New Mexico on Tuesday June 30, 2009

NM: N.M. GOP's Doug Turner says he brings 'new energy' to guv's race
By Heath Haussamen, New Mexico Independent
Doug Turner says his age is one thing that sets him apart from other potential 2010 Republican gubernatorial candidates. At 40, he's younger than the others who are running or openly considering it.
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NM: PED seeks public comment on Pledge of Allegiance law
By G. Jeff Golden, The Daily Times (Farmington)
The state Public Education Department reopened last week the written public comment period for a proposed rule change that would exempt unwilling students from saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
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Furloughs cut into state services
By Pauline Vu, Stateline.org Staff Writer
With states facing a $121 billion shortfall in the next fiscal year, a growing number of them have turned to squeezing their workforce for savings, and effects both great and small will be felt.
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NM: NM unemployment up but below national rate
By Staff Writers, New Mexico Business Weekly (Albuquerque)
Unemployment rose in New Mexico in May, but was still under the national rate. The state's unemployment rate was 6.5 percent for the month, according to the Department of Workforce Solutions, up from four percent one year ago and 5.8 percent in April. The nation's unemployment rate in May was 9.4 percent.
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NM: NM Gov. Richardson plans Cape Cod vacation
By The Associated Press, Santa Fe New Mexican
Gov. Bill Richardson is heading to Cape Cod for a vacation. The governor and first lady Barbara Richardson leave Tuesday for their getaway in Massachusetts.
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NM: Feds -- NM well water not apparent health hazard
By Susan Montoya Bryan, The Associated Press, Santa Fe New Mexican
Well water near a Superfund site in western New Mexico's uranium belt poses no apparent health risk despite an earlier report that called the site of Homestake Mining Co.'s former mill a hazard, federal officials said.
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NM: Pared-down Health Policy Commission gets new head
By The Associated Press, Santa Fe New Mexican
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has named a state Department of Health official to oversee the Health Policy Commission, which faces deep cuts in the budget year that begins Wednesday.
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NM: NM health centers to get federal funds
By The Associated Press, Santa Fe New Mexican
New Mexico will receive more than $12.8 million in federal stimulus funds to help increase access to health care for New Mexicans.
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NV: Public lands in 6 states, including Utah, set for solar projects
By Ken Ritter, The Associated Press, The Salt Lake Tribune
LAS VEGAS -- The federal government's top land steward said Monday that the United States will fast-track efforts to build solar power generating facilities on public space in six Western states.
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US: Ruling adds teeth to state oversight of banks
By Neil Irwin, The Washington Post
For years, state governments have had little power to enforce consumer-protection and lending rules at the country's biggest banks. No more.
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US: Obama steers health debate out of capital
By Sheryl Gay Stolberg, The New York Times
WASHINGTON — With Democrats deeply divided over health legislation, President Obama is trying to enlist the nation's governors and his own army of grass-roots supporters in a bid to increase pressure on lawmakers without getting himself mired in the messy battle playing out on Capitol Hill.
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US: A green way to dump low-tech electronics
By Leslie Kaufman, The New York Times
Since 2004, 18 states and New York City have approved laws that make manufacturers responsible for recycling electronics, and similar statutes were introduced in 13 other states this year.
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