By Rob Nikolewski │ New Mexico Watchdog
SANTA FE — A teacher evaluation plan promoted by Gov. Susana Martinez has sparked protests from some educators and unions accusing Martinez and the Public Education Department of being anti-teacher but Martinez defended her reform measures, telling New Mexico Watchdog, “I’m so pro-teacher it’s not even funny.”
The Republican governor [...]

By Rob Nikolewski │ New Mexico Watchdog
ALBUQUERQUE – Maybe Winston Brooks should just stay away from Twitter altogether.
The superintendent of the largest school district in New Mexico may have had his share of clashes with the state’s Republican Gov. Susana Martinez and her administration’s education chief in the past but on Tuesday he really stepped [...]

By Rob Nikolewski │ New Mexico Watchdog
SANTA FE — In a wide-ranging case where allegations of $36 million of alleged fraud have been leveled against 15 New Mexico behavioral health providers, the state’s Human Services Department reauthorized Medicaid funding to two organizations on Monday — but only after they agreed to pay a combined $4.24 [...]

By Rob Nikolewski │ New Mexico Watchdog
SANTA FE — At least 63,900 people in New Mexico have been notified they’re going to have to change their individual health care policies — some must do it within a matter of months while others can wait until end of next year — according to a review by [...]

By Rob Nikolewski │ New Mexico Watchdog
SANTA FE – And now there are four.
Businessman, editor and writer Alan Webber became the fourth Democrat to enter the race to challenge Republican Gov. Susana Martinez on Monday, announcing his candidacy while making media appearances in Santa Fe and Albuquerque.
“I consider myself a pro-business, progressive Democrat,” Webber, 65, [...]

By Rob Nikolewski │ New Mexico Watchdog
SANTA FE – Eight attempts, eight incompletions.
That’s not a statistical line for a struggling quarterback but rather the number of times New Mexico Watchdog has tried without success to log onto healthcare.gov since the Affordable Care Act was rolled out Oct. 1.
Sunday night and Monday morning, NM Watchdog tried [...]

By Rob Nikolewski │ New Mexico Watchdog
SANTA FE — The federal government is expected to pick up tab to repair road damage sustained during last month’s record rainfall.
The head of the New Mexico Department of Transportation told New Mexico Watchdog he expects the federal government to pay the $20-million repair bill.
“At this time we [...]

By Rob Nikolewski │ New Mexico Watchdog
SANTA FE — People getting unemployment benefits in New Mexico stay on unemployment longer than residents of other states, despite national numbers showing New Mexico’s rate at less than the national average.
New Mexico Watchdog looked into U.S. Department of Labor statistics that show New Mexico finishing 51st in the [...]

By Rob Nikolewski │ New Mexico Watchdog
SANTA FE – The troubled $48 million computer program handling New Mexico’s unemployment taxes and claims has dramatically improved, the secretary of the state’s Department of Workforce Solutions said Wednesday.
But at least one state senator is skeptical.
DWS Secretary Celina Bussey said average telephone wait times on Mondays — typically [...]

By Rob Nikolewski │ New Mexico Watchdog
ALBUQUERQUE — Sometimes justice is delayed; sometimes justice is denied. And sometimes, as in the case of former New Mexico state Rep. Vincent “Smiley” Gallegos, justice never seems to even get out of bed in the morning.
On Monday, a district court judge ordered yet another delay in the criminal [...]