Joshua Bowling
Source New Mexico

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday morning signed medical malpractice reform and three other bills aimed at boosting health care affordability, prohibiting certain facility fees and supporting hospitals that honor Medicaid into law.

Lujan Grisham joined a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers at the construction site of the forthcoming 15-bed Valencia County hospital in Los Lunas to sign the legislation. The state has pledged $50 million toward the hospital, which is expected to open later this year. Lujan Grisham praised lawmakers for their “herculean” efforts to put a cap on punitive damages that arise from medical malpractice claims and said she believes the legislation is a key step toward remedying New Mexico’s physician shortage.

“This was an incredible herculean lift because you want to protect patients, but we have to change the climate of practice,” she said. “We can’t make New Mexico the No. 1 place to move and raise and grow a family if you are waiting more than a year to see a primary care doctor.”

At the halfway point of the legislative session, Lujan Grisham signed a bill into law to make it easier for out-of-state licensed medical professionals to move to and practice in New Mexico. Several similar pieces of legislation focused on licensed professionals in other fields did not make it to the governor’s desk, though. Lujan Grisham, whose final term as governor ends at the end of the year, told reporters on Friday that if “legislators are interested in doing a little more work in the next nine months, I’m interested.”

House Bill 99, the medical malpractice reform bill, stood among the most closely watched pieces of legislation during the recent 30-day session. Rep. Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos), who championed the bill, said at Friday’s bill signing that she believes it represents a “balanced approach” and a “reasonable compromise” to limiting the dollar amounts juries can award for malpractice cases while making sure families still have recourse.

Feb 21

Arrest

Joseph Olivas arrested for DWI, traffic lanes, operators and chauffeurs must be licensed.

WANTED

8:43 am – Officer dispatched to S. 13th St. and W. Washington Ave. in reference to a wanted subject.

9:21 am – Officer dispatched to 3300 block of W. Main St. in reference to a wanted subject.

HARASSMENT

10:49 am – Officer dispatched to W. Richardson Ave. in reference to harassment.

SUSPICIOUS

11:34 am – Officer dispatched to 1100 block of W. Mahone Dr. in reference to suspicious activity.

DISTURBANCE

12:10 pm – Officer dispatched to 1400 block of W. Gilchrist Ave. in reference to disorderly disturbance.

SUSPICIOUS

12:19 pm – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to suspicious vehicle.

ACCIDENT

2:42 pm – Officer dispatched to W. Main St. and N. 13th St. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

DOMESTIC

6:06 pm – Officer dispatched to 900 block of W. Alvarado Ave. in reference to physical domestic.

ACCIDENT

6:25 pm – Officer dispatched to 1000 block of W. Hermosa Dr. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

HARASSMENT

6:38 pm – Officer dispatched to 1000 block of S. 20th St. in reference to harassment.

WELFARE

7:03 pm – Officer dispatched to 1400 block of W. Ray Ave. in reference to the welfare of a child.

DOMESTIC

8:33 pm – Officer dispatched to 3800 block of W. Missouri Ave. in reference to verbal domestic.

SHOTS FIRED

8:57 pm – Officer dispatched to 500 block of S. 20th St. in reference to shots fired gun shot wound.

WELFARE

10:01 pm – Officer dispatched to 2300 block of W. Bullock Ave. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

Feb 22

Arrest

Victor Alfonso Ballard arrested for battery against household member, criminal damage to property of household member, false imprisonment.

Joshua Aaron Sillas arrested for DWI driving on streets landed for traffic.

Ishmael Jerome Duran arrested for municipal failure to pay.

Ignacio Duron arrested for failure to appear.

ALARM

10:54 am – Officer dispatched to 1800 block of S. 17th St. in reference to a burglary alarm.

DOMESTIC

11:48 am – Officer dispatched to 3600 block of W. Quay Ave. in Reference to domestic.

SUSPICIOUS

1:00 pm – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of Briscoe Ave. in reference to suspicious vehicle.

ACCIDENT

6:57 pm – Officer dispatched to W. Main St. and N. 13th St. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

DOMESTIC

9:16 pm – Officer dispatched to 400 block of N. 26th St. in reference to verbal domestic.

WELFARE

9:32 pm – Officer dispatched to 800 block of W. Hank Ave. in reference to the welfare of a child.

Feb. 23

WELFARE

12:50 am – Officer dispatched to 900 block of S. 11th St. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

SUSPICIOUS

2:59 am – Officer dispatched to 1100 block of Heathcliff Ct. in reference to suspicious activity.

5:41 am – Officer dispatched to 1800 block of W. Currier St. in reference to suspicious person.

7:01 am – Officer dispatched to 1800 block of W. Jacobs St. in reference to suspicious person.

7:25 am – Officer dispatched to 300 block of N. 4th St. in reference to suspicious person

10:38 am – Officer dispatched to 900 block of S. 15th. in reference to suspicious person.

ACCIDENT

12:08 pm – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

12:10  pm – Officer dispatched to 1700 block of W. Main St. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

GRAFFITI

1:32 pm – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to graffiti.

1:36 pm – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to graffiti.

WELFARE

2:20 pm – Officer dispatched to 800 block of W. Hank Ave. in reference to the welfare of a child.

DISTURBANCE

6:21 pm – Officer dispatched to 800 block of W. Hank Ave. in reference to disturbance.

HARASSMENT

11:08 pm – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to harassment.

11:34 pm – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to harassment.

Feb 24

Arrest

Amy Necole Valenzuela Romero arrested for resisting, evading, obstructing an officer, criminal trespass, aggravated assault upon peace officer other deadly weapon.

