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The New Mexico Senate is scheduled to meet at noon today. Expect caucus meetings again as Democrats decide what to do. They’ve twice voted to adjourn sine die since Richardson called the session on March 17. They might do that again – the votes are there. The might decide they don’t want to come back every three days, and vote to stand in recess until the end of the session and let time expire on it. Continue Reading
Here’s the schedule for Gov. Bill Richardson’s time in Texas this week and New Hampshire next week, as released by his campaign: Thursday, March 29 WHEN: 7:00 p.m. (MDT) WHAT: The Governor will receive an award and deliver a speech at the Sembrador Del Bien Awards Dinner WHERE: Headstart Conference Center, 11670 Chito Samaniego, El Paso, TX Friday, March 30 WHEN: Evening WHAT: Fundraising and other closed campaign activities WHERE: Dallas, TX All New Hampshire Times EDT Wednesday, April 4 WHEN: 8:00 a.m. WHAT: Meet-and-greet WHERE: Consuelos Taqueria, 36 Amherst Street, Manchester, NH WHEN: 2:30 p.m. WHAT: Town Meeting WHERE: New England College, Simon Center Great Room, 24 Bridge Street, Henniker, NH WHEN: 6:00 p.m. WHAT: Speech to College Democrats WHERE: Dartmouth College, Alumni Hall, Hanover, NH Thursday, April 5 WHEN: 8:00 a.m. WHAT: Town Meeting WHERE: Littleton Community Center, 141 Main Street, Littleton, NH WHEN: 9:30a.m. WHAT: School Assembly WHERE: White Mountain Regional School, 14 King Square, Whitefield, NH WHEN: 12 noon WHAT: Meet-and-greet WHERE: Tea Birds Café, 101 Main Street, Berlin, NH WHEN: 2:30pm WHAT: Town Meeting WHERE: Benz Center, 18 Heard Road, Center Sandwich, NH Continue Reading
Gov. Bill Richardson was funny and competent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Wednesday night. During an appearance that was technically tied to the paperback release of his book “Between Worlds: The Making of an American Life,” Richardson managed to get in his familiar points about experience and policy while also cracking a few jokes and taking Stewart’s shots in a lighthearted manner. Stewart started by asking Richardson, “What will be the secret that derails your campaign?” Richardson didn’t really answer, but said his campaign has shown progress. “I started below the margin of error, and now I’m moving up,” he said. “… We’re in the second tier, but I’m doing better.” When discussing the world leaders with whom he’s negotiated, Richardson mentioned Saddam Hussein, the Taliban and North Korea’s leader. Continue Reading
An e-mail that was originally overlooked by congressional investigators but rediscovered this week provides further insight into Karl Rove’s involvement in replacing former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias. The e-mail, written to Rove from U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici’s chief of staff, Steve Bell, is dated Jan. 8. Domenici had already recommended four candidates to replace Iglesias, and the e-mail indicated that a fifth name was coming. “To repeat (name redacted) is our overwhelming choice and will take the job,” the e-mail states. Continue Reading
ABC-7 reporter Jayme Rubenstein conducted lengthy interviews Wednesday with two Doña Ana County commissioners about whether voters should approve a 1/4 percent increase in the gross receipts tax to help fund Spaceport America. Commissioner Kent Evans argued for the tax and Commissioner Oscar Vasquez Butler argued against it. Both made now-familiar points, but the in-depth interviews are worth your time if you can watch them. Click here to watch the 21-minute video. Continue Reading
This is the second in a series of articles examining the issues surrounding the April 3 election on whether to raise the gross receipts tax 1/4 percent in Doña Ana County to help fund Spaceport America. Many opponents of the proposed gross receipts tax increase that would help fund Spaceport America claim they support the project, but not the tax. Many tax supporters are quick to counter that people don’t support the spaceport if they don’t support the tax, because, without that funding source, there won’t be enough money to construct the spaceport. Interviews with state lawmakers reveal that, at the very least, securing additional funding from the state would be difficult. The state has already pitched in about $115 million toward the project’s estimated $198 million cost. Another $25 million Gov. Bill Richardson wants from lawmakers has encountered steep resistance for two years, but he has pledged to fund it from his share of capital outlay money next year if lawmakers don’t approve it during the languishing special session. Continue Reading
Lt. Gov. Diane Denish signed into law today a bill designed to stabilize the state’s scandal-plagued regional housing authority system while officials determine the next course of action. “It is a good day,” Denish said after the bill signing. The bill takes effect immediately, so the housing authorities have been stripped of bonding authority and now have significant oversight. The legislation doesn’t help restart authorities in Albuquerque and Las Cruces that have shut down. It instead places immediate checks on those that are still functioning and funds an audit of the system to determine the appropriate course of action. Continue Reading
