KSFR Local
(2010-01-21)
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SANTA FE
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-- Jan. 21, 11 a.m. -- U.S. Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico is criticizing the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn a federal law that until now has limited the amount of money big corporations and unions can give to political campaigns. The law it overturns is the McCain-Feingold Act. The high court agreed with opponents to that law that it limits free speech by big organizations. Now they can spend freely on big national political campaigns. Udall audio above.
-- 7 a.m. -- In news from the state legislature, a number of House Democrats have introduced a bill that would impose a surtax of one percent on the incomes of high-earning New Mexicans. House Speaker Ben Lujan is one of the sponsors of the bill. The proposal would apply to single individuals earning more than $133,000 and $200,000 for married couples filing joint tax returns.They say it could raise about $50 million in extra revenues. The speaker has also been talking about a hike in the state gross receipts tax of one-eighth of a percent. But that bill hasn't been introduced yet.
A bill introduced by State Rep. Brian Egolf of Santa Fe would move money in the state's cash accounts from big national banks to local banks in New Mexico. The amount is estimated to be about $1.4 million. Egolf says that would enable local banks to make more loans to New Mexicans. The state's cash reserves are now held in checking accounts run by big banks like Bank of America and Wells Fargo.
Along with Gov. Richardson, New Mexico's congressional delegation is unanimously lauding news that the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions has been awarded a grant of nearly $6 million by the Dept of Labor. Those federal economic stimulus dollars are targeted to create new workforce training for New Mexico's emerging renewable energy and energy-efficiency sector. Governor Richardson said the money not only allows for worker-training opportunities but also assists in identifying the needs of business in the green-energy sector. The topic of jobs will be on the governor's mind this morning as he's expected to make an announcement about a new economic development effort for western New Mexico.
Over 1,000 Santa Fe Public Schools employees are expected to attend Friday morning's district-wide meeting. That event gets underway at 8AM in Santa Fe High School's gymnasium. The District Meeting is sponsored by Santa Fe Public Schools as well as both the state and Santa Fe branches of the National Education Association. Mayor David Coss will be on hand to deliver the keynote address and will discuss programs funded by the Children & Youth Commission estimated to serve more than 30,000 participants throughout Santa Fe.
Today is the relative calm before the next storm arrives in New Mexico. The third system to cross New Mexico this week is still poised to bring significant snowfall -- as much as 3 to 6 inches between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. Friday evening's commute along I-25 could be a slippery one as Albuquerque is also expected to get a couple of inches of snow.
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