Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
All 5 constitutional amendments ratified Vol. 123, No. 267 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER
New Mexico voters on Tuesday approved all five constitutional amendments presented to them on general election ballots, as proposed piecemeal changes to the state constitution continue to sail to success with voters. Four of this year’s proposed constitutional amendments passed easily statewide, with the fifth one receiving 52.7 support
November 6, 2014
THURSDAY
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statewide. Chaves County voters were more discerning, voting in favor of four proconstitutional posed amendments, while voting against the fifth one, which passed statewide. In the 2012 general election, New Mexico voters ratified all seven of the proposed constitutional amendments on general election ballots. State lawmakers may place constitutional amendments on ballots if
the proposed amendments obtain a majority of votes of all members of both the New Mexico Senate and House of Representatives. A simple majority vote of the statewide electorate is required to ratify a proposed constitutional amendment. The constitutional amendment process does not involve the governor’s office, causing some to criticize it as a lawmaking method that circumvents the state’s chief executive.
Amendment 1
Constitutional Amendment 1 asked voters if the state constitution should be revised to provide that school elections could be held at different times from partisan elections, such as during partisan primaries and general elections. The amendment allows school elections to be held at the same time as nonpartisan elections, such as during municipal elections, bond elections, conservancy district elections and
Dancing little stars
other special district elections. Statewide, 253,549 voters, or 57.6 percent, cast ballots in favor of the amendment, according to final results tabulated by the Secretary of State office. In Chaves County, 6,502 voters, or 57.5 percent, were in favor of the proconstitutional posed amendment. The state Senate voted 40-0 on a resolution to place the amendment on
this year’s general election ballots. The state House of Representatives voted 50-7 in favor of the resolution. Local officials said the amendment’s ratification would not impact school elections scheduled for Feb. 3. “It wouldn’t apply to this election in February, as far as I know, because the election timeline has already been put in place
BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
not increase property taxes for homeowners, but it will extend the ter m of the bonds. “We want to thank the voters statewide and especially the voters in Chaves County for their support in this election,” said Betty Patton, president of the ENMU-Roswell Foundation. “These bond funds will help us address some critical needs associated with aging buildings. We are committed to maintaining our facilities for the comfort and safety of our students,
County, state voters support all bond issues About $169 million in funding for senior citizen facilities, state public libraries and colleges and universities was approved by New Mexican voters during Tuesday’s general election. State bond questions A, B and C asked voters to renew a series of general obligation bonds included in the state debt service rate currently set at $1.36 per $1,000 in net taxable value of a home. Approval of the bond questions did
See AMENDMENTS, Page A3
County voter turnout down to 38 percent BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Max Scally Photos
Rehearsals were held all day Wednesday at Pueblo Auditorium in the school district’s administration building for “Broadway Bound,” which will feature Broadway-style dance performances by students from Pecos Elementary School. The free performances will be held today at 1 and 6 p.m. The National Dance Institute of New Mexico traveled from Santa Fe to teach the students their dance routines.
More than 3,000 fewer Chaves County residents voted in this year’s general election, compared to the last presidential midterm election in 2010. Voter turnout in Chaves County for this year’s general election was 38 percent, according to figures published Wednesday by the Secretary of State office. Of the county’s 34,493 total registered voters, 13,108 cast ballots in this year’s general election,
See BONDS, Page A3
amounting to a 38 percent voter turnout rate, according to the SOS office. In the 2010 general election, a total of 16,138 voters in Chaves County cast ballots. Lower turnout for Tuesday’s election seemed inevitable after early voting totals showed a 16.8 percent drop from the number of Chaves County residents who voted early in the 2010 general election. Statewide, 512,157 of the state’s 1,287,237 registered voters cast ballots in this
Virgin Galactic looks Car contestants nowhere near throwing in the towel to resume tests in 2015
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — The space tourism company that suffered a tragic setback when its experimental rocket-powered spaceship broke apart over the California desert could resume test flights as early as next summer if it can finish building a replacement craft, its CEO said Wednesday. The sleek composite shell and tail section of the new craft are sitting inside the company’s manufacturing facility in Mojave, California. After more than two years of work, it’s beginning to look like a spaceship, but Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides said there’s much more to be done, from relatively simple things such as installing windows to the more complex fitting of flight controls and other wiring.
The ship — dubbed SpaceShipTwo Serial No. 2 — will replace one that was destroyed last week after its feathering system that controls descent deployed prematurely and aerodynamic forces ripped it apart, killing the co-pilot and seriously injuring the pilot. In the wake of the accident, workers have focused on building the new ship. “That’s provided some solace to all of us, and I think there’s sort of a therapeutic benefit to folks to be able to put their energies into constructive work,” Whitesides told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. He said the company will be able to continue flying its mother ship — the much larger jet-powered See SPACE, Page A2
HIGH 65 LOW 37
TODAY’S FORECAST
BY DENISE MARQUEZ NEWS-SUN
HOBBS — A 2015 Dodge Dart that sits in the Tate Branch Dodge showroom has become the home of Barbara Whitehead and Randy Willig, along with piles of food wrappers and empty drink bottles. As of Tuesday, Whitehead, 25, of Hobbs, and Willig, 55, of Dexter, entered their 12th day of a car giveaway competition hosted by the car dealership which has stores throughout southeastern New Mexico. The two contestants said they are nowhere near throwing in the towel and calling it quits. “We’re going to hang in there and see who messes up first,” Willig said. “Or until they say we’re going to give you both a car.” Since 3:05 p.m. Oct. 24, the two have been contestants in the competition
Todd Bailey/News-Sun Photo
A 2015 Dodge Dart that sits in the Tate Branch Dodge showroom has become the home of Barbara Whitehead, 25, of Hobbs and Randy Willig, 55, of Dexter, entered their 12th day of a car giveaway competition hosted by Tate Branch Dodge in Hobbs. The two have been living in the car since Oct. 24.
where they have to stay in the 2015 Dodge Dart for at least five days. They get 10-minute breaks every three hours. The competition started with 25 people competing in a scavenger hunt at the Hobbs Tate Branch loca-
• EILEEN O’BRIEN • TOMMY E. DOW • HANS JACOB GOTTLIEB
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A6
tion. The five people who finished the hunt first were then put in a car. The last one sitting in the car will drive away in the 2015 Dodge Dart. Whitehead and Willig are the two remaining contestants since Oct. 25.
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B5 COMICS .................B4 ENTERTAINMENT .....A8 FINANCIAL ..............B3
See TURNOUT, Page A3
Though Whitehead and Willig have their game faces on, Tate Branch Dodge staff are challenging the competitors and constantly changing the rules of the game. “They took away our phones,” Whitehead said. “They just started the notalking rule (Tuesday).” After 1 p.m., the contestants’ phones are taken from them, no visitors are allowed after 7 p.m. and the contestants cannot talk to anyone while they are sitting inside of the car. Each were given notepads to write down what they had to say to each other or passersby. Whitehead said she fights off the boredom by doodling and said her game plan to win the competition is to stay relaxed. “I just have to relax,” she said. “I think if you start taking it like a competition
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2
See CAR, Page A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8