For Richardson, clock starts ticking on budget today

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Gov. Bill Richardson’s office on the fourth floor of the Roundhouse remained largely empty on Sunday as his staffers sought to avoid accepting the state budget, which was given final legislative approval on Saturday. Meanwhile, the leadership in the Senate also decided to wait to deliver the bill to the governor’s office until this morning as a courtesy. That gives Richardson until Thursday morning to act on the bill, and gives the Legislature until noon on Saturday to override line-item vetoes. The Legislature hasn’t traditionally approved the budget in time for veto overrides before the end of the session, so the new move sets up the last week of the session to be even more hectic than usual. Continue Reading

Those who vote in poll like Denish in 2010

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The vast majority of those who voted in last week’s non-scientific poll on this site said they support Lt. Gov. Diane Denish’s bid to win the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial primary. Of 439 voters, 268, or 61 percent, said they support Denish, while 70, or 16 percent, said they support Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez. And 101 voters, or 23 percent, said they hope someone else jumps into the primary race. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading

Attempt to bring back affordable housing bill fails

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Supporters of a proposal to remake the state’s affordable housing system failed today in an attempt to have the House Business and Industry Committee reconsider a bill it had previously tabled. There’s a chance the bill will come back up for reconsideration, and two related bills have yet to be heard by the committee. Minority Leader Tom Taylor, R-Farmington and a member of the committee, made a motion today to bring back House Bill 997, sponsored by Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones, R-Albuquerque, for consideration. The bill was tabled last week on a vote of 6-5. On the same 6-5 vote, Taylor’s motion was shot down today. Continue Reading

Whistleblower protection bill awaits governor’s pen

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A bill that would give citizens, including government employees, protection and incentive to expose government officials and contractors who defraud taxpayers has been unanimously approved by the Senate. House Bill 770, sponsored by Rep. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, was approved Friday on a vote of 34-0, and now awaits the governor’s signature. It had been previously approved by the House on a vote of 66-0. Though it’s not officially part of the ethics reform package that has been moving through the Legislature, the bill would protect people like Frances Williams, a member of the former Region VII Housing Authority Board who first blew the whistle on the problems that eventually toppled the entire state system last year. After going to the governor’s office and then, when she received little response, to the media, Williams was nearly forced off the board by her peers and was sued by the former director of the Region III authority, Vincent “Smiley” Gallegos. Continue Reading

Governor gets budget with time for veto overrides

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The Legislature has sent the state budget to Gov. Bill Richardson for a signature in time to force him to act and still have an opportunity to override line-item vetoes before adjourning on Saturday. The House agreed to the compromises reached in a secret conference committee on Saturday with no debate, the Associated Press reported. Richardson has three days to act on the $5.65 billion state budget, or it becomes law without his signature. The quick approval of the budget was sought by some lawmakers so they would have time to override vetoes – a topic that has been a sore spot for many who have opposed Richardson and felt the wrath of his veto pen in the past. The conference committee made minor changes to the bill, the news service reported, in adding $8 million in programs and trimming $2 million from other programs. I’m still trying to find out whether lawmakers agreed to provide $500,000 to fund a state ethics commission, or killed the proposal by refusing to fund it. Continue Reading

Compromise reached on minimum wage increase

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The House and Senate appear to have reached a compromise on competing proposals to raise the state’s minimum wage. Essentially, the House gave in and agreed to most provisions the Senate wanted in approving the proposal on a vote of 40-29 on Saturday. As it stands now, Senate Bill 324, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Ben Altamirano, D-Silver City, would raise the minimum wage to $6.50 per hour in January 2008 and $7.50 per hour a year after that. It does not allow automatic cost-of-living increases and exempts agricultural workers. It prevents cities and counties that haven’t already raised their minimum wages above the state’s from doing so until 2010. Continue Reading

State GOP chair urged White House to fire Iglesias

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The chair of the Republican Party of New Mexico says he urged two White House staffers, including Bush political adviser Karl Rove, to fire former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, raising new questions about the White House’s involvement in the decision. In an interview with McClatchy Newspapers, Allen Weh said he complained in 2005 to a Rove aide about Iglesias, then, during a late 2006 visit to the White House, asked Rove about it. “Is anything ever going to happen to that guy?” Weh told the news service he asked Rove. “He’s gone,” Weh claims Rove replied. “I probably said something close to ‘Hallelujah,’” Weh told the news service. Continue Reading