DISTURBANCE

9:13 am – Officer dispatched to 1400 block of Champ Clark Ave. in reference to a family disturbance.

9:20 am – Officer dispatched to 700 block of N. 10th St. in reference to disturbance.

HARASSMENT

10:58 am – Officer dispatched to 1100 block of W. Merchant Ave. in reference to harassment.

ACCIDENT

11:14 am – Officer dispatched to N. 10th St. and W. Main St. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

ALARM

11:42 am – Officer dispatched to 600 block of W. Main St. in reference to a burglary alarm.

LARCENY

12:19 pm – Officer dispatched to 2000 block of W. Main St. in reference to larceny.

DISTURBANCE

3:37 pm – Officer dispatched to 1100 block of W. Merchant Ave. in reference to neighborly disturbance.

WANTED

3:57 pm – Officer dispatched to N. 10th St and W. Lolita Ave. in reference to a wanted subject.

ACCIDENT

5:15 pm – Officer dispatched to W. Main St. and N. 16th St. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

SUSPICIOUS

8:55 pm – Officer dispatched to 500 block of S. 20th St. in reference to a suspicious vehicle.

ARMED

9:08 pm – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to an armed subject.

Feb 25

Arrest

Zedrick Cole arrested for failure to pay penalty assessment.

Gabriel Joe Chavez arrested for battery.

SUSPICIOUS

4:37 am – Officer dispatched to 800 block of N. 5th St. in reference to suspicious trespass.

SHOTS FIRED

6:27 am – Officer dispatched to 700 block of N. 10th St. in reference to shots fired.

WELFARE

7:49 am – Officer dispatched to 800 block of S. Roselawn Ave. in reference to the welfare of a child.

VANDAL

8:26 am – Officer dispatched to 300 block of S. 20th St. in reference to vandal.

WANTED

9:27 am – Officer dispatched to 2600 block of Menefee Ave. in reference to a wanted subject.

SUSPICIOUS

11:04 am – Officer dispatched to S. 1st St. and E. Main St. in reference to a suspicious person.

WELFARE

12:47 pm – Officer dispatched to 1600 block of W. Mahone Dr. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

BATTERY

2:05 pm – Officer dispatched to 1500 block of W. Cannon Ave. in reference to battery.

WANTED

3:02 pm – Officer dispatched to 100 block of N. 15th St. in reference to a wanted subject.

SUSPICIOUS

4:05 pm – Officer dispatched to N. 8th St. and W. Lolita Ave. in reference to a suspicious person.

DISTURBANCE

5:18 pm – Officer dispatched to 300 block of N. York St. in reference to neighbor disturbance.

SUICIDAL

5:38 pm – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to a suicidal subject.

UNWANTED

6:17 pm – Officer dispatched to 1100 block of N. 1st St. in reference to an unwanted subject.

ALARM

8:07 pm -Officer dispatched to 2300 block of Sierra Vista Rd. in reference to a burglary alarm.

Feb 26

WELFARE

12:50 am – Officer dispatched to 800 block of W. Alvarado Ave. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

SUSPICIOUS

1:02 am – Officer dispatched to N. 5th St. and W. Cleveland Ave. in reference to a suspicious person.

DISTURBANCE

1:35 am -Officer dispatched to 700 block of N. 10th St. in reference to disturbance.

ALARM

4:03 am – Officer dispatched to 200 block of S. 1st St. in reference to a burglary alarm.

ACCIDENT

6:30 am – Officer dispatched to 2200 block of W. Main St. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

UNWANTED

6:37 am – officer dispatched to 400 block of W. Cleveland Ave. in reference to an unwanted subject.

SHOTS FIRED

9:26 am – Officer dispatched to 2300 block of Sierra Vista Rd. in reference to shots fired in the area.

GRAFFITI

1:17 pm – Officer dispatched to 1800 block of W. Sears Ave. in reference to graffiti.

ACCIDENT

1:23 pm – Officer dispatched to 600 block of S. 1st St. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

UNWANTED

4:10 pm – Officer dispatched to 1600 block of N. 1st St. in reference to an unwanted subject.

DISTURBANCE

5:16 pm – Officer dispatched to W. Quay St. S. 4th St. in reference to disorderly disturbance.

DOMESTIC

5:27 pm – Officer dispatched to 200 block of N. 13th Rural Rt. In reference to verbal domestic.

SUICIDAL

5:33 pm – Officer dispatched to 1800 block of W. Sears Ave. in reference to a suicidal subject.

ALARM

6:21 pm – Officer dispatched to 200 block of W. Richardson Ave. in reference to a burglary alarm.

DOMESTIC

7:11 pm – Officer dispatched to 200 block of W. Hermosa DR. in reference to verbal domestic.

SUSPICIOUS

7:31 pm – officer dispatched to 3700 block of Lowell Ave. in reference to suspicious activity.

SHOTS FIRED

10:19 pm – Officer dispatched to 1100 block of W. Chisum Ave. in reference to shots fired.

Feb 27

Arrest

Ronald Troy Bettencourt arrested for municipal failure to appear.

Kendra Lee Cross arrested for battery against a household member.

Antonio Morales Hernandez arrested for contributing to delinquency of minor.

Jonathan Aldo Olguin Garcia arrested for criminal trespass.

ARMED SUBJECT

1:25 am – Officer dispatched to 1800 block of W. Currier St. in reference to an armed subject.

DISTURBANCE

1:50 am – Officer dispatched to 1700 block of Harrison Ct. in reference to disturbance.

SUSPICIOUS

4:26 am – Officer dispatched to 800 block of W. Cleveland Ave. in reference to suspicious person.