WASHINGTON - Today U.S. Senator Tom Udall released a new episode of "The Udall Update," a public access television program that provides the public an inside look at what's happening in the U.S. Senate and how it impacts life in New Mexico.
The 30-minute episode, which airs on Sen. Udall's YouTube channel and on public access TV throughout the state, includes interviews, in-depth stories and feature segments about the work he is doing in Washington on behalf of New Mexicans.
Viewers in Albuquerque, Carlsbad, Las Cruces, Los Alamos, Rio Rancho, Santa Fe and Silver City can contact their local public access station to find out exactly when "The Udall Update" will air. A list of those stations is included below. The episode will also appear online at http://tomudall.senate.gov/tv .
The latest episode of "The Udall Update" looks at the changes that have taken place in Congress, from Senator Bingaman's retirement to Senator Udall's appointment to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
In a segment titled "Sensible Solutions," Udall discusses two important pieces of legislation he helped pass in Washington on behalf of New Mexicans.
The first segment includes an interview with Jayann Sepich of Carlsbad, who was the driving force behind passage of the Katie Sepich Enhanced DNA Collection Act. The law was named for Jayann Sepich's daughter, a New Mexico State University graduate student whose tragic death in 2003 spurred passage of "Katie's Law" on the state level to collect DNA from individuals arrested for serious crimes.
Udall successfully fought to pass the Katie Sepich Enhanced DNA Collection Act at the federal level to create incentives for states to implement programs like New Mexico's.
The second "Sensible Solutions" segment features an interview with Albuquerque residents MSgt Jessey Baca and his wife Maria about their work to establish a burn pits registry for military service men and women.
Udall led the effort in Congress to pass the Open Burn Pits Registry Act after meeting the Bacas, who detailed Jessey's battle with a multitude of health problems believed to be associated with burn pits.
The registry, which is currently being designed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), will be similar to the Agent Orange and Gulf War registries and will help patients, doctors and VA officials determine to what extent air pollution caused by open air burn pits has led to medical conditions among service members.
The "Udall Update" concludes with a look at "Tom's Inbox" as Udall answers a letter from a constituent in Roy asking how Udall is working to support rural New Mexico.
Additional footage and information mentioned in "The Udall Update" can also be found online at http://tomudall.senate.gov/tvextras . Previous episodes can be viewed at http://tomudall.senate.gov/tv .
The "Udall Update" is scheduled to air on the following channels. Please check local listings for exact air dates and times.
Albuquerque - Channels 26 & 27
Carlsbad - Channel23TV - Channel 23
Las Cruces - CLC TV - Channel 20
Los Alamos- Los Alamos PAC - Channel 8
Rio Rancho - RioVision Community Access TV - Channels 15 & 22
Santa Fe - Santa Fe Community Television - Channel 16
Silver City - Community Access Television of Silver - Channels 17, 18 & 19
