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Monday, July 15, 2019 | Vo l u m e 1 2 3 | I s s u e 7 2
New VP shares goals for her term Roof damage may delay SUB solar project
Photo Courtesy of the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico
By Alyssa Martinez @amart4447 As the new Associated Students of the University of New Mexico administration prepares for the upcoming fall semester, Vice President Madelyn Lucas is looking to address three main policy areas: enrollment, campus morale and accessibility. Lucas defined accessibility in two parts: first the University’s compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) , and second is undergraduates’ access to ASUNM. Lucas expressed that the ambiguity of what undergraduate accessibility
would actually look like in legislation is a part of the challenge in achieving this goal. Lucas’ most well-established role as Vice President is to oversee the senate by appointing chairs, facilitating discussion, setting the agenda and making sure all legislation is in place. Typically, senators are popularly elected for 2 terms based off of the results of the most recent election. For example, if a candidate won a seat in the most recent spring 2019 election, they would serve for the fall 2019 and spring 2020 sessions, at which point they can resign from the senate or run again. Since the most recent senate election in April, there have been shifts in who exactly will be in the senate. Mohammed Assed, a threeterm senator and presidential candidate who lost to current president Adam Biederwolf by 115 votes, has left the ASUNM senate. Mohammad Jaber, who was re-elected and received 366 votes in the most recent April senate election, has also left the ASUNM senate. According to Lucas, the two will be replaced by first-time senators Michel Rivera and Taysear Ali, who were the next runner-ups in the most recent senate race. When asked if there would be any more changes to the senate,
APD hosts gun buyback By Justin Garcia @Just516Garc The Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers and the Albuquerque Police Department hosted a gun buyback event on Saturday afternoon, collecting a total of 415 guns. “This is one part of our multipronged effort to reduce gun violence in Albuquerque,” Mayor Tim Keller said in a press release after the event. “As police work to keep people safe, we also need support from law-abiding citizens who are often targeted by thieves. This successful gun buyback event gave people a safe way to dispose of unwanted firearms while taking those guns out of circulation.” In the style of a fast-food drivethru, hundreds of people showed up to turned over handguns, shotguns and rifles for $75 and assault rifles for $100. APD paid cash for the guns, which according Councilman Pat Daivs, district 2, will be turned into an art installation. Davis said the logistics of this project are still being developed, but added that the art installation would focus on gun violence. The event was funded by Davis’ community enhancement previously set-aside funds. Each
term, counselors have access to $1 million to fund “pork” project in their districts. In this case, Davis gave Crimestoppers $30,000 for the event, according to Gilbert Gallegos, APD’s Director of Communication and Community Outreach. Cibola County Sheriff Tony Mace showed up earlier to Saturday's buyback for two reasons. First, he said he wanted to turn over a handgun he didn’t want, and second, he wanted to see if the buyback was complying with the controversial Senate Bill 8, which made the private sale of guns without a background check illegal in New Mexico. “What makes this any different from the average law-abiding citizen that wants to get rid of used, unwanted weapons? Why does the law not apply to this group when it applies to a private citizen,” Mace told the Daily Lobo. Lt. Dennis Tafoya said Saturday's buyback did not constitute a private sale because the guns were not being bought by APD or by Crime Stoppers. He said guns were being turned over on a voluntary basis and were set to be destroyed,
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Buyback page 5
Lucas said she was uncertain. “So as of right now, we don’t need to elect new senators. There may be changes — I’ve heard that there are some that may not do it — but as of right now, we have enough seats,” Lucas said. When there are not enough seats, the open positions go to the runner-ups, and if there are not enough runner-ups, Lucas will have to appoint people to the positions at her discretion. Changes in the senate matter because what the senate chooses to focus on is critical in producing legislation that resolves issues raised in the last senate session. According to Lucas, this administration has been “encouraged to finish what was started” last year. Last term, legislation that would have effectively added 10 seats to expand representation in the senate failed to pass committee. Lucas said the goal of expanding representation of the undergraduate body is difficult because it depends on how senators choose to approach the issue. “We almost had too many ideas and we didn’t know what to do with them,” Lucas said. “We thought that maybe we could elect through the resource centers, but we saw problems with that. Then
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ASUNM page 5
By Colin Peña @penyacolin
The University of New Mexico project to install solar panels on the roof of the Student Union Building may have to change locations due to the roof of the SUB having more damage than previously thought. The Associated Students of UNM Senate began the process of requesting money from the state for the solar panels about two years ago. Matthew Muñoz Associate Director of Government Relations said his office helped ASUMN students work with the Legislature to begin this project. “Solar Panels on the SUB is a student-led initiative,” Muñoz said, adding that. “(The Students) have to figure out what they want to do, if it will be funded by the bond, they have to work with legislators to get the funding and they have to work when they get the money.” The money for the solar panels is laid out from Individual Capital Outlay funds from a set amount given to each state senator and representative for projects in their districts.
