchers will be participating in several studies testing psychedelic drugs to treat depression, opioid use disorder, methamphetamine addiction and PTSD. In a news release, Dr. Larry Leeman, a professor in the departments of Family & Community Medicine at UNM’s School of Medicine, and medical director for the Milagro Program, says two new psilocybin-related studies are getting underway. One study will examine RE104, “a novel compound that’s related to psilocybin,” for postpartum depression. “The exciting thing about this one is it has the potential to quickly reverse postpartum depression,” Leeman says. The other study is a “Phase 3 randomized, double-blind multicenter project assessing the potential benefits of psilocybin, the active ingredient in so-called ‘magic mushrooms,’ for major depressive disorder.” Leeman says UNM’s portion of the study is planned for 15 to 20 participants. They will be followed for 54 weeks, with some randomly receiving 25 mg of psilocybin—a moderate-to-high dose—while others receive a smaller 5 mg dose or an inactive placebo. “In six weeks, you get re-scored for depression, and if you meet the criteria then, without anyone knowing what you got in the randomized portion, you become able to be re-dosed in the open label session for a total of four times in the next year,” Leeman says. Contact information for people who want to learn if they are eligible to participate in either study is available at the first link in this brief.
Monsoonish
The National Weather Service forecasts a 30% chance for precipitation today, with scattered showers and thunderstorms after noon. Otherwise, look for increasing clouds and a high temperature of 81 degrees. Chances for afternoon storms continue throughout the week.
Thanks for reading! The Word is taking a break from politics to read about modern-day exorcisms.
