DAILY LOBO new mexico
#Relationship S Someday my prince will come?
thursday Gov. takes heat over recordings The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895
see Page 4
April 17, 2014
Mother Jones releases audio from Martinez’s 2010 gubernatorial campaign by Chloe Henson and Erika Eddy news@dailylobo.com
Washington-based online news outlet Mother Jones released audio Wednesday morning of Gov. Susana Martinez speaking with her aides during her gubernatorial campaign in 2010, and her comments have drawn criticism. In one recording on Mother Jones’ website, Martinez says she could not say that teachers, who work during school years, earn salaries at the same rate as other professions. “During the campaign we can’t say it, I guess, because it’s education, but I keep going back to that keeping the teachers from feeling the pain when they already don’t work, you know, two and a half months out of the year, three months out of the year, but earn salaries at the same rate people who do work 12 months a year,” she said. The article claims the aides were Matt Kennicott, Martinez’s then-deputy campaign manager, and Jay McCleskey. National Education Association-New Mexico President Betty Patterson said in a press release that most educators don’t work nine months out of the year. “Very few teachers work only nine months, very few get paid as if they worked twelve months,” Patterson said. “Most teachers use the summer for professional development, to learn new curriculum and to write curriculum for their districts … During the nine months teachers work directly with students, we put in endless hours beyond what is paid or expected.” In a second recording, Martinez says a woman from the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women came to speak with her. Martinez says she wasn’t aware of the function of the commission. “I just don’t know what they do — I mean, I understand that
we have 10 cabinet positions, more than the federal government, but some of them seem to be in name only,” she says. “I don’t get what in the hell does a commission of women’s cabinet do all day long?”
“... I guess, because it’s education, but I keep going back to that keeping the teachers from feeling the pain when they already don’t work, you know, two and a half months out of the year, three months out of the year ...” ~Susana Martinez New Mexico Governor Chris Sanchez, a spokesman for Martinez, said the material Mother Jones posted was stolen. Mother Jones did not reveal its sources in the story. “Today, an extreme left-wing blog posted four-year-old material from private conversations undoubtedly sent to them by individuals or their allies who are either under federal indictment, or have had their homes raided by the FBI for their role in stealing or distributing Governor Susana Martinez’s email,” Sanchez said in a statement. “That the national Left is trying to smear the first Hispanic woman governor in American history because they view her as a threat is about as surprising as the National Enquirer reporting that Elvis is still alive”
see Martinez PAGE 6
Daily Lobo file photo New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez introduced Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry at the re-election announcement in October 2013.
Court reviews election challenge against Democrat by Barry Massey Associated Press
SANTA FE — New Mexico’s highest court revived a lawsuit on Wednesday that aims to remove a maverick Democratic legislator from the June 3 primary election ballot. The outcome of the election challenge is being closely watched by Democrats and Republicans because Rep. Sandra Jeff of Crownpoint has sided with the GOP and Gov. Susana Martinez
Inside the
Daily Lobo volume 118
issue 136
on high-profile legislative votes, including backing the governor’s proposal to stop New Mexico from issuing driver’s licenses to immigrants living illegally in the country. Jeff, a member of the Navajo Nation, is among five Native Americans serving in the 70-member House. The state Supreme Court ordered the election challenge back to a district court in Gallup for a hearing Friday on whether Jeff submitted enough valid voter
signatures on nominating petitions to qualify as a candidate. McKinley County resident Larry King brought the lawsuit with the assistance of an environmental group, Conservation Voters New Mexico, which contends Jeff has a poor environmental voting record. Two other Democrats are running against Jeff in the primary. District Judge Louis DePauli had dismissed the election challenge against Jeff because he determined she didn’t receive proper legal notice of the lawsuit.
But the state Supreme Court disagreed after a 45-minute hearing on Wednesday and ordered DePauli to consider the dispute over Jeff ’s nominating petitions. The judge must make a decision by Monday, and the Supreme Court temporarily blocked the secretary of state from mailing out ballots to any overseas voters from the district while the case is pending. Without the order, ballots would have been mailed on Saturday. With Democrats clinging to a narrow majority in the House, Jeff
has become a swing vote on several key issues. A $6.2 billion budget proposal failed in the House on a tie vote earlier this year after Jeff joined Republicans in opposing the measure. Jeff later supported a compromise budget bill that was signed into law. Jeff did not attend the Supreme Court hearing or last month’s district court hearing. She also had no lawyer representing her in the proceedings.
see Election PAGE 6
TODAY
72 | 45