Since the ethics reform proposals and the road funding are bogged down in the Senate, I’m going to do some liveblogging from the Senate for the last hour. Check back frequently as time expires on the 2007 Legislature.
Time is up at noon.
Shortly after it became clear that Sen. Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, was intentionally skipping over ethics bills, he received a phone call and was on the phone for several minutes. Those of us in the media gallery are assuming Gov. Bill Richardson’s people are pushing him to hear the ethics bills.
Update, 11:05 a.m.
Sanchez just announced that the Senate will hear items on the concurrence calendar in a moment. He didn’t say whether that would include the ethics bills that are on the calendar.
“We’ll see what happens,” he said.
But he then turned the floor over to a rabbi who is speaking about his experiences with the Legislature. This guy spoke for about 10 minutes on the House floor yesterday. I’m wondering why this had to wait until the last hour of the session.
Update, 11:09 a.m.
So the rabbi only spoke for about two minutes, then received a standing ovation from the Senate. Then Sen. Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, went off on his appreciation of the rabbi. A number of others followed
Apparently, the rabbi, whose name I haven’t gotten, has been a Senate chaplain. It sounds like he’s retiring.
Update, 11:11 a.m.
Sanchez just announced that the Senate will go to the concurrence calendar and allow the hearing of Senate Bill 931, the gift ban proposal.
Update, 11:15 a.m.
Sen. John Grubesic, D-Santa Fe and the bill’s sponsor, is explaining the bill and that it’s “in line with what the House wanted.” Rawson asked that the Senate pass up the bill for now because senators don’t have copies.
But Grubesic explained the bill, saying it’s “a little tighter” than the bill he originally proposed.
Rawson pushed on his motion, and Lt. Gov. Diane Denish allowed that the bill be passed over.
Sanchez just called for a 15-minute recess so the Democratic caucus can meet in secret. We’re speculating that they’re discussing the ethics bills.
Update, 11:27 a.m.
Democratic senators are returning to the floor.
Update, 11:29 a.m.
Sanchez asked for messages from the House, then got on the telephone again. I called the governor’s office to ask if he is involved in this, and was told I’d be called back. I haven’t received the call yet.
Sanchez just announced that the Senate will now hear Grubesic’s gift ban bill. He also said they will hear Senate Bill 800, sponsored by Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque. It’s the bill that limits campaign contributions.
Update, 11:35 a.m.
Grubesic explained the changes in the bill (read the next posting to learn about that) in response to a question from Rawson. Grubesic pointed out that the bill does not include a prior Senate amendment that would make local government officials subject to the act.
Rawson is asking a number of questions.
It looks like Republicans might run the clock out on the session. At least Sen. Gay Kernan, R-Hobbs, and Sen. Rod Adair, R-Roswell, are lined up to speak.
Tick, tick tick…
Update, 11:37 a.m.
Rawson is asking similar questions to those he asked earlier this week. He appears to be stalling.
Update, 11:39 a.m.
Sanchez has vanished from the Senate floor.
Update, 11:42 a.m.
At least one representative is on the Senate floor shaking hands and senators are starting to hug. Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, D-Doña Ana is congratulating everyone. It looks like the session might be over with only one ethics reform bill being approved.
Update, 11:44 a.m.
Rawson just yielded. Sen. Stuart Ingle, R-Portales, just said he didn’t like the bill much, but said “I think we need to pass something” and made a motion to concur with the House changes to the bill. On a voice vote, the bill has been approved. Repeat: The gift ban has been approved.
Update, 11:47 a.m.
Sen. Diane Snyder, R-Albuquerque, wants to explain her vote and is complaining about the bill’s approval. Sen. Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque, is also taking the opportunity to complain about the bill.
Tick, tick tick…
Update, 11:48 a.m.
They’re now on to Feldman’s bill. Sen. Clinton Harden, R-Clovis, is complaining about the House amending out the Senate’s amendments to the bill.
Update, 11:51 a.m.
Harden complained that the House stripped the amendment that would make the bill apply to contributions to political action committees in addition to contributions to candidates. Sen. Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, agreed, as did Sen. Steve Komadina, R-Corrales, saying this and the last bill were poor.
“We’re doing this so we can say that somebody did ethics reform,” Komadina said.
Update, 11:52 a.m.
Harden complained that the House stripped the amendment that would make the bill apply to contributions to political action committees in addition to contributions to candidates. Sen. Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, agreed, as did Sen. Steve Komadina, R-Corrales, saying this and the last bill were poor.
“We’re doing this so we can say that somebody did ethics reform,” Komadina said.
On a voice vote, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish ruled that the bill was approved. There was a challenge, and there will be a voice vote.
Update, 11:56 a.m.
The bill died on a vote of 21-20, with Sen. Joe Carraro, R-Albuquerque, changing his vote to “no” at the last minute.
The Senate is just about done. I’ll have more later.