Campos explains opposition to housing overhaul

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State Rep. Jose Campos, D-Santa Rosa, says he is working to defeat a proposal to remake the state’s affordable housing system because it’s too early to pass judgment on the housing authority system that crumbled last year in scandal. Campos has been passing out prior audits of some of the state’s seven housing authority regions to lawmakers this week as part of a campaign to defeat legislation that would scrap the authorities and replace them with a system overseen by the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority. He’s also one of six Democrats on the House Business and Industry Committee who voted on Sunday to table one of two bills that would put an end to the housing authorities. The legislation would also fund in-depth audits of each region by the Legislative Finance Committee, but Campos said he doesn’t want the LFC doing such an audit, and doesn’t trust a prior, damning report issued by the State Investment Council, which he said “is trying to cover their rear and they’re just going to put out whatever they can to cover it.” “I want an independent audit,” Campos said. “This is all political. Continue Reading

Scandal injects uncertainty into New Mexico politics

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At this point, it’s difficult to size up the impact of the scandal surrounding phone calls Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson made to former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, but that uncertainty, because of what’s at stake, has been enough to rock New Mexico politics. The scandal has the potential to set off a domino effect in which a number of state and local officials make runs at higher offices. Then again, it’s possible that nothing will happen. If you need a quick refresher on what’s been going on, click here. For the newest on the national implications, click here. Continue Reading

Cockfighting ban awaits Richardson’s signature

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A statewide ban on cockfighting is now awaiting the signature of Gov. Bill Richardson. The Senate voted 27-6 today to accept minor changes made to the bill by the House, which approved the ban Thursday. Senate Bill 10, sponsored by Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, D-Doña Ana, makes the first offense a petty misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in prison. A second offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison, and further offenses are fourth-degree felonies punishable by up to 18 months in prison. Once Richardson signs the bill, which he has said he will do, Louisiana will be the only state in the nation that doesn’t outlaw cockfighting. Continue Reading

Affordable housing overhaul supporters push bills

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The entire House Republican caucus and four Democrats have signed on to a new bill dropped late Thursday that would fund a widespread investigation of the state housing authority scandal by the Legislative Finance Committee and attorney general. In addition, the lieutenant governor is working to push through other proposals to overhaul the state’s affordable housing system. The new bill comes in response to recent moves most believe are attempts to kill other bills that would overhaul the affordable housing system. The Business and Industry Committee tabled House Bill 997, sponsored by Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones, R-Albuquerque, on Sunday. Then on Monday, Speaker of the House Ben Lujan moved its mirror bill, Senate Bill 519, sponsored by Sen. Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, to the same committee, which has not scheduled a hearing on the bill. Continue Reading

Senate approves statewide smoking ban

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A statewide ban on smoking in most public buildings was approved by the Senate on Thursday. House Bill 283, sponsored by Rep. Al Park, D-Albuquerque, now heads back to the House for concurrence after minor changes were made by a Senate committee. The House unanimously approved the bill last month. The Senate approved the ban on a vote of 27-9. “This is a monumental step toward better health for all New Mexicans,” Park said. Continue Reading

House approves statewide cockfighting ban

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On a vote of 49-20, the House has just approved a statewide ban on cockfighting. Minor amendments that cleaned up language in the bill, made by the House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee, mean it must return to the Senate for concurrence. The Senate previously approved the measure on a vote of 31-11, and Gov. Bill Richardson has said he will sign it. Senate Bill 10, sponsored by Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, D-Doña Ana, makes the first offense a petty misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in prison. A second offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison, and further offenses are fourth-degree felonies punishable by up to 18 months in prison. Continue Reading

Richardson signs surface owners protection act

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Gov. Bill Richardson signed today a bill that would require oil and gas companies to pay landowners for damage to their property caused by drilling. House Bill 827, sponsored by Rep. Andy Nuñez, D-Hatch, is a compromise on an issue that has been contentious for years but, in the end, actually had the endorsement of the oil and gas industry and ranchers. Under the compromise, the bill protects landowners who don’t own the mineral rights below their land, which is common in New Mexico. It requires the oil and gas industry to notify landowners 30 days prior to any oil and gas operations, to describe the operations, and to propose a surface use and compensation agreement. The landowner then has 20 days to accept, negotiate or reject