Roswell Daily Record
Jennings sponsors 4 health bills
Vol. 120, No. 42 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
MATTHEW ARCO RECORD STAFF WRITER
RPD TESTS RECRUITS
Roswell Police Department held preliminary physical and written tests for new applicants, Thursday. The 15 applicants ranged from ages 20 to 54. Most were local, but two came to Roswell from California. The first test, stretch and reach, is deceptively simple: Touch one’s toes with legs straight while .... - PAGE A2
A state Senate lawmaker is pushing to help expand clinical cancer treatments in rural parts of New Mexico and level the playing field with certain out of pocket expenses for cancer patients, in multiple pieces of legislation recently introduced. Senate President Pro Tem Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, is sponsoring four bills
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
February 18, 2011
FRIDAY
www.rdrnews.com
which center on health care in the state. The upper house’s top lawmaker says the bills come after years of crafting legislation aimed at improving rules dealing with health care and working with the New Mexico Medical Society. Three of the bills deal with cancer and treatments of the disease. The lawmaker introduced SB282, which he says would make rural hospitals and cancer care facilities in
Another piece of legislation, SB385, would require insurance companies to cover the cost of orally-administered cancer treatments.
as a barrier. The bill would provide for a physicians’ $1,000 tax credit for every patient who participates in a cancer clinical trial. “This gives the local physician a little help in going the extra mile to keep those records,” he said,
the state more apt to provide clinical trials in cancer treatments. Jennings says physicians’ requirement to complete paperwork and documentation that goes along with providing patients with new treatments acts
adding that larger facilities like the University of New Mexico Hospital have teams of people who can do the necessary paperwork required with clinical trials. “This gives a doctor who is not in Albuquerque or in a major teaching hospital the opportunity to try to use those drugs and then would help compensate them,” he said. Jennings said he is
Dems kill voter ID
‘This is much better than snow!’
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INSIDE SPORTS Mark Wilson Photo
Belle, a 1-year-old golden retriever, splashes in the waters of Lake Van in Dexter, Thursday morning, while playing fetch with her master, Glee Swarengin, who was taking her lunch break.
See JENNINGS, Page A3
SANTA FE (AP) — A proposal to require voters to show identification at the polls in New Mexico was derailed Thursday as the measure ran into a wall of opposition from Democrats on a House committee. The Voters and Elections Committee voted 7-6 along party lines to table the voter identification measure by Rep. Dianne Hamilton, a Silver City Republican. The vote will keep the measure bottled up in the committee, likely dooming it for the session. Voter identification measures have failed repeatedly in the past in the Democratic-controlled Legislature. But Republicans picked up seats in the House in last year’s elections and narrowed the Democratic majority to 36-33 and one independent who had been a conservative Democrat until last month. Hamilton and other Republicans said requiring voters to show photo identification will provide more integrity in state elections. Opponents said an identification
Martinez targets ENMU-R energy program social promotion helps lower utility costs NFL, NFLPA AGREE TO MEDIATION
NEW YORK (AP) — Two weeks before a potential lockout, the NFL and its players’ union are asking for help in their stalled negotiations. Both sides agreed Thursday to mediation as they discuss a new collective bargaining agreement. The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, an independent U.S. government agency, will oversee talks in Washington beginning today. After holding separate discussions with representatives from the league and the union, FMCS director George H. Cohen ... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
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INDEX
SANTA FE (AP) — Republican Gov. Susana Martinez and a bipartisan group of lawmakers want to stop promoting public school students to the next grade if they lack required basic skills. Martinez joined Republican and Democratic lawmakers at a news conference on Thursday in support of legislation to halt the practice of “social promotion.” A House committee has approved two bills that would stop third-graders from moving to the fourth grade if they aren’t profi-
cient in reading. Currently, a parent can overrule a school that wants to retain a student rather than promoting them to the next grade. However, that would end under the proposed legislation. Martinez and legislative supporters say it’s critical for students to be able to read by the third grade. “It puts our kids at a great disadvantage,” said Martinez. “Students who can’t read in the early grades have a difficult time
See VOTER, Page A3
JONATHAN ENTZMINGER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Easter n New Mexico University-Roswell’s Center for Workforce and Community Development, is hoping to lower the cost of energy for 800 low-income family homes in the Roswell area through its Energy Efficiency Assistance program. The project is funded by a $200,000 grant from the New Mexico Environment DepartSee ENERGY, Page A3
Jonathan Entzminger Photo
From left, Walt Davenport, Maria Ceballos, Joshua Day and Terry Maes take a break from working on homes, Thursday.
Senators tackle entitlements Animal Control does WASHINGTON (AP) — Is anyone going to fix Social Security? Medicare? Medicaid? Before they overwhelm the federal government? While President Barack Obama and congressional leaders offer vague assurances, six senators — three Republicans and three Democrats whose ideologies cover the liberal-conservative spectrum — are quietly taking up the baton. Those with bigger titles, including the president, are watching, ready to join the discussion if this Gang of Six doesn’t trip on the opening lap. Obama did little to address entitlement programs in the 10-year budget he unveiled Monday, and House Republicans aren’t touching them as they debate how much and where to cut
See MARTINEZ, Page A3
other, mainly non-benefit programs for the next seven months. For now, much of the debate on Capitol Hill is
ing by 2035, when baby boomers will be at least 70, according to the president’s budget proposal. Social Security and
over a relatively small slice of the federal budget, a category known as non-security discretionary spending. The category includes many important programs, but accounts for just 12 percent of the budget. By comparison, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid will make up more than 40 percent of federal spending next year. If left unchecked, these three programs will grow to more than 60 percent of federal spend-
Medicare already collect less in payroll taxes than they pay out in benefits, though Social Security has a sizeable trust fund from previous surpluses. Medicare’s finances are far more precarious, and if Congress doesn’t act, both programs will eventually be overwhelmed by the millions of baby boomers reaching retirement age. Medicare faces the additional problem of rising health care costs,
Their work has sparked opposition from liberal groups concerned about benefit programs and conservatives opposed to tax increases.
See SENATORS, Page A3
more than catch dogs
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Few people think of Animal Control as a branch of law enforcement, but it is. It enforces city ordinances which pertain to animals, just as Codes Enforcement enforces city building codes. Animal Control also receives requests for assistance from the Roswell Police Department during searches, and when the RPD issues arrest warrants. “Usually, what they want us to do is restrain the animals while they go in to get pictures or whatever they need to do,” said Animal Control supervisor Joseph Pacheco. “It’s not just the police,” said David Jones, Animal Control of ficer. “We do medical assists and help
other emergency services anytime there’s an animal on the premises.” They may also be called in during fires, traf fic stops, after traffic accidents or during DWIs. One of the most recent incidents was following the report of elder abuse, on Feb. 4 after police were called to Eastern New Mexico Medical Center to take the report from hospital personnel. RPD then went to the woman’s home for a welfare check. Pacheco went along. “The son signed the dog over to us.” He said that Animal Control is called to many unattended deaths. Then animal control officers pick up the pet and keep it until family members can claim it. See DOGS, Page A3