County Clerk Karen Smyer
(Deming) – Voters who would like to vote in the November 6th general election but who are not currently
registered to vote have less than three weeks to register.
County Clerk Karen Smyer said voter registration for the November 6th general election will close at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 9th.
And Smyer said that same day – Tuesday, October 9th – is the first day a voter may cast a paper absentee ballot or vote in person on an electronic voting system in the clerk’s office.
Early voting continues through Saturday, November 3rd.
Voters also may request an application and absentee ballot to be mailed to them. The last day the clerk may mail an absentee ballot to an applicant is Friday, November 2nd.
Contact the county clerk’s office at 546-0491 for more information. There are a number of races of local interest.
Incumbent District 35 State Senator Democrat John Arthur Smith of Deming is facing Republican Russell Allen of Las Cruces.
Incumbent District 32 State Representative Democrat Dona Irwin is challenged by Republican Thomas Guerra.
Democrat Francesca Estevez is facing Republican George Zsoka for the position of Sixth Judicial District Attorney.
Democrat Jennifer DeLaney is facing Republican Jarod Hofacket for the opportunity to fill the Sixth Judicial
District Court judgeship vacated with the retirement of Gary Jeffreys.
Incumbent Luna County District Three Commissioner Javier Diaz, a Democrat, has two opponents: Republican Philip Skinner and Independent Martha Long.
And on the ballot unopposed is Democrat Andrea Rodriguez for Luna County Clerk.
(Deming) – The Deming City Council will meet in special session Wednesday morning. Included on the agenda is a resolution approving the city’s final budget for 2012-2013, as well as the final budget adjustments for the 2011-2012 budget
year.
The councilors also will consider a joint powers agreement between the city, the county and the state Public Safety Department… a resolution for participation in the state Department of Environment Capital Appropriation Project… and a bid for airport improvements. The meeting is set to begin at 9 a-m Wednesday in the council chambers of the John Strand Municipal Building on South Gold. The meeting is open to the public. A closed session to discuss potential litigation will follow the open meeting.
_The District Court Judicial Nominating Commission has forwarded only one name to Governor Susanna Martinez to fill the vacancy on the Sixth Judicial District Court created by the retirement of Gary Jeffreys.
Sandra Baumann, Coordinator of the Judicial Nominating Commission, said the commission members recommended that Jennifer DeLaney be appointed to the bench.
DeLaney was one of four applicants for the vacancy -- the same four who filed declarations of candidacy for the position: DeLaney and Michael Renteria, who are Democrats, and Jarod Hofacket and Cynthia Patterson, who are Republicans. A fifth applicant, Gerald Byers, withdrew his name from consideration.
DeLaney has been practicing law in Deming for 10 years, and has served as the District Court's Special Master since 2009. She has passed the bar in New Mexico and Florida.
Governor Martinez can either accept the commission's recommendation of DeLaney, or ask the commission for additional names.
Once appointed, the successful applicant will serve on the bench through the end of the year, when the elected candidate assumes the bench.
The latest House of Representatives redistricting plan proposed by Retired State District Judge James Hall keeps Luna County together under District 32 -- and adds most of Hidalgo County and a portion of Grant County to the representative's boundaries. Hall issued his decision Monday, meeting a deadline set by the state Supreme Court. The justices overturned an earlier redistricting plan ordered by Hall and directed him to revamp it.
The judge's latest plan shows District 32 -- the seat currently held by Democrat Dona Irwin -- being comprised of all of Luna County and all but the northern-most precinct in Hidalgo county, plus the southern most Grant County precinct.
For the past decade... District 32 has been comprised of all of Luna County and only Luna County.
Hall's previous redistricting plan gave District 32 -- Irwin's seat -- nearly twice as many Dona Ana County precincts as it did Luna County precincts... and more than two-thirds of Luna County was in District 39, the seat currently held by Rudy Martinez of Bayard.
Now District 39 starts at Bayard, goes east to encompass the southern part of Sierra County and then drops down at Salem to take in five Dona Ana County precincts.
_The public is invited to a retirement reception for Sixth Judicial District Court Judge Gary Jeffreys.
Jeffreys is stepping down from the bench this month, and a coffee reception is planned for Friday, February 16th, from 10am to noon at Luna County District Court, 855 South Platinum.
_The Senate has approved a proposal to impose new restrictions on granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.
Democrats pushed the measure as an alternative to a proposal by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez to stop New Mexico from granting licenses to illegal immigrants.
The Senate approved the bill late Monday night on a 27-15 vote. One Democrat, Senator John Arthur Smith of Deming, joined Republicans in opposing the measure.
The proposal will continue to grant licenses to illegal immigrants, but require fingerprinting of applicants and limit the licenses to one year. The state also can cancel previously issued licenses to foreign nationals if they no longer live in New Mexico.
The bill goes to the House, which has rejected a similar proposal. The governor also opposes the Senate-passed measure.
Luna County is part of the political dispute over legislative redistricting that has landed the issue before New Mexico's highest court.
The state Supreme Court is hearing arguments from lawyers this week in a challenge to new districts for the state House of Representatives. The Legislature and a group of Democrats and minority voters are asking the Supreme Court to overturn a redistricting map approved last month by state District Court Judge James Hall.
That map gives District 32 -- the seat currently held by Dona Irwin of Deming -- nearly twice as many Dona Ana County precincts as it does Luna County precincts... and more than two-thirds of Luna County will be in District 39, the seat currently held by Rudy Martinez of Bayard.
For the past decade all of Luna County has comprised House District 32, the seat currently held by Irwin. Officials say the approved plans reflect population growth in Dona Ana County and counters it with essentially no change in Luna County's population and population declines in Hidalgo and Grant counties. But legislative lawyers want the justices to order a redistricting proposal passed by the Legislature last year but vetoed by Republican Governor Susana Martinez.
Instead, the judge adopted a House plan advocated by the governor and other GOP statewide officials. Democrats contend the revised districts will help Republicans pick up House seats in this year's elections.
RSS Feed
