A former state police officer who was earlier acquitted of vehicular homicide has now also been acquitted of leaving the scene of a crash that left a pedestrian dead in downtown Santa Fe. Alfred Lovato was the passenger in the car of prominent attorney Carlos Fierro when pedestrian William Tenorio was hit and killed in 2008. Prosecutors had accused Lovato of not stopping Fierro from driving drunk.

State Senator Clint Harden is retiring. The Republican from Clovis has announced he will not run for a 4th term. Harden has served for 10 years in the Legislature. The Senator's district 7 includes parts of Taos County. Republican Angie Spears of Clovis has already announced that she will run for the seat.

Gov. Martinez's administration has outlined proposed revisions to Medicaid. And one of the goals is to slow the rate of growth in the program, which accounts for 16 percent of the state budget. There are no cuts in benefits or eligibility for medical services. The changes could require co-pays for people who go to an emergency room for medical care that's not considered an emergency. The proposal must get federal approval.