“I’m trying to make sure our communities are protected, so they don’t fear any negative repercussions from Trump’s threats” – State Representative Patricia Roybal Caballero, in response to questions regarding the Albuquerque Democrat’s bill that would ban state and local police from arresting people based only on their immigration status
The Crib Sheet is a collection of stories, events, and ideas that are shaping the conversation in New Mexico and D.C. politics.
- Economists from NMSU and UNM testified on Tuesday before the Senate Finance Committee that the predicted rise in energy prices “are helping boost growth, and that means higher employment and income levels throughout New Mexico by 2018.”
- Environmentalists continue their war on affordable electricity in New Mexico and have filed a lawsuit with the New Mexico Supreme Court arguing that “the utility failed to prove the cost-effectiveness of the plan” to shut down two coal units at San Juan Generating Station.
- There is some coalescing in the Democratic race for Mayor of ABQ as former Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish throws her support behind Tim Keller.
- A federal report shows New Mexico pecan farmers are getting paid record-high prices this year. Pecan prices previously reached a peak in 2010.
- Governor Martinez announced yesterday her nominations for two seats on the University of New Mexico Board of Regents: Speaker Don Tripp of Socorro and Senator John Ryan of Albuquerque.
- A bipartisan group of lawmakers are moving to allow independent voters to participate in primary elections. Other proposals include creating a “top two” election system and reducing the signature requirements for third party candidates to match Democrat and Republican requirements to get on the ballot.
- New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas says that the budget proposal from the Governor and the Roundhouse will cause a “public safety and constitutional crisis” as a result of staff and service reductions in his office. The address by Chief Justice Charles Daniels last week described the New Mexico judiciary system “on life support” due to the state’s budget crunch.
- A spokeswoman for a Colorado Congressman says that their office “got assurances from the White House that restoration work and water quality monitoring after the Gold King Mine spill will continue.”
- According to White House officials on Wednesday, the Trump administration will fulfill campaign promises to crack down on immigrants and strengthen national security. His orders include the construction of a southern border wall and prohibiting “terror prone” refugees from entering. He has admitted U.S. taxpayers will pay for the wall, and that construction of the border wall will begin “in months”.
- As part of his flurry of executive orders Trump, as expected, moved yesterday to build both the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.
- Trump’s war on free trade is in full swing: investor Wilbur Ross, chosen by Trump to serve as Commerce Secretary, has notified Canada and Mexico of the administration’s intent to renegotiate NAFTA. Mexico warned it could pull out of the agreement if the trade deal does not benefit the country. The leader of the Canadian president’s policy forum Stephen Schwarzman urged Justin Trudeau’s government not to panic. “I don’t think he should be enormously worried because Canada is held in very high regard” he said. Schwarzman claims Canada has a “special status” that could exempt it from new tariffs.
