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UPDATED: A deal to balance the state’s budget fell apart in the early hours of the morning, and now some senators say that chamber has the signatures to call the Legislature into extraordinary session so lawmakers, not the governor, control the agenda. The question is whether the House will agree. Continue Reading
Heath Haussamen is going to spend much of the last four hours of the 2010 legislative session on the New Mexico Independent’s liveblog. Join him there. Continue Reading
The Legislature has sent two bills to the governor that would enact a state whistleblower protection law. Both pieces of legislation would protect public employees from retaliation for exposing wrongdoing. Continue Reading
Republican gubernatorial candidate Pete Domenici Jr. admitted on Wednesday that he has used illegal drugs in the past. Continue Reading
UPDATED: Pete Domenici Jr. on Wednesday said opponent Susana Martinez isn’t doing enough to set herself apart from the “corrupt” Richardson/Denish administration because she’s campaigning for governor while continuing to draw a salary as Dona Ana County’s district attorney. Continue Reading
UPDATED: The House has easily approved the creation of a publicly accessible, online database of financial information from government agencies in New Mexico that would include the names of exempt employees but not classified employees. Continue Reading
The clock is ticking. There are fewer than 15 hours left in the session, with some of that (probably) spent in recess so lawmakers can get some sleep. Here’s to hoping Sanchez calls the webcasting bills up for hearings before the clock runs out on Thursday. Continue Reading
The House easily approved a bill today that would punish government agencies that don’t submit timely audits by temporarily withholding some of their funding. Continue Reading
Two pieces of legislation that would expand webcasting are on the Senate calendar today. Senate Resolution 1, sponsored by Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, is No. 11 on today’s calendar. House Joint Memorial 15, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Steinborn, D-Las Cruces, is No. 66. Continue Reading
Members of the Senate Finance Committee unanimously approved a proposal to create a state ethics commission this evening, but not before stripping funding for the proposal. And activist groups that are concerned about secrecy provisions in the bill aren’t supporting it, at least in its current version. Continue Reading
The House Appropriations and Finance Committee has given a do-pass recommendation to a proposal to create a state “Sunshine Portal,” so the bill needs only approval on the House floor before it heads to the governor for action. Continue Reading
Without debate, the Senate Rules Committee today gave a do-pass recommendation to a memorial that would direct Legislative Council Service to begin webcasting interim committee meetings. Continue Reading
A district judge has dismissed half of the charges against Public Regulation Commissioner Jerome Block Jr. and his father, a former PRC member, ruling that the attorney general overstepped his authority with the indictments. Continue Reading
Hundreds of people showed up in Las Cruces today for an official U.S. Senate hearing on the proposal from Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, D-N.M., to protect more than 300,000 acres of land in Doña Ana County. Continue Reading
State Rep. Dianne Hamilton is standing by her recent column published on this site in which she claimed that two same-day voter registration bills would have allowed people to register without providing some form of photo ID or another document such as a utility bill. Continue Reading