Committee OKs bill that would ease ballot access

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The House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee has given a big boost to a bill that would provide an alternate method for major-party candidates to get on the ballot in New Mexico. It also gave what is likely a death blow to a competing and controversial bill. Rep. Al Park’s proposal, House Bill 190, received a unanimous “do pass” vote on Tuesday from the committee, of which he is a member. It now moves to the Voters and Elections Committee, chaired by Rep. Jose Campos, whose competing bill was tabled on a 5-2 vote on Tuesday. Campos told the Santa Fe New Mexican that he doesn’t like Park’s bill, but will probably vote for it after his House Bill 203 was tabled. Continue Reading

Guv ‘might… might not’ endorse before Tuesday

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The endorsement of Gov. Bill Richardson is a prize being sought by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and Richardson says he may or may not endorse before Tuesday’s caucus in New Mexico. Is he does issue an endorsement, he’ll do it by the end of the week, he told the Washington Post. “I might. I might not. How’s that for an answer?” the newspaper quoted Richardson as saying on Monday. Continue Reading

Obama, Wiviott, Heinrich win straw poll

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Straw-poll victories are signs of organizational strength, so the campaigns of Barack Obama, Don Wiviott and Martin Heinrich have to be pleased with their success in a straw poll taken Tuesday evening in Sandoval County. In the presidential race, Obama topped Hillary Clinton with 50 votes to her 41 after Javier Gonzales, chairman of the New Mexico Highlands Board of Regents, spoke for Obama. John Edwards, who is dropping out of the race today (click here to read about that), received 28 votes. In the Third Congressional District race, Wiviott received 50 votes. Ben R. Luján came in second with 33 votes. Continue Reading

Obama, Clinton unveil new N.M. endorsements

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A number of elected officials from Doña Ana County and around New Mexico endorsed Barack Obama today, while the mayors of several New Mexico cities and two other officials announced their backing of Hillary Clinton in the Feb. 5 Democratic Caucus. In the battle for city leaders, the Obama campaign announced today the endorsements of Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima and Sunland Park Mayor Jesus “Ruben” Segura at a news conference in Las Cruces. Meanwhile, mayors David Coss of Santa Fe, Joe Maestas of Española, Henry Sanchez of Las Vegas, Bobby Duran of Taos, Orlando Ortega of Portales and Ravi Bhasker of Socorro endorsed Clinton during a conference call with reporters today. Though Clinton arguably has more high-profile New Mexico endorsements, Obama has a greater number of endorsements from public officials, including the backing of 10 elected officials from Doña Ana County, the second-most-populous county in the state. Continue Reading

Bill Clinton to campaign at UNM on Thursday

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Former President Bill Clinton’s public rally for his wife’s presidential campaign will be held Thursday at 3 p.m. at the Johnson Center on the University of New Mexico campus in Albuquerque. His “Solutions for America” rally will kick off a series of public events in advance of New Mexico’s Democratic Caucus, which is being held a week from today. The public is invited to attend the event at UNM, and doors open at 3 p.m. Those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP online by clicking here or by calling (877) 447-2408. Clinton plans to host a private fundraiser in Santa Fe before the public event in Albuquerque. Clinton’s Thursday visit will be followed by a Friday visit from Barack Obama, who will hold public events in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Continue Reading

Public financing bill introduced in House

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It looks like the House will consider expanding the state’s voluntary public financing system during the current session after all. On Monday, state Rep. Gail Chasey, D-Albuquerque, introduced House Bill 564, which would expand the system to include statewide offices. The bill has been assigned to the Voters and Elections Committee and must also pass the Appropriations and Finance Committee before it can head to the House floor for a vote. Progressives and ethics-reform proponents are lobbying hard for this bill, which was not originally included on the list of ethics-reform proposals legislative leaders would allow consideration on during the current session. Gov. Bill Richardson has approved the consideration of the expansion of the public financing system during the 30-day session that’s underway. Continue Reading

N.M. leaders urge action following Bush speech

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New Mexico’s members of Congress had mixed reactions to President Bush’s last State of the Union address on Monday, but all urged action and expressed hope that important issues can be addressed during the coming year. Bush focused much of his time on the war, economy and taxes, and again called for immigration reform and an end to congressional earmarks. You can read the full text of his speech here. U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, in a news release, said Bush outlined good policy initiatives and urged Congress to act. “President Bush sent a very clear message that he intends to work up to the very end of his term pushing what he believes will make us a stronger nation,” Domenici said. Continue Reading

Which Dem has the advantage in N.M. on Feb. 5?

