Gov. Susana Martinez vetoed legislation March 9 that would allow teachers to use their sick leave without it affecting their evaluations.

Martinez said if the bill, which sponsors dubbed the “Teachers are Human Too Act,” became law, it would lead to more teacher absences, which would create more expenses, including for substitute teachers. Martinez said this would also lead to decreased quality of education.

“We need our teachers in our classrooms, and House Bill 241 would lead to more teacher absences,” Martinez wrote.

The Public Education Department was unable to estimate in the bill’s Fiscal Impact Report how many teacher absences there would be under the bill, and at...

DISTRICTS 1, 3 election is March 14

A homeless man, mumbling about a government conspiracy, urinates in a downtown alley at lunchtime. He could be the responsibility of the city police, a homeless shelter or a mental health system.

And if he’s been in Gallup any length of time, he’s been shuttled among all three.

That was the consensus at a political forum held March 1 at the Gallup-McKinley County Chamber of Commerce where candidates for two council seats introduced themselves and their platforms to the public.

District 3 incumbent councilman Yogash Kumar and challengers Angela Chavez and Esco Chavez and Linda Garcia of District 1 squared off in a 90-minute question-and-answer...

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Senate passed by a vote of 19 to 11 Senator Jeff Steinborn’s, D-Doña Ana, bill to allow qualified New Mexico residents to register to vote up until three days prior to an election at certain locations March 1.

Current law allows voter registration to occur only until 28 days preceding an election.  If enacted, SB 224 would enable the largest expansion of voter registration rights in many years in the state.

“I am grateful to the Senate for supporting this important voting rights reform today. It is imperative that the Legislature expand voting opportunities in New Mexico, and remove hurdles where they exist,” Steinborn said. “ This bill will do...

New Mexico State Auditor Tim Keller officially announced his run for Albuquerque mayor Wednesday.

Keller issued a statement in the morning saying he would focus on the city’s economy and reforming the Albuquerque Police Department.

“Albuquerque is my home – I was born and raised here – and this is where my wife and I are raising our family,” Keller said in a press release. “I’m running for mayor because I believe, together, we can meet these challenges head on and build a safe, inclusive and innovative city that works for all of us.”

If elected mayor, Keller would leave an open spot in the auditor’s office, which would be filled by appointment from Gov. Susana...