Muñoz said the Capital Outlay funds are normally supplied by severance tax bonds sold by the state. But bonds may not fund Capital Outlay this year due to a surplus of state General Fund money from oil and gas sales and gross receipts taxes. The $250,000 for solar panels is part of a total $8.7 million laid out for various UNM projects using Individual Capital Outlay funds during the 2019 legislative session. The Governor has line-item veto authority over capital outlay funds and vetoed around $750,000 set aside for UNM projects by the legislature. The installation of the solar panels will be a collaboration between ASUMN and UNM Facilities Management. Difficulties stemming from the condition of the roof of the SUB may make installation there more expensive and time-consuming, but the project is able to change locations. “We leave this language vague sometimes,” Muñoz said. “If we put in there that (the money) is specifically for the SUB, it ties it to the SUB.” If money specifically designated for the SUB were not used it
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Solar page 5
Vigil held to “close down the camps” By Alyssa Martinez @amart4447 Hundreds of New Mexicans from around the New Mexico gathered for a vigil outside of the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement building on Friday to demand lawmakers to “close the camps” under the nationwide Liberty of Lights movement. The vigil was organized by the Three Sisters Collective, a grassroots organization of indigenous women in Santa Fe, co-founded by University of New Mexico alumni Dr. Christina M. Castro. The event was co-organized by the New Mexico Dream Team, the Medicine Drum Circle, and Remembering Ancestors Inspiring Community Empowering Self, RAICES. Planned Parenthood and the New Mexico Immigration Law Center were among the groups in attendance. The evening began by calling upon ancestors for protection, followed by a blessing of all four cardinal directions. The prayer was led by Tonita Gonzales, a medicine woman of RAICES. Gonzales mentioned the native tale of the Eagle and the Condor, which prophesied that one day, the people of the North and South will be united again. “As I stand here in strength with all of my brothers and sisters, I also stand here in strength with my brothers and sisters in the South,” Gonzales said. “It was the border
Alyssa Martinez / @amart447 / Daily Lobo
A group of native healers, RAICES, offering a starting blessings at the Close the Camps vigilant, June 12.
that crossed us, we did not cross that border.” A representative for United States Congresswoman Deb Haaland delivered Haaland’s message that she stands with immigrants in New Mexico and is working to pass legislation to protect the immigration community. “She (Deb Haaland) has been very active with many of her colleagues trying to fight what is happening in congress through bills and resolutions,” said Brenda McKenna, Haaland's representative. “She took a stand for border communities and for families and voted against the supplemental funding bill with inadequate
protections for people.” Whether it was delivered in written word, poetry or song, the universal message among the speakers was resoundingly clear: the politicization of trauma is inhumane. Blanca, an organizer with the NM Dream Team, called to memorialize the transgender women who have died in ICE custody, Roxana Hernandez and Johana Medina and condemned Congress’ inaction. “I stand here today to demand Congress to defund ICE and CBP,” Blanca said. “It is up to us to stand up for the children and families whose lives are being held hostage
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Camps page 5
Inside this Issue
On the Daily Lobo website
NISOLI: First gentleman shares his five favorite presidents (page 2)
MALER: Soccer coach says goodbye
TANBERG: “My Body My Self” explores the human body (page 6)