01-09-13 PAPER

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Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY

Vol. 122, No. 8 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday

INSIDE NEWS

Slavery-era action figures tied to Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” are raising questions about whether they’re appropriate. A line of figures of the movie’s main characters are on sale online, manufactured by toy maker NECA in partnership with the Weinstein Co. Najee Ali, director of the advocacy group Project ... - PAGE B3

WEDNESDAY

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White House ramps up gun control talk

WASHINGTON (AP) — Less than a month after a horrific elementary school shooting, the White House is fighting to keep the momentum for new gun legislation amid signs it’s losing ground in Congress to other pressing issues.

SLAVERY-ERA TOYS SUBJECT OF PROTESTS

January 9, 2013

Vice President Joe Biden has invited the National Rifle Association and other gunowner groups for talks at the White House on Thursday. On Wednesday, the vice president will meet with victims’ organizations and representatives from the video game and entertainment industries. The administration’s goal is to forge consensus over proposals to curb gun violence.

President Barack Obama wants Biden to report back to him with policy proposals by the end of January. Obama has vowed to move swiftly on the recommendations, a package expected to include both legislative proposals and executive action. “He is mindful of the need to act,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Tuesday. But as the shock and sorrow over the Newtown, Conn., shooting fades, the tough fight facing the White House and gun-control backers is growing clearer. Gun-rights advocates, including the powerful NRA, are digging in against tighter legislation, conservative

groups are launching progun initiatives and the Senate’s top Republican has warned it could be spring before Capitol Hill begins considering any gun legislation. “The biggest problem we have at the moment is spending and debt,” Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on Sunday. “That’s going to dominate the Congress between now and the end of March. None of these issues will have the kind of priority as spending and debt over the next two or three months.” Tuesday marked the second anniversary of the TucSee GUNS, Page A3

AP Photo

President Barack Obama stands with Vice President Joe Biden as he makes a statement in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, Dec. 19.

Water feud goes to the Supreme Court

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INSIDE SPORTS

Mark Wilson Photo

21 Days of Prayer and Fasting kicks off Worshipers pray during the 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting at the Civic Center, Tuesday evening.

CHAUNTE’L POWELL RECORD STAFF WRITER

JOHNSON WINS PGA OPENER

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Dustin Johnson ended a windy week with a wild ride Tuesday that carried him to the first win of the PGA Tour season. Despite hitting two drives into native areas that cost him three shots, Johnson never lost the lead at Kapalua. He closed with .... - PAGE B1

TODAY’S • • • • • • •

OBITUARIES

Charlotte Price Robert Scribner Sr. Helen Dobbs Vida Lou Southern Diana Madril-Mendoza Lula Madsen Kimberly Hobbs Niece - PAGE A7

HIGH ...43˚ LOW ....26˚

TODAY’S FORECAST

Mackey Ventures and Put God First Ministries Inc. hosted a kick-off for the second annual 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting

event Tuesday at the Roswell Civic Center. The event featured elected of ficials such as State Rep. Nora Espinoza and Sen. Cliff Pirtle, as well as local area pastors such as Richard Gorham of

Ware Taber nacle Baptist Church. The aforementioned special guest along with Mary Wooton, and Fire Chief Chad See PRAYER, Page A3

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Texas officials asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to force New Mexico to abide by an agreement about sharing water from the Rio Grande. But New Mexico officials said the move is “tantamount to extortion.” The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said the litigation was filed after negotiations with New Mexico were unsuccessful. The agency says New Mexico is violating the 1938 Rio Grande Compact that governs how water is shared by Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. But New Mexico Attorney General Gary King said a 2008 agreement between two water districts unfavorably changed the allocation of water to his state. King said Texas is trying to force New Mexico to abide by an unfair agreement and called the lawsuit “tantamount to extortion.” Texas accuses New Mexico of allowing illegal diversions of surface and underground water of the Rio Grande near the Texas-New Mexico border. Texas officials say those diversions take away water from farmers and resSee WATER, Page A3

New Mexico groups urge Officials: US might leave no troops Pearce to support VAWA in Afghanistan after Dec. 2014

ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — A coalition of women launched a petition drive Tuesday to pressure the sole Republican member of New Mexico’s congressional delegation to support proposed expanded protections under the Violence Against Women Act.

Both the House and Senate passed their own versions to extend and expand the act during the last session, but partisan wrangling and questions about the constitutionality of some provisions stalled any compromises on the reauthorization effort.

session is barely under way, advocates are beginning their push in New Mexico and they’re targeting U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce. The Republican, who represents southern New Mexico’s 2nd District, supported the House bill when it came up for a vote more than seven months ago, but he did not support the Senate version. “It’s unacceptable that Senate leadership chose to play politics with women’s lives and safety for that entire time, rather than reauthorize this important See PEARCE, Page A3

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration gave the first explicit signal Tuesday that it might leave no troops in Afghanistan after December 2014, an option that defies the Pentagon’s view that thousands of troops may be needed to keep a lid on alQaida and to strengthen Afghan forces.

“The U.S. does not have an inherent objective of ‘X’ AP Photo number of troops in Afghanistan,” said Ben Feet are seen passing through the tarp-covered walkway, Rhodes, a White House deputy national security for security, to the Blair House in Washington, Tuesday, as the Afghan delegation headed by the Afghan President See TROOPS, Page A3 Hamid Karzai arrives.

Gray sets focus on retirement funds, balancing state budget Even though the new

ILISSA GILMORE RECORD STAFF WRITER

CLASSIFIEDS..........B6 COMICS.................B4 FINANCIAL .............B3 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8

INDEX

William Gray

Courtesy Photo

Like other legislators, Rep. William “Bill” Gray, R-Artesia, is busy preparing for the state’s 60-day 2013 legislative session, which begins next week. “Sixty days in Santa Fe is a long time,” he said. However, he also said it may not be long enough to do all that the Legislature needs to. One particular issue that warrants more time and attention, he said, is figuring out how to make retirement

funds solvent for the years ahead. When people retire, he said, they are supposed to be provided a certain amount of money; however, not enough money is coming in to take care of liabilities and obligations for both retirees and those who will retire. “That’s going to take a lot of time, to study this,” he said. “With all the other bills, we have to give the proper attention it needs to solve this problem.” Another issue is balancing the state budget and, as a

member of the House of Representatives’ Appropriations and Finance committee, it will be his main priority. The committee will hear requests for funding from several of the state’s departments to determine how much they should receive. “When it’s all said it done, we have to balance the budget,” Gray said. “It’s the state law.” It’s estimated that the state budget will be as much as $6 billion this year, he said. The state’s fiscal year starts July 1.

Gray is also a member of the House’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee and said he will continue to protect the state’s oil and gas industry. Another concern Gray has is for the public education system. Nationally, he said the state ranks near the bottom and has a high dropout rate. In an effort to reverse this, he will support a bill to provide more literacy education for children before kindergarten and through third grade. igilmore@rdrnews.com


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