Special session update: Senators blast governor

There’s a lot happening quickly during the special session of the Legislature underway in Santa Fe. I’m not there, but here are a few updates:

• The most interesting moment thus far came Sunday when a number of senators blasted Gov. Bill Richardson for what they said are political motivations for forcing them to be in Santa Fe.

“I really have no earthly idea why we are in this building except to serve the political purposes of this governor,” Senate President Pro Tem Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, said during a hearing on Richardson’s proposal to provide health care to every child in the state. The Albuquerque Journal has the goods on the Senate tabling the bill. Some senators, according to the Journal, plan to introduce a substitute that does far less than Richardson proposes.

Sen. Kent Cravens, R-Albuquerque, was quoted by The Associated Press as saying during the governor-bashing that the session is “about self-glorification of a man that is moving on.”

“You’ve got a governor who has found a way to possibly grab a headline during this Democratic National Convention and be on some short list to get a great job going forward, and you’ve got a state in ruins financially,” the news service quoted him as saying.

Richardson’s response: “Governor Richardson is not concerned about personal attacks made by a couple members of the Senate,” a statement from his office read. “Rather, his focus, as it always has been, is on getting meaningful legislation passed to give 50,000 uninsured children access to health care and provide relief to working families who are struggling because of high gas prices.”

Richardson was away from the Roundhouse most of Sunday on presidential-politics business. He was in Española campaigning on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama with Hillary Clinton, and then hosted two fundraisers in Santa Fe and Albuquerque to help Clinton retire her campaign debt.

Speculation has increased in recent days that Richardson may be on the short list to be Obama’s running mate. The convention is being held in Denver Aug. 25 to 28, and Obama could announce his VP choice this week.

• Senate leaders, led by Jennings, want to hand out smaller rebate checks than Richardson is proposing. The Santa Fe New Mexican has the scoop.

• The House has approved a bill that would provide $200 million for road funding. Check out the New Mexico Independent for information about that.

You can search for bills on the Legislature’s Web site by clicking here. Despite their complaining, senators have not defied the governor by adjourning sine die. The House and Senate are both scheduled to start work at 10 a.m. Monday.