Rep. Jeff says she will ‘never back down’ again

Rep. Sandra Jeff (Photo copyrighted by LeRoy N. Sanchez)

Democrat from Crownpoint is asserting herself this session; as a result, she has played a key role on several high-profile bills

State Rep. Sandra Jeff used to return to her district following legislative sessions feeling disgusted with herself because she let intimidation from within her political party stop her from standing up for what she believed was right.

Never again.

“I will never back down. … I want to go home with a clear conscience,” Jeff said in an interview with NMPolitics.net. “It has nothing to do with disrespecting the speaker. I’m not here for him, I’m not here for the majority leader, I’m not here for anyone other than my constituents.”

Jeff, a Democrat from Crownpoint who represents District 5, has proven her newfound independence this session. Along with Dona Irwin, she was one of two Democrats to break with her caucus and vote against the budget, which passed the House by one vote. She was also an independent voice in the debate about changing the state’s film incentive program.

And, again along with Irwin, Jeff was one of two Democrats who cast the critical votes in favor of a rare procedural move that forced a House vote on a bill that would outlaw giving driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants. She later voted for the bill.

Irwin’s independence has been no surprise. She and three other Democrats – Joseph Cervantes, Mary Helen Garcia and Andy Nuñez (now a registered independent) – stood against their party earlier this year to support a Cervantes-led attempt to overthrow Speaker Ben Luján that was unsuccessful.

But Jeff’s assertiveness has caught many of her colleagues off guard.

‘I just ended up following’

Jeff was first elected to the House in November 2008. During her first session in 2009, she told NMPolitics.net, she didn’t stand up for what she thought was right. She said she “just went along” as she learned the ropes.

But the Navajo and former legislative staffer had run for office because she didn’t see any other lawmakers standing up for Native Americans. During her second year, in 2010, she finally took a stand in opposition to her party because Democrats were proposing taking funding from projects that would benefit Native Americans.

As a member of the House Taxation and Revenue Committee, she broke with her Democratic colleagues and expressed opposition to a bill that would have taken back funding that had been set aside for capital outlay projects to help balance the budget.

But many find it difficult to stand on their own in the Roundhouse. After what Jeff described as coming “under attack from my colleagues who are Democrats,” she eventually backed down and voted for the bill, which the committee approved on a party-line vote.

“I ended up just following,” Jeff said. “I thought that… my own party would come after me.”

Standing up to intimidation

Jeff said she has faced similar pressure this year, but she’s not backing down. In fact, she very publicly demanded an apology from the speaker’s chief of staff on the House floor last week.

After she voted in favor of the procedural move that forced a vote on the driver’s license bill, Jeff chastised Regis Pecos for approaching her on the House floor and making intimidating and derogatory remarks. Pecos denies the allegation and has not apologized.

Such intimidation is frequent among the House Democratic caucus, Jeff said. Asked if it comes directly from the speaker, she said others would have to explain where it originates. But she said she believes Pecos was acting on his own.

Asked to describe other examples of intimidation, Jeff brought up a December 2009 situation involving Rep. Patricia Lundstrom D-Gallup. Lundstrom filed a police report accusing Jeff of slugging her three times in the arm during a heated argument in the Roundhouse.

State police concluded a criminal investigation without filing charges against Jeff, saying the evidence didn’t support Lundstrom’s allegation. A surveillance camera showed no physical contact between the two women, according to the Navajo Times.

Jeff said she has also received e-mails from Democrats belittling her and threating to run a candidate against her in next year’s primary because of her recent stands against the majority of House Democrats.

“They thought that they could still control me, so they used every avenue to try to break me,” Jeff said. “It didn’t happen. I stood firm.”

Voting her conscience

Jeff said she voted against the budget in part because it stripped funding for junior colleges. She said she is also concerned about other programs that would be cut.

While many Democrats wanted to leave the film incentives as they are – with the state reimbursing 25 percent of expenses – and the governor wanted to reduce the percentage paid to film companies, Jeff was one of the lawmakers who forced a compromise that would leave the incentives at 25 percent but cap annual payouts at $45 million.

She said she believes the film industry creates jobs in New Mexico, but she wants to see the industry give a little so programs don’t have to be cut.

Jeff’s most controversial vote came in forcing the House to vote on the driver’s license bill. She told NMPolitics.net she doesn’t believe people who are in the United States illegally should have more rights and opportunities than Native Americans.

For example, she said it’s not fair that undocumented immigrants can qualify for the lottery scholarship, but she and others have been working, without success, to pass a law that would allow the scholarship to be used at tribal colleges.

“I feel like we’re the illegal immigrants of our own country, and services are being taken away from us,” she said. “What about my people? They’re still hauling water. They still don’t have electricity.”

“Those are my concerns, to take care of the citizens of the United States, of New Mexico, before we take care of the citizens of another country,” Jeff said. “I’m not saying I’m not compassionate to their needs. I understand they have needs too, but what about our needs?”

Setting an example

In spite of her negative experiences with some of her Democratic colleagues, Jeff said she’s a “die-hard Democrat.”

But she said voters are tired of partisan divisions and believe politicians are putting their party affiliations above doing what’s right. She said she won’t take part in that any longer.

Jeff said she hopes her actions will inspire other Democrats in the House to stand up to the intimidation and become more independent.

“If it takes voting with the Republicans, I will vote with the Republicans. If it takes voting with the Democrats, I will vote with the Democrats. But we need to come together at some point,” Jeff said. “Maybe others will see this as an example.”