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A dearth of polling has New Mexicans in the dark about who is likely to win the Feb. 5 Democratic Party Caucus in this state. The only poll of the state’s Democratic voters was conducted in September for the Albuquerque Journal. But the dynamic of the race has shifted since then, with the rise in popularity of Barack Obama and, most important in New Mexico, the exit from the race of Gov. Bill Richardson. The Journal poll had Richardson at 44 percent, Hillary Clinton at 17 percent, and Obama and John Edwards each at 8 percent. Continue Reading

A more polished Kissling focuses on issues in 2008

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This is the third in an occasional series of articles based on conversations with the Second Congressional District candidates. Articles on each candidate who agrees to an interview will run before the parties’ preprimary nominating conventions in March. U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce labeled his only 2006 opponent, Democrat Al Kissling, as “bizarre,” and the label stuck. In 2008, Kissling is a different and better candidate. He’s more polished. Continue Reading

Bill Clinton to campaign in N.M. on Thursday

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Former President Bill Clinton will be in New Mexico on Thursday to campaign for his wife. Kristin Lee, spokeswoman for Hillary Clinton’s campaign, confirmed that Bill Clinton will be in New Mexico on that day but released no details about time and location. The visit will come the day before Barack Obama campaigns in New Mexico. The Obama campaign has already announced on its Web site that Obama will be in Santa Fe, and a source tells me he will also visit Albuquerque. Hillary Clinton is expected to visit the state late this week or over the weekend, but Lee would release no details about the senator’s visit. Continue Reading

Group wants legislators to back public financing

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Common Cause New Mexico on Friday passed out its Voters First Pledge to every state lawmaker, asking them to promise to support voluntary public financing for statewide races. The group will begin lobbying lawmakers today to sign the pledge. Common Cause’s planned 2008 ethics reform scorecard will grade lawmakers based in part on whether they sign the pledge. “The public is losing faith in the political process. Some politicians appear to care more about what lobbyists and powerful interests think than about the pressing problems faced by most New Mexicans,” the pledge states. Continue Reading

Obama to visit N.M. Friday; no word on Clinton visit

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Barack Obama will visit New Mexico on Friday, with the time and location for a stop in Santa Fe yet to be announced, and sources tell me to expect Hillary Clinton to visit the state late this week or this weekend. A posting on Obama’s Web site confirms that he will be in the state capitol on Friday but provides no other details. The Clinton campaign has promised that the senator will visit before next week’s Feb. 5 Democratic caucus, but there’s no official word on the date of a Clinton visit. Neither campaign has responded to requests for more information about the candidates’ visits. Continue Reading

Obama wins this site’s non-scientific poll

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Barack Obama won last week’s non-scientific poll on this site, but Hillary Clinton was a close second. Of 219 voters, 96, or 44 percent, said Obama will win the New Mexico Democratic Caucus on Feb. 5, while 77 voters, or 35 percent, said Clinton will win. The only other candidate still in the race, John Edwards, received 20 votes, or 9 percent. Bill Richardson received 21 votes, or 10 percent; Dennis Kucinich and Chris Dodd each received two votes, or 1 percent; and Joe Biden received one vote, or less than 1 percent. Continue Reading

Guv rejects ethics proposals from AG and Cervantes

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Gov. Bill Richardson won’t allow discussion during the current legislative session on four ethics bills being jointly proposed by Attorney General Gary King and state Rep. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the governor said Richardson has yet to decide whether to allow consideration of another bill Cervantes wants to sponsor that would open legislative conference committees to the public. King and Cervantes jointly asked the governor to allow deliberation on four bills: • A wide-ranging proposal that would increase the criminal penalties for public corruption crimes, campaign reporting violations and other violations related to ethics in government. • A bill that would amend the Inspection of Public Records Act to make clear that e-mail and fax are valid, written methods of requesting public records. • A bill that would create criminal penalties for violations of the public records act equal to the penalties for violations of the Open Meetings Act. Continue Reading

Wilson tries to set herself apart from Pearce, Udall

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U.S. Senate candidate Heather Wilson urged young people to get involved in the political process and took a few shots at her opponents during a visit with college Republicans at New Mexico State University on Thursday. Seeking to set herself apart, the Republican representative of the Albuquerque-area First Congressional District characterized U.S. Rep. Tom Udall as “too liberal” and a poor leader. She said U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, under the guise of fiscal conservatism, won’t boost funding for any program, even when additional money is necessary for measures like increasing the number of Border Patrol agents. “I think we need a commonsense conservative,” Wilson said. She called Pearce, who she’s facing in the GOP primary, a friend with whom she agrees on many issues. Continue Reading