Guv pushed on planned Cruces veterans museum

Gov. Bill Richardson is drawing sharp criticism and heavy lobbying after saying on Friday that he hasn’t decided whether to sign a bill that would create a veterans museum in Las Cruces.

Sen. Leonard Lee Rawson, R-Las Cruces and the sponsor of Senate Bill 349, said Richardson previously promised in front of several witnesses to sign the bill. In addition, he said, two of the governor’s cabinet secretaries testified in support of the bill during the session.

“How can he not honor his word? This should in itself be the end of the discussion,” Rawson wrote in an e-mail. “His commitment and word are evidenced by the fact that both the secretary of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and the secretary of the Department of Cultural Affairs were actively testifying in support of the bill.”

Richardson told reporters during a visit to Las Cruces on Friday that he had received negative reaction from veterans around the state – which he later clarified to mean Rio Rancho – to the museum being in Las Cruces, so he hadn’t made a decision on whether to sign the bill.

The Las Cruces Sun-News urged Richardson in a Saturday editorial to sign the bill. Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima is calling on constituents to lobby the governor.

Here are the facts: Six of the state’s eight museums are north of Interstate 40. One third of New Mexico’s veterans live in Doña Ana County. The local delegation has already secured $1.5 million in capital outlay for the museum and a $200,000 annual operating budget.

That’s why the Legislature approved the bill. That’s why Richardson’s staffers pushed for approval of the bill. There had been widespread agreement on locating the museum in Las Cruces.

So what’s going on?

It’s no secret that Rawson and Richardson have been at odds with each other for years, but their relationship has been especially contentious this year as the Senate and executive are locked in a power struggle. Richardson is currently looking for bargaining chips to get reluctant lawmakers to approve or at least seriously consider his health-care plan.

He’s meeting with Senate leaders on Thursday to try to work out an agreement on when to hold a special session for health-care reform. Rawson, the minority whip, told me he won’t even attend the meeting.

“Why should I go to Santa Fe just to tell him ‘no?’” Rawson asked.

Rawson isn’t alone. Few believe a special session, at this point, would lead to serious health-care reform.

In the meantime, the state’s veterans have been promised a museum. The majority of legislators and two of the governor’s cabinet secretaries have already agreed that Las Cruces is the best place for it. The state’s veterans deserve better than the use of their planned museum as a political bargaining chip.

Update, 1 p.m.

State Rep. Jeff Steinborn, D-Las Cruces, who carried a mirror version of Rawson’s bill in the House, said Richardson told him and Rawson he supported making Doña Ana County the home of the state veterans museum. Steinborn said it was he who crafted the legislation along with the state’s Cultural Affairs Department.

“Nobody has done more for the veterans of New Mexico than Gov. Richardson and I know his administration shares the dream of telling veterans’ stories,” Steinborn said. “The governor has also said to both myself and Sen. Rawson that he was supportive of Doña Ana County being the home of this museum. He just wants to make sure it’s done right. We believe we’ve done that.”

“I’m hopeful that the governor will continue to be supportive of Doña Ana County being the home of this new state museum,” Steinborn said.