With the governor not that interested in congressional redistricting, Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino told the Albuquerque Journal he might not introduce legislation in the 2007 session after all.
“To be candid, it all hinges on whether the governor wants to open that can of worms or not,” the Albuquerque Democrat told the newspaper.
“The governor prefers to wait until the next round of redistricting in 2011,” spokesman Gilbert Gallegos told the Journal. “But he’s willing to listen to Sen. Ortiz y Pino’s plan.”
Speaker of the House Ben Lujan said the same.
“Unless there’s a real outcry,” he told the Journal, “I don’t know we’re really ready to rock the boat on that one.”
And rock the boat it would. I reported yesterday that Republicans and Southern New Mexico Democrats would work together to defeat any such proposal.
Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle of Portales confirmed his party’s opposition.
“We need to wait until the normal redistricting period,” he told the Journal. “I don’t see any reason to go back and go through this again.”