New Mexico took the national stage in 2007

What do Gov. Bill Richardson’s presidential run, the U.S. attorney scandal, the statewide cockfighting ban, Spaceport America and Sen. Pete Domenici’s retirement have in common? They were stories that kept New Mexico in the national news in 2007.

The attention on the Land of Enchantment will continue in 2008: With voters deciding whether to send Richardson to Washington and four open seats in Congress from New Mexico, this swing state will be ground zero for politics next year. Before we cross into the new year, here’s a look at my picks for the top stories of 2007:

10. Standing up to the speaker

He may have defeated a challenge to his leadership in December 2006, but that doesn’t mean House Speaker Ben Lujan emerged more powerful.

In fact, there was proof during this year’s legislative session that some things had changed. The speaker called a closed-door meeting to bring House Democrats in line with his plan to kill a bill that would reform the state’s scandal-plagued housing authority system. Instead, there was enough dissention that the speaker had to allow a compromise that took the firsts steps toward serious reform.

And when House Republicans revealed that the speaker was dishing out more capital outlay to Democrats than Republicans after promising to distribute it evenly, Rep. Andy Nuñez, D-Hatch, offered his capital outlay money to Republicans to even things out. The simple, public gesture led to an agreement to evenly distribute the money that hopefully sets a precedent for the future.

That isn’t to say the speaker isn’t still the second most powerful person in state government and doesn’t rule most of the time with an iron fist. But there is a bipartisan group of House members that, when they can agree on an issue, have the votes to successfully defy the speaker and aren’t afraid to do it. That’s worth a top-10 mention.

9. Cockfighting ban

Senate Majority Whip Mary Jane Garcia choked up when she spoke with me shortly after Richardson signed into law a statewide cockfighting ban in March and left Louisiana as the only state where the bloody practice is legal. Garcia had been working toward such a ban for 18 years.

“I can’t believe that this is finally happening,” the Democratic senator from Doña Ana told me. “I’m so excited, and I’m shaking.”

What made 2007 the year New Mexico joined the civilized world? Richardson finally decided to put his weight behind the ban, ensuring its approval before the session even began. A cockfighting group appealed the ban, but a district judge upheld the new law this week. The group is trying to decide whether to appeal.

8. Albuquerque voters reject Chávez

In October, all candidates and referenda backed by Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez were soundly defeated by voters in the municipal election. The story was quickly overshadowed by news of Domenici’s coming retirement, and it wasn’t until after Chávez entered, and later dropped out of, the race to replace Domenici that the impact became clear.

Progressive Democrats in Albuquerque would rather work with Republicans than with the conservative Democratic mayor. It was such an unusual coalition that defeated the mayor-backed candidates and referenda. Progressives’ opposition to Chávez also played a big role in ending his senatorial campaign.

Having ditched the gubernatorial and Senate races, and having refused to enter the First Congressional District race, Chávez has turned his focus back to being mayor. He has a lot of bridges to rebuild if he has any hope of regaining his power. But the divide with progressives is wide.

7. Courthouse scandal

The most notable aspect of the indictments of former Senate President Manny Aragon and others in the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Courthouse scandal is that they didn’t shock the state. He and four others are charged with bilking taxpayers out of $4.2 million by falsifying and inflating invoices related to construction of the facility.

When Aragon and three others were indicted in March and plea bargains with two others were announced, the shock that had accompanied the state treasurer’s scandal several years before was missing. When a fifth person was indicted in October, there was even less shock.

The reality is that New Mexicans have become used to scandal. They’ve been inundated with Democratic corruption on the state level and Republican corruption on the national level for years. The courthouse cases are pending.

6. Senate takes control from governor

After four years of losing to Richardson, leaders of the New Mexico Senate played a carefully planned game of chess during the 2007 legislative session and took control from a governor who was distracted with his presidential campaign. Wise bargaining with the House meant the Senate was successful during the regular session in restoring capital outlay Richardson vetoed last year and in securing legislative approval of this year’s budget and capital outlay bills early enough that Richardson had to act on them before the end of the session.

Senators held Richardson’s proposals until he gave them what they wanted, approving one of his renewable energy bills only after he signed the bill restoring last year’s capital outlay cuts, and holding his coveted minimum wage bill until he signed the budget and capital outlay bills.

Richardson called lawmakers back for a special session, trying to take back control and gain approval of a few high-profile bills that would boost is presidential résumé, but he got next to nothing. The big questions in 2008 will be whether Richardson can regain power when the Legislature convenes for a 30-day session in January, and, more basic than that, whether he’ll even be around to try.

5. Spaceport moves forward, but slowly

Spaceport America continued to move closer to becoming a reality in 2007 despite some big hurdles. In March, the Legislature provided another $10 million to build a road to the spaceport from Interstate 25, and Virgin Galactic signed a nonbinding memorandum of agreement it said was a precursor to a lease. Voters in Doña Ana County narrowly approved a gross-receipts tax increase in April that will provide $49 million, about 25 percent of what’s needed to build the spaceport. In addition, UP Aerospace conducted its first successful launch into space in April.

