Connect with us

New Mexico

New Mexico sues tobacco companies over settlement payments

Published

on

New Mexico sues tobacco companies over settlement payments


ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico is suing greater than a dozen tobacco firms, accusing them of conspiracy and breach of contract.

Legal professional Common Hector Balderas introduced the authorized problem Tuesday, claiming that the businesses have been withholding parts of annual funds which can be due beneath a multi-state tobacco settlement that ended dozens of lawsuits that sought reimbursement for well being care prices related to smoking-related sicknesses.

New Mexico’s criticism facilities on a selected provision of the 1998 settlement, saying abuse of that clause by the businesses has resulted within the state shedding out on greater than $84 million during the last 14 years.

“There isn’t any finish to those baseless delay ways, and it’s time to power the tobacco firms to pay New Mexico what they owe for damages — funding much-needed well being initiatives,” Balderas stated in a press release.

Advertisement

The businesses didn’t instantly return messages in search of touch upon New Mexico’s lawsuit.

Underneath the settlement, every firm is obligated to make a fee to New Mexico annually. As a substitute, the legal professional common’s workplace says the businesses file disputes yearly that lead to a share of the fee being withheld, triggering an arbitration course of that may span years.

For instance, the arbitration over 2004 funds wrapped up final month and arbitration regarding 2005-2007 funds has simply begun.

With common annual funds ranging between $30 million and $40 million, state officers stated that covers lower than 5% of the New Mexico well being care prices which can be straight attributable to smoking. They estimated the worth tag of smoking-related well being care prices in 2021 at greater than $980 million.

Montana mounted an identical authorized problem in 2020. It was profitable in recovering greater than $49 million in funds and curiosity wrongly withheld by tobacco firms and reached an settlement with the businesses to not problem that state’s annual funds for one more decade.

Advertisement

In New Mexico, officers say the quantity of settlement funds withheld grows annually.

Based on the criticism, the defendants — which embrace tobacco giants Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds — don’t speak in confidence to New Mexico precisely how a lot they’re withholding or the place the withheld funds are held. Withholding practices can also change from 12 months to 12 months.

State prosecutors say with this lack of transparency, New Mexico’s finest estimate is that defendants withhold between $6 million and $9 million annually.

“This conspiracy is a calculated technique to completely and fraudulently lower defendants’ contractual funds beneath the (settlement settlement) and to frustrate the needs of the (settlement settlement),” the criticism reads.

The legal professional common’s workplace stated many states have renegotiated with the tobacco firms through the years to keep away from continued arbitration over annual funds, giving solution to extra favorable phrases for the businesses.

Advertisement

Solely eight states proceed to pursue full fee of what they’re due beneath the settlement, New Mexico officers stated.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

New Mexico

Albuquerque bakery struggles to keep up with biscochito demand during holiday season

Published

on

Albuquerque bakery struggles to keep up with biscochito demand during holiday season


For Celina’s Biscochitos that means making double if not three times more biscochitos to make sure locals and people nationwide have a sweet taste of New Mexico tradition.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – If you’re from New Mexico, there’s a popular sweet treat that will be on the dessert table this holiday season, biscochitos.

While you can buy them year-round, the holidays are especially busy for bakeries who specialize in making them.

For Celina’s Biscochitos that means making double if not three times more biscochitos to make sure locals and people nationwide have a sweet taste of New Mexico tradition.

Advertisement

“We probably do on average about anywhere from about, this year, probably about maybe 400 to 600 dozen a day,” said Celina Grife, co-owner of Celina’s Biscochitos. 

It’s no easy job making biscochitos.

For the past 14 years, Celina’s Biscochitos has been making her grandma’s recipe. This year, just like the rest, there is a high demand for our state’s official cookie, especially during the holidays.

“We’re just trying to keep up with the demand. So everyday by the end of the day, we’re just trying to scramble to make sure that we have enough cookies on the shelf for our customers, so that way they can pick them up at the end of the day,” said Grife. 

