Pojoaque Pueblo is accusing state gaming officials of holding a closed-door meeting to plot out ways to stop its casino operations. The New Mexican reports that the the Pueblo complained to the state Attorney General's Office late last week, accusing the state Gaming Control Board of illegally holding a closed door meeting on their gaming activities. Pueblo officials say the July 15th meeting violates the Open Meetings Act. They are accusing board members of discussing retaliation tactics against any entities doing business with them. The Board’s acting executive director denied the allegations Friday. Pojoaque has filed a lawsuit in federal court, asking that state gambling regulators be prohibited from taking any action against licensed vendors who do business with the tribe.
Investigators are trying to determine if alcohol was a factor in an early-Sunday wrong-way crash on I-25 in Albuquerque that killed both the driver and another motorist. Authorities say the crash occurred shortly before four-am when a driver speeding the wrong-way crashed into another vehicle. Albuquerque police spokesman Simon Drobik says an ambulance driver going southbound on I-25 noticed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed northbound in the southbound lanes. Shortly after, police say 911 callers reported a two-vehicle crash on the interstate southbound at Comanche. According to Drobik, the male driver going the wrong way collided with a female driver. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Their names are not being released until next of kin is notified, but police say both lived outside of Albuquerque.
A Rio Rancho middle school student is facing felony charges after police say he poisoned his classmates by spiking a sports drink with copper sulfate taken from a science classroom. The Albuquerque Journal reports that Deputy District Attorney Barbara Romo says the boy was charged last week for the May incident at Eagle Ridge Middle School. Police say the 14-year-old gave three students the poisoned drink in a Gatorade bottle. Two were hospitalized. The teenager has moved out of state. Romo says she thinks the boy spiked the drink as a joke, but now realizes that it's not a joke. Romo says she thinks the case will not go to trial. If it does, the boy could be sentenced to probation or juvenile detention.
There’s a move afoot in New Mexico and nationwide pushing for the concept of open primary elections, where primaries would no longer be closed to voters who are not registered either Democrat or Republican. Supporters note that some 40-percent of U-S voters don’t wish to enroll in a political party, meaning that under current state election law, they are barred from taking part in taxpayer-funded state primary elections. Closed primaries also make it difficult for new coalitions to form, supporters say, allowing parties to drift farther right or left, making it more it more difficult to cross ideological lines. Bob Perls is a former Democratic New Mexico State Representative and founder and executive director of the non-profit New Mexico Open Primaries. Perls says one result of closed primaries is what he terms “hyper-partisanship,” which has resulted in today’s government gridlock.
*****FEATURERuns 3:07 Q: 100-percent of the incumbents in most states.”*****
Governor Susana Martinez recently indicated that she would support a plan allowing voters without a party affiliation to cast ballots in the state’s primaries.
Santa Fe Weather: Sunny skies today with the high topping-out at 80. Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms. Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy with the high near 67 and a 70-percent chance for showers and thunderstorms, some of which may produce heavy rain.