Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 122, No. 145 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
PENTAGON PLANS MORE COMBAT JOBS FOR WOMEN
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
June 18, 2013
TUESDAY
www.rdrnews.com
Health insurance for state workers on the rise
SANTA FE (AP) — More than 30,000 state and local government workers face a 15 percent increase for their health care insurance starting next month, but it could be only the beginning of higher costs as New Mexico’s self-insurance program digs out of a financial hole. There have been no premium increases for workers for the past five years as government struggled with tight budgets. But the fund covering health benefits
was projected to be almost $70 million in the red next year if the state did nothing to the insurance program to deal with rising health care costs. “That’s why we had to make these drastic changes to stay solvent,” said A. J. Forte, director of the Risk Management Division, which serves as the state’s insurance company for health care, unemployment compensation for government workers and for liability claims.
Standing tall together
To help stop the financial bleeding, premiums are increasing for workers and governmental employers. Health care plans were revamped to require employees to pay more for medical services. Deductibles more than doubled for some plans, and co-pays increased. But Forte said another round of premium increases is needed to rebuild cash reserves, which help pay for the insurance program when — like this year —
revenues from premiums are projected to fall short of covering expenses of about $340 million. He’s proposed an additional 15 percent premium increase in the fiscal year starting in July 2014, but top officials in Gov. Susana Martinez’s administration haven’t decided whether to endorse the proposal and include the higher costs in agency budgets that will be recommended to the Legislature next year. “Anything less will end
WASHINGTON (AP) — Women may be able to start training as Army Rangers by mid-2015 and as Navy SEALs a year later under plans set to be announced by the Pentagon that would slowly bring women... - PAGE B3
WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• HS director Burnett... • Local kids perform Jack and the Beanstalk •.IGA’s Fourth Annual Salute to First... • CCRW sponsoring... • Kohout, Invaders down Raton
SPORTS
Mark Wilson Photo
Tony Teague, of Albuquerque, center, first place in the 100 meters, shares the medal stand with second-place finisher Kevin Ferraro, of Deming, right, and third-place finisher Lupe Naceanceno, of Texico during the Senior Olympics at the Wool Bowl, Saturday morning.
MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Heat weren’t supposed to be in this situation. Not now, anyway. Coming home from Texas with their season on the line in 2011 was one thing. They were at the end of their first year together — LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh... - PAGE B1
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Harkness entered his guilty plea without a plea agreement. Harkness was arrested on March 13, on a criminal complaint charging him with unlawful possession of firearms and possession of a stolen firearm.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred on Jan. 13 when officers from the Roswell Police Department responded to a domestic violence call.
His wife reported that Harkness hit her and pointed a firearm at her. When officers executed a search warrant at the Harkness residence, they found two loaded pistols and ammunition.
OBITUARIES
According to the criminal complaint, Harkness was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he had prior convictions for residential burglary and tampering with evidence in October 2001 and battery against a household member in October 2003.
Joseph Mitchell Jr. Julian Sabedra David Roe Manuel Marquez - PAGE B3
Harkness now faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. He remains in custody pending his sentencing hearing.
TODAY’S
HIGH...100˚ LOW ....70˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B6 COMICS.................B4 FINANCIAL .............B5 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 NATION .................B3 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
INDEX
Storms cause loss of power
See INCREASE, Page A3
In the past few weeks, Chaves County and Roswell have seen strange things falling from the sky — not aliens or their ships, but water that some might recall as rain. Sunday night’s storm left 1,300 homes temporarily without power. According to Wes Reeves of Xcel Energy, 921 people lost electricity in Roswell and Dexter around 9 p.m. in what he referred to as a flicker. The remaining 300 homes, primarily from the far eastern portion of town, had prolonged power outages of an hour or more.
Roswell man pleads Iran president’s ‘path of guilty to unlawful moderation’ shows limits firearm possession A Roswell man, Harley Harkness, 40, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Las Cruces federal court to being a felon in possession of firearms.
HEAT LOSING FIRE
The state group health plan covers more than 70,000 people — state and local workers and their dependents. Public school employees aren’t part of the plan, but some universities,
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
TOP 5
INSIDE
up flirting with insolvency,” said Forte, pointing out that inflation for medical services and prescription drugs adds about $30 million a year to the insurance program’s costs.
During the hearing Wednesday, Harkness pleaded guilty to the charges of felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that he unlawfully possessed two pistols.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s newly elected president showcased his refor m-leaning image Monday by promising a “path of moderation” that includes greater openness on Tehran’s nuclear program and overtures to Washington. He also made clear where he draws the line: No halt to uranium enrichment and no direct U.S. dialogue without a pledge to stay out of Iranian affairs. Hasan Rowhani’s first post-victory news conference was a study in what may make his presidency tick. Rowhani may be hailed as a force for change, but he also appears to carry a deep and self-protective streak of pragmatism. He knows he can only push his views on outreach and detente as far as allowed by the country’s real powers, the ruling
clerics and their military protectors, the Revolutionary Guard. Many of Rowhani’s statements reflected these boundaries, which could later expand or contract depending on how much the theocracy wants to endorse his agenda. When he appealed to treat “old wounds” with the U.S., he also echoed the ruling clerics’ position that no breakthroughs can occur as long as Washington is seen as trying to undermine their hold on power. Rowhani’s urging for greater “nuclear transparency” as a path to roll back sanctions was also punctuated by a hard-liner stance: No chance to stop the uranium enrichment labs at the heart of the stalemate with the West and its allies. Rowhani spoke eloquently about a “new era”
See STORMS, Page A3
on the international stage but avoided direct mention of the sweeping crackdowns at home since the disputed reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009.
At the end of the news conference, a spectator — whose identity was not immediately known — yelled out for the release of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who has been under house arrest for more than two years. Rowhani smiled but made no comment.
“You can make any kind of promises you want,” said Merhzad Boroujerdi, director of the Middle East Studies program at Syracuse University. “At the end of the day, it’s the ruling clerics that decide whether they
See IRAN, Page A3
Immigration splits GOP’s national, House interests
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican Party’s hope of running stronger presidential races by revamping immigration is about to hit a big hurdle: House Republicans. Many House Republicans are chilly or openly hostile to the bipartisan bill before the Senate, embraced by President Barack Obama. Even substantial changes to the bill may do little to placate these lawmakers, who demand strict crackdowns on unlawful border crossings and no “amnesty” for people here illegally. These Republicans don’t deny that weak support from Hispanic voters is hurting GOP presidential nominees. And they concede the problem may
worsen if Latinos think Republicans are blocking “immigration reform.” These House members, however, worry much more about their own constituents’ opposition to the proposed changes. And they fear a challenge in the next Republican primary if they ignore those concerns. “It’s hard to argue with the polling they’ve been getting from the national level,” said Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Texas, referring to signs of serious problems for Republican presidential candidates if immigration laws aren’t rewritten. “I just don’t experience it locally.” The proposed immigration overhaul “is very unpopular in my district,”
said Marchant, who represents suburbs west of Dallas. “The Republican primary voters, they’re being pretty vocal with me on this subject.” Besides, he said, “if you give the legal right to vote to 10 Hispanics in my district, seven to eight of them are going to vote Democrat.” Many colleagues concur. “My district is not in favor of creating a system where people who committed a crime can jump in front of those who have tried to come here based on the law,” said Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., describing what he fears the Senate will pass. The Senate bill provides See GOP, Page A3
AP Photo
Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Texas, speaks on Capitol Hill May 17. Republicans hope an overhaul of immigration laws will help the party run stronger presidential races. But that goal is about to hit big hurdles in the form of House Republicans.