They’re making anywhere from 4,000 to over 7,000 cookies a day. That’s two to three times more than what they usually make outside of the holiday season.

Advertisement

Over the years, Grife has added more than just their traditional cookie.

“Our very first flavor was the red chile biscochito. And then one thing lead to another, we just started playing with it,” Grife said. 

Now they offer red and green chile, lemon, blue corn pinion and chocolate chip. This isn’t just the unique, different flavors they offer, it’s the tradition they carry on.

“We are one of the few commercial companies that are still making them the traditional way. So we still use lard, and by lard, I mean the old-fashioned blue and white container that everybody uses at home,” said Grife. “We still use brandy in our product as well. We still use the old fashion anise.”

One thing Grife has learned over the years is that for some people, a biscochito is much more than just a cookie.

Advertisement

“This is very personal to people, and I had no idea how personal it was to people. I could be working at an event, and I’ll have people say, ‘No, I can’t have yours because my mom or my aunt or my uncle.’ Whatever! Somebody makes them in the family,” said Grife. “Or we get somebody who doesn’t have that family member with them anymore, and they try ours, and they’re kind of like, ‘This brings back so many memories.’”

Grife says their goal is to keep that traditional biscochito flavor and texture, in every cookie they make.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

New Mexico

New Mexico ski season in full swing despite warm December

Published

on

New Mexico ski season in full swing despite warm December


The sun is out and so are the skiers and snowboarders at Sandia Peak Ski Area. Man-made snow here and at other ski areas around the state is helping keep more runs open during this warmer than usual December.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The sun is out and so are the skiers and snowboarders at Sandia Peak Ski Area. Man-made snow here and at other ski areas around the state is helping keep more runs open during this warmer than usual December.

“It’s very fun. I like the weather. It’s very sunny today,” said Carlos Morales, a skier. 

Morales and his family were out getting some practice runs in on the slopes Tuesday afternoon. He and several others were enjoying the snow and the sun. 

Advertisement

“Pretty good. It was a little hot, for sure. I kind of like it because I’m not freezing. I was able to wear my sunglasses and not the goggles, just because it wasn’t too crazy cold today. But it was nice. It was perfect weather,” said Hector Salazar, a snowboarder. 

Salazar says now that Sandia Peak Ski Area is open seven days a week, it’s the perfect time to practice your skills since these slopes are not too crowded.

Ski New Mexico Executive Director Christy Germscheid says things are expected to pick up over the holidays. 

“I think we probably have had slightly slower numbers on weekends and things since Thanksgiving when a lot of the resorts opened now. But Christmas is always rocking up here. We have very loyal Christmas guests,” said Germscheid. 

She says it’s too soon to tell how the season is doing compared to years past. But the early snow pack from November helped lay the groundwork for snow machines. 

Advertisement

“Expanding terrain, opening new terrain, has taken longer, been a little more limited based on the snowfall or lack of natural snow. So we’re hoping that Mother Nature kicks in here real soon,” Germscheid said. 

Germscheid says every ski area in the state has snow machines. Crews at Sandia Peak Ski Area say they’ve been able to make enough snow to get almost all the runs open. 

Snowboarders and skiers don’t seem to mind where the snow comes from.

“It feels good. The man-made snow, you could definitely feel that it’s a little bit harsher, it’s a little bit firmer. So if you were to take a fall, maybe hurt a little bit more, but it felt pretty good the whole time,” said Salazar. 

Everyone is hoping for Mother Nature to give more snow but if not crews are just waiting for the perfect conditions to make more. 

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

New Mexico

A look at the 2024 Good News Stories from New Mexico

Published

on

A look at the 2024 Good News Stories from New Mexico


NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Another year is coming to an end. As we say goodbye to 2024 and welcome 2025, KRQE News 13 is looking back on some of the local heartwarming of the year. Below is a list of KRQE’s Good News stories from the past year. 1. Albuquerque teen honored by First Lady as […]



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending