Roswell Daily Record
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Senate passes historic immigration bill
Vol. 122, No. 154 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
June 28, 2013
FRIDAY
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WASHINGTON (AP) — With a solemnity reserved for momentous occasions, the Senate passed historic legislation Thursday offering the priceless hope of citizenship to millions of immigrants living illegally in America’s shadows. The bill also promises a military-style effort to secure the long-porous border with Mexico. The bipartisan vote was 68-32 on a measure that sits atop President Barack Obama’s second-term domestic agenda. Even so, the bill’s prospects are highly uncertain in the Republican-controlled House, where conservatives generally oppose citizenship for immigrants living in the country unlawfully. Spectators in galleries that overlook the Senate floor See BILL, Page A3
STUDENT LOAN RATES TO DOUBLE WASHINGTON (AP) — Student loan rates will double Monday — at least for a while — after a compromise to keep student loan interest rates low proved unwinnable before the July 1 deadline, senators said ... - PAGE A7
AP Photo
RIGHT:Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., two of the authors of the immigration reform bill crafted by the Senate's bipartisan "Gang of Eight," shake hands on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday.
MAW to send local girl to Disney World AMY VOGELSANG RECORD STAFF WRITER
Every child has a wish. Some wish to go to the moon, some hope for a baseball glove and some may ask consistently for a puppy. As children grow up their wishes change or disappear all together, growing into aspirations and goals and achievements: not just obscure wishes, but finite realities.
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INDEX
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LEFT: Neveah Fuentez, 8, enjoys her Make a Wish lunch at Cattle Baron with her mother, Christina Fuentez, and the rest of her family, Thursday. Neveah's wish is to go to Disneyland.
But some children do not have the luxury of seeing their wishes grow to fruition, and that’s where Make-A-Wish America steps in to expedite matters for children who don’t have the time to wait for their dreams to become realities. At 8 years old, Neveah Fuentez is one child who will get to see her wish come true through Make-AWish: her and her family are going to Disney World. After hearing about Make-A-Wish from many people, Fuentez’s mom, Christina Fuentez, knew she had to get in touch with someone from the program. She found Joe Var-
Tips on how to NM high court asked to legalize gay marriage beat the heat It’s summertime and the weather is sweltering. It may be a good excuse to indulge in an ice cream cone or take a run through a sprinkler, but the heat also can be harmful. “Excessive heat can be deadly; it has caused more deaths in recent years than all other weather events,” said Rahim Balsara, CEO of the American Red Cross in New Mexico, in a statement. “We want everyone to stay safe during the hot weather and have some reminders for them to follow when the weather is hot and humid.” Therefore, the American Red Cross has issued a few tips to keep in mind during these summer months. Perhaps the most important of all, the organization advises, is to never leave children or pets in a car, as the inside temperature can reach 120 degrees. The organization also suggests staying hydrated, wearing loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing, avoiding strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day and taking frequent breaks when
SANTA FE (AP) — New Mexico’s highest court was asked Thursday by a same-sex couple in Santa Fe to decide whether gay marriage is legal in the state. If the court decides the case, it could resolve a politically difficult issue that has stalled in the Legislature. A proposed constitutional amendment to legalize gay marriage died in the Democratic-controlled Legislature earlier this year. Lawmakers in the past also have rejected proposals to allow domestic partnerships that would give same-sex couples many of the legal protections and benefits of married couples. Lawyers for two Santa Fe men, Alexander Hanna and Yon Hudson, asked the Supreme Court to order the Santa Fe County clerk to issue them a marriage license. The court didn’t immediately decide whether it will consider the case. The couple had filed a lawsuit in district court earlier this month after being denied a marriage license. One of their attorneys, state Rep. Brian Egolf, of Santa Fe, said the case was being
See WISH, Page A3
withdrawn from the district court and shifted to the Supreme Court to try to get a speedy decision on the same-sex marriage issue. Egolf said his clients don’t want to wait years for the case to go through the state or federal court systems. “We’re trying to find them the quickest way to get them a marriage license,” said Egolf, who sponsored the gay marriage constitutional amendment in this year’s legislative session. The lawsuit contends that denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples violates the New Mexico Constitution, including its Equal Rights Amendment prohibiting gender-based discrimination and provisions that guarantee due process and equal protection under the law. Egolf said the case is based on state — not federal — constitutional rights. New Mexico adopted its Equal Rights Amendment in 1976, and there is no similar provision in the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit said New Mexico’s Equal Rights
Job Corps updates leaders on programs See TIPS, Page A3
See COURT, Page A3
JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Guest speaker state Representative Nora Espinoza delivered a passionate and inspiring message about current educational challenges Wednesday to attendees of the quarterly Community Relations Council of the Roswell Job Corps Center. “Every child, no matter what their background, no matter where they come from, has the ability to learn, to achieve and to be great leaders in our society,” Espinoza told students, Job Corps instructors and many community leaders in the audience. “It is about time that we, as educators, embrace this philosophy. I know this is a strong message, but it is very dear to my heart.” The Republican representative from Roswell, a 23-year, private school educator, said she felt the state had adopted an attitude that discouraged minorities, low-income or children from broken families from excelling in education. “That is absolutely wrong,” Espinoza said. “It is a message everywhere I go. You are saying that because I am Hispanic and financially low-income, that my children cannot learn. I am saying to you, yes you can. That this message has to stop.” Espinoza, who said she learned to speak English in school, encouraged the students to make good choices and accomplish goals to succeed in life. “It’s important to keep pushing ourselves as individuals,” she said. “Stop making your ethnic background your crutch. If you quit, you have no one else to blame.” See UPDATES, Page A3
Jill McLaughlin Photo
State Representative Nora Espinoza, Rep.-Dist 59, delivered an inspiring speech about education at the quarterly Community Relations Council at the Roswell Job Corps Center Wednesday.