But there were signs even then that all was not well. The Legislature’s approval was only begrudgingly given. And approval of the tax in Doña Ana County was so narrow that state officials realized they had a rough road ahead securing approval of tax increases in the more conservative Sierra and Otero counties. Though a tax in either county wouldn’t provide much money for the spaceport because neither is very populous, under state law Doña Ana County’s money can’t be spent unless another county also approves a tax increase.

In July, an accident at the California site where Virgin Galactic is building its spacecraft killed three people, reminding the commercial space industry of the dangers involved in its work. And spaceport Director Rick Homans, whose vision and tireless energy had carried the spaceport to that point, left for another job.

The plan is still moving forward. The state hired an architect to design the main terminal and Virgin Galactic’s facility in August, and, earlier this month, hired a new spaceport director. Sierra County commissioners have agreed to hold an election on the proposed tax increase in April. Officials are still optimistic, saying they’ll secure approval of the FAA license and break ground next year, but they must still sell the tax increase to Sierra County voters.

4. Citizens stand up to area growth policies

The first sign that not all Doña Ana County residents were on board with the area’s growth policies came in April, when rural voters mounted a serious challenge to the proposal to raise the gross receipts tax to help fund Spaceport America. It took some $150,000 from backers of the proposal to secure a 1.6-percent margin of victory.

Then in May, when the Las Cruces City Council was ready to quickly approve a massive East Mesa annexation that could double the city’s size, residents protested in force, arguing that there wasn’t enough public input and complaining about what they viewed as insider deals between the developer and public officials. The council approved the annexation and master plan for the development.

Opponents calling for “smart growth” organized. In November, they unleashed a well-funded and organized campaign and kicked Mayor Bill Mattiace and Councilor Jose Frietze out of office. A candidate they backed also picked up an open seat being vacated by Steve Trowbridge. Only Councilor Dolores Connor survived the onslaught.

The battle isn’t over. Ken Miyagishima’s mayoral victory means his council seat is up for grabs on Jan. 15. Those who backed Miyagishima are working hard to elect their candidate, but supporters of those who were kicked out of office in November got a big wake-up call and are working equally hard to elect the candidate they like. This will be another hotly contested race.

3. U.S. attorney scandal

When fired U.S. Attorney David Iglesias’ e-mail to a friend stating that he was “fragged” was leaked to the media in February, it set off a firestorm that eventually led to congressional hearings into whether the firings of eight U.S. attorneys were politically motivated. Contradictory statements and misinformation released by various members of the Bush Administration led many to wonder if there was something more nefarious being covered up.

The deeper question was whether the Bush Administration had allowed politics to influence investigations and indictments at the Justice Department. According to one scholarly analysis, six times as many Democratic public officials have been investigated and indicted during Bush’s tenure as Republicans.

The scandal helped contribute to the resignation of then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Iglesias says he was fired for refusing pressure applied by Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson to issue indictments in a public corruption probe involving high-ranking Democrats in time to sway voters in the November 2006 election. They say they didn’t pressure him. We may never know for certain.

2. Richardson’s presidential run

Support in the polls for the first serious presidential candidate from New Mexico fluctuated between insignificant and marginally significant during 2007, and he never quite broke into the top-tier of candidates – at least to date. With his misstatements and self-deprecating humor, Richardson had a difficult time convincing the national media and political insiders that his campaign should be taken seriously. With the Iowa Caucus approaching on Jan. 3, it doesn’t appear that Richardson’s presidential campaign will last more than a few weeks into 2008.

Still, it’s too early to count Richardson out and, even if he does lose, the governor can return to New Mexico with his head held high. He has worked at least as hard as any of the other candidates. His campaign produced clever and, at times, brilliant television commercials. He has raised a respectable amount of money.

If he loses, the question will be whether he will he remain governor of New Mexico or seek another high position in Washington. He insists he’ll remain governor until term limits force him out in 2010, but many doubt that a man some want to be vice president or secretary of state will instead choose to stay in New Mexico.

1. Domenici’s retirement

What else could top this list? A degenerative brain disease forced Domenici to announce in October that he will retire in 2008 after 36 years in office. That one decision set off a domino effect that is reshaping New Mexico’s political landscape. At the top, all three of New Mexico’s representatives in the United States House are seeking the Senate seat. The four open seats in Washington mean New Mexico is about to experience an unprecedented loss of experience and seniority, and it makes the state a huge focus of the national parties in 2008.

But the effect filters down far beyond that. Politicos seeking the U.S. House seats are leaving other elected positions, and the reshuffling filters all the way down to the local level.

Domenici, a giant in state and national politics who has helped shape national energy policy and brought lots of cash to New Mexico for more than three decades, is leaving a huge void. This state will sorely miss having him in Washington.

There is no way to overstate the effect of this one man’s retirement.