While in Las Cruces on Thursday, Gov. Bill Richardson will sign bills related to “child and family safety” and lead a rally in support of the proposal to raise the gross receipts tax to help fund Spaceport America, according to a news release from his office. The governor’s office refused to release information about the bills that will be signed. The rally and bill signing will be held at 3:30 p.m. at the governor’s Las Cruces office, located at 505 South Main Street, Suite 145. It will be the governor’s second rally in Las Cruces in support of the spaceport tax and his fourth trip to Las Cruces since announcing on Jan. 21 that he’s running for president. Continue Reading
Gov. Bill Richardson says the United States must do more to prevent a “nuclear 9/11,” a threat he says the Bush Administration has ignored. Richardson made the remarks today while giving a policy speech on his plan to prevent nuclear terrorism at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C. You can read Richardson’s remarks by clicking here. You can listen to his speech by clicking here. He said the United States must help secure nuclear material in the former Soviet Union and work to prevent such material from getting into the hands of terrorists, according to the Associated Press. Richardson said it isn’t practical to support a nuclear-free world, but said reduction and securing of weapons are reasonable goals. Continue Reading
Former state Treasurer Robert Vigil will get as much as another three weeks of freedom. He was originally ordered to report to prison today to begin serving his 37-month sentence for a conviction on attempted extortion, but the Bureau of Prisons hasn’t yet figured out where to house him, the Albuquerque Journal is reporting. U.S. District Judge James Browning recommended prisons in Florence, Colo., or Austin, Texas, the newspaper reported. He gave Vigil another 21 days of freedom, unless the bureau assigns him to a facility before then, in which case he’ll have to report as soon as that happens. Continue Reading
Gov. Bill Richardson will make a brief appearance in New Mexico on Thursday between presidential campaign trips. Some of that time will be spent in Las Cruces. Richardson returns to New Mexico late Wednesday. Sometime Thursday, he will appear in Las Cruces for at least one public event, I’m told, but I don’t yet have details. He then heads to Texas for a number of campaign events. Continue Reading
There’s talk of a compromise between Gov. Bill Richardson and a defiant Senate on the special session, but no deal has been reached. Senators have to return by Thursday to decide whether to consider the proposals on the agenda or adjourn sine die for a third time. Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, D-Doña Ana and the majority whip, said a compromise being discussed would have the Senate vote Thursday to stand in recess until mid-April, a few days before the end of the 30-day session. That would allow senators a couple of weeks to rest and take care of personal business. “That would give us a chance to come back when we’re fresh,” Garcia said. Continue Reading
With Gov. Bill Richardson out of the state for his presidential campaign, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish will sign into law Wednesday a bill that will overhaul the state’s scandal-plagued regional housing authorities. The signing ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. at the office of the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, 344 4th Street in Albuquerque. Senate Bill 519, sponsored by Sen. Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, keeps the regional housing authorities in existence, but puts in place extensive oversight: Bonding and eminent domain authority will belong to the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, not the housing authorities; the Department of Finance and Administration and state treasurer will have roles in administering finances; and the authorities will be required to submit quarterly audits – most agencies have to submit them annually – to the DFA. The bill appropriates $200,000 to the state auditor to fund audits of the seven regional housing authorities to determine the extent of mismanagement that led to the system crumbling in scandal last year. That work must be complete by Dec. Continue Reading
If you’re interested, here’s video of Gov. Bill Richardson’s speech on Saturday to Human Rights Campaign in Los Angeles – one of the two now-infamous gay-rights speeches he gave over the weekend. During the speech, he spoke about what is happening – or not happening – at home with domestic partner benefits. “The reason I have to leave is I called in my New Mexico Legislature into a special session to keep pushing my agenda, which is a full domestic partner rights act,” Richardson told the group, to applause. “… That’s why I’m going back home. … so if you excuse me after my speech, I have to go because I have to do this work.” As Steve Terrell has already pointed out on his blog, Richardson failed to mention he was headed to New York for campaign events, not back to New Mexico for the special session. Continue Reading
It has been difficult to keep track of Gov. Bill Richardson’s travels around the nation as he campaigns for president. At least some of that appears to be intentional ducking, but the campaign chalks some of it up to e-mail glitches. Richardson, in response to a direct question from a reporter about his schedule for the week, failed to mention last Tuesday that he was leaving town that night for a campaign event. Anger over that – Richardson called lawmakers back to Santa Fe for a special session as he was leaving the state – was a key factor in the Senate’s decision to revolt and adjourn sine die. Though word that he was leaving the state leaked out Tuesday, the campaign didn’t officially release last week’s travel schedule until Wednesday, even though Richardson had already left the state. Continue Reading