May 11, 2021
Bayard council hears report on cleanup and U.S. 180 plans Written by Nickolas Seibel on May 11, 2021
By HANNAH DUMAS
Daily Press Correspondent
State Rep. Luis Terrazas joined Trent Doolittle, N.M. Department of Transportation District 1 engineer, for a presentation to the Bayard City Council at their regular meeting Monday, discussing a recent cleanup event as well as providing an update on recommendations for improving U.S. 180 between Hurley and Deming.
The litter cleanup, originally planned for last fall, occurred April 24 after finally receiving the necessary permit to ensure a COVID-safe event. With little time to advertise, the event still brought in 48 volunteers, who along with state employees removed more than 2,600 pounds of litter from roadways in Bayard, Hurley and Santa Clara. The Silver City Grant County Chamber of Commerce sponsored the cleanup.
Civil Rights Come to New Mexico And it’s long past due From a May Santa Fe protest over the killing of George Floyd. Former officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges brought against him. | Katherine Lewin
Help keep local journalism fighting for you. Donate today to Friends of the Reporter. 12:00 AM Saying civil rights have come to New Mexico feels a bit absurd such rights are supposed to be bestowed upon everyone at birth, but I say it in a legal sense, referring to the struggle of vulnerable populations. It’s worth tentatively affirming. Call me easily impressed, naïve, or optimistic (you won’t be the first), but I have been inspired by several measures that were successfully enacted during the recent New Mexico Legislature, the most prominent among them named the New Mexico Civil Rights Act. The measures therein all relate to enhancing a cooperative society. And although an important bill meant to stymie predatory lending in the state failed (De
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Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the New Mexico Civil Rights Act into law this month, prohibiting the use of qualified immunity as a defense in state court.
Government employees will not be able to use qualified immunity as a legal defense in state court under the recently ratified New Mexico Civil Rights Act.
Laurie Roberts, a state policy advocate for the Innocence Project, says the act will create an easier path for those seeking to bring a claim against a government body, relying on state courts rather than the federal judicial system.
“Instead of having to go to federal court and allege a violation of your federal constitutional rights, instead, you can go to your local district court, in front of a judge or a jury of your peers, you know, a judge elected by New Mexicans,” Roberts said. “And the local governments are not able to use qualified immunity as a defense the way that they would be if you were forced to go into federal court.”
Our nation is undergoing a crisis of confidence in law enforcement. Gallup reported last summer that, for the first time in the history of its polling, a majority of Americans do not have faith in the police. This plummeting confidence is fueled by the fact that police officers are rarely held accountable when they commit misconduct, and that lack of accountability is largely the product of qualified immunity a judicial doctrine that shields public officials from civil liability, even when they break the law.
But New Mexico took a huge step toward correcting this crisis this past Wednesday when Gov. Lujan Grisham signed into law HB 4, otherwise known as the New Mexico Civil Rights Act. This landmark piece of legislation permits citizens to sue any public official who violates their constitutional rights, and it specifically provides that qualified immunity is not a defense.
By Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
New Mexico health officials on Wednesday reported more progress in getting residents vaccinated as the state continues to lead the U.S. in the vaccine rollout.
State Health Secretary Dr. Tracie Collins said 50% of residents 16 and older have received their first shot and 31% are fully vaccinated. The latest figures come as other states look to expand distribution beyond health care workers and other priority groups to meet an April 19 deadline from the Biden administration.
While New Mexico opened up eligibility Monday, Collins said priority will still be given to those who are 75 and older and other senior citizens who have chronic conditions that put them at greater risk.