Some Democrats have expressed concern to me that the proposal to make Tim Jennings chair of the Finance Committee and Carlos Cisneros vice chair will take knowledge and experience away from two important committees.
The Committee’s Committee meets next week to discuss assignments. But Senate President Pro Tem Ben Altimirano, citing seniority, wants to replace the retiring Finance Chair Joe Fidel of Grants with
That leaves Smith with the possibility of chairing the Education Committee, replacing Cynthia Nava of
None who shared concerns with me would go on the record. In the Senate and House, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find Democratic legislators willing to talk about what they’re calling internal matters.
Speaker of the House Ben Lujan told me Wednesday that leadership and committee appointments are “family business” of the Democratic Party and not something most members want to discuss publicly.
But the results could have a major impact on the business legislators do for the public.
Smith has essentially run the Finance Committee for the past two years. Removing him from its leadership at a time when Fidel is also retiring would rid the committee of its two leaders at once. Some legislators have told me they’re worried that the committee, without that experience and knowledge, would be less able to act independently and stand firm in the face of pressure from the governor’s office.
Then there’s the Education Committee. Where would Nava end up if Smith took the chair? Would she take the vice chair from Mary Kay Papen of
Nava was appointed in October by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings to the National Assessment Governing Board – more commonly known as “The Nation’s Report Card” – and is one of 26 members of the board, which is tasked with developing policy recommendations for assessment of schools across the nation under the No Child Left Behind Act.
As a board member Nava, who is also a deputy superintendent of the
Several Democrats have called to tell me they think it’s ridiculous that, at a time when Nava has just begun in this influential role, she might lose her position as chair of the Senate Education Committee.
Many have told me they believe seniority should play a role in committee assignments, but so should experience. For example, one said to me, Smith isn’t likely to become chair of the Judiciary Committee, because legislators have generally acknowledged that it’s best to have an attorney lead that committee.
As for Smith and Nava, they both declined comment. Altimirano has not returned my calls.