A sudden overhaul in governance of the state’s largest public medical institution has left several people questioning the motivations behind the changes and its aftermath.

One such skeptic is Mel Eaves, a now-former community member of the board of directors that made recommendations on the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. HSC operates the university’s medical school, nursing school, two hospitals and the cancer center.

This piece also appears in the March 23 edition of the ABQ Free Press.

To Eaves, the motivation for the overhaul stems from other entities wanting a piece of HSC’s $220 million sitting in reserves, earmarked in part for the construction of a new...

Bill contained $200K for detox purposes

Gov. Susana Martinez has vetoed a bill pertaining to funding the Na’nizhoozhi, Center, Inc. The bill contained $200,000 in funds earmarked for Gallup’s sole institution that teats substance abuse.

“It was a surprise that (Martinez) vetoed the bill,” Sen. George Muñoz said. The bill was one of several sponsored by Muñoz during the 2016 New Mexico Legislative session. “We really needed it.”

The veto came about two weeks after U.S. Congressman Ben Ray Luján held a meeting in which officials from the city of Gallup, McKinley County and the Navajo Nation talked about nailing down a permanent funding pattern for NCI.

At one point...

State superdelegates give thumbs up to Clinton

Most area Democratic politicians say they’ll support Hillary Rodham Clinton over Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for the 2016 Democratic nomination for president of the United States. In most cases, it’s a no-brainer, considering New Mexico and McKinley County are predominantly Democratic.

Clinton, a former U.S. Secretary of State, has locked up public support from U.S. Reps. Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham as well as U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich. Each is a state superdelegate.

Made up mostly of distinguished party leaders and elected officials, a superdelegate is a delegate to the Democratic National...

Name snafu on ballot

SANTA FE – Former Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly filed to run Tuesday for the soon-to-be-vacant District 69 New Mexico House of Representatives seat. Shelly is seeking the seat being vacated by former N.M. Speaker of the House W. Ken Martinez, D-Grants. Martinez, an attorney, is retiring from public office. The son of a former N.M. Speaker of the House, Martinez began serving the state Legislature in 1999.

“Today, I accept a new challenge as I run for a state office in becoming a lawmaker,” Shelly said upon filing at the state secretary of state office in Santa Fe. “I have been a registered Democrat all of my life.”

Since ending his four-year tenure...