mark gordon
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New Mexico governor could seek billions after DEA let fentanyl hit streets | OUT WEST ROUNDUP
NEW MEXICO Governor rips DEA policy ALBUQUERQUE — New Mexico’s governor said on June 29 that state officials could pursue billions of dollars in civil damages after revelations that U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents repeatedly allowed shipments of fentanyl to flow into drug-plagued communities as investigators sought to build bigger cases. Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan…
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Wyoming governor sues state board, asks court to enforce property tax cap | OUT WEST ROUNDUP
WYOMING Governor sues over property tax cap Gov. Mark Gordon filed a lawsuit on June 16 to force the State Board of Equalization to certify residential property tax values after the panel concluded it could not do so due to disparities created by a 2024 tax cap. Gordon’s decision effectively means he’s directed an attorney…
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Tribes sue to halt exploratory drilling in Black Hills near sacred ceremonial site | OUT WEST ROUNDUP
SOUTH DAKOTA Tribes sue to halt drilling SIOUX FALLS — Nine Native American tribes in South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska are suing the federal government in a bid to stop exploratory drilling for graphite near a sacred site in the Black Hills. A small group of opponents has been demonstrating at the drilling location…
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Wyoming judge blocks law that bans all but earliest abortions | OUT WEST ROUNDUP
WYOMING Judge blocks broad abortion ban A Wyoming judge has blocked a new state law that bans abortions beyond the earliest stages of pregnancy while a lawsuit challenging the provision moves ahead. It’s the first court ruling affecting the legal status of abortion in Wyoming since the state Supreme Court struck down sweeping abortion and…
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Governor OK’s funding for summer food assistance for Wyoming kids | OUT WEST ROUNDUP
WYOMING Governor funds kids’ summer meals Gov. Mark Gordon secured funding for a summer food assistance program for kids and directed its implementation through an executive order. After the Wyoming legislature declined to fund the SUN Bucks program—designed to provide summer food assistance to roughly 32,000 children—the governor said he has found funding to keep…
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Unsalaried legislature in New Mexico asks voters to reconsider volunteer status | OUT WEST ROUNDUP
NEW MEXICO Voters to decide on paying legislators SANTA FE — Members of the nation’s only unsalaried legislature are asking voters to reconsider their volunteer status that has endured for 114 years since statehood in New Mexico. The state Senate on Feb. 17 narrowly endorsed a constitutional amendment that would do away with the state’s…
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New jaguar spotted in Arizona points to progress in endangered species’ recovery | OUT WEST ROUNDUP
ARIZONA New jaguar spotted in wild The spots gave it away. Just like a human fingerprint, the rosette pattern on each jaguar is unique so researchers knew they had a new animal on their hands after reviewing images captured by a remote camera in southern Arizona. The University of Arizona Wild Cat Research and Conservation…
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OUT WEST ROUNDUP | Yellowstone’s bison herd faces reduction; Wyoming eyes salary boosts
MONTANA Deal reached to reduce Yellowstone’s bison herd by 600-900 MISSOULA – Officials have agreed to allow as many as 900 bison from Yellowstone National Park to be shot by hunters, sent to slaughter or placed in quarantine this winter in a program that seeks to prevent the animals from spreading a disease to cattle.…
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OUT WEST ROUNDUP | Ex-New Mexico official pleads guilty to embezzlement, perjury
Ex-state senator pleads guilty to embezzlement, perjury SANTA FE – Former New Mexico state Sen. Phil Griego has pleaded guilty to embezzlement and perjury charges for misspending and falsely reporting campaign account activity, lengthening his ongoing stay in prison. Attorney General Hector Balderas announced that Griego, a Democrat, was sentenced to an additional year based…
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Out West Roundup: Arizona lawmaker expelled for harassment files $1.3M claim
Arizona Arizona lawmaker expelled for harassment files $1.3M claim PHOENIX – A former Arizona representative who became the first state lawmaker expelled for sexual misconduct since the #MeToo movement swept the nation filed a $1.3 million claim this week against the House speaker and Gov. Doug Ducey’s chief of staff. The claim filed by former…