For the third straight day, the Senate had on its agenda today a proposal to open conference committees and other legislative meetings to the public, but Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, never brought the item up for debate and a vote.
Senate Bill 737, sponsored by Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque, began the day at No. 6 on the agenda. The last item considered today was No. 72. It’s common for the Senate to skip around on its agenda, but No. 6 is an item that usually has a pretty good chance of being heard.
Meanwhile, as I already reported, House Bill 393, sponsored by Rep. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces — a bill that’s identical to Feldman’s — was approved today by the Senate Rules Committee and is now awaiting a hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
If approved by that committee — which is likely, if it’s heard — Cervantes’ bill would join Feldman’s on the Senate floor calendar.
But it’s up to Sanchez to bring items on the calendar up for debate. And Sanchez has voted against opening conference committees to the public more than once in the past.
So we’ll have to keep waiting to see what happens.
Sanchez said at the end of today’s floor session that all members of the Senate are coming under pressure “to tell me that your bill is the most important on the calendar.” He said he’s moving through the calendar as quickly as possible. One group went home today after waiting four days for its bill to be heard — and the bill still hasn’t been heard, he said.
“I can take the backbiting and the heat. It’s really not that bad, but again, I take a look at these bills and I try to do the best I can,” Sanchez said.
The Senate isn’t meeting this evening but plans to meet every remaining evening this week. The session ends at noon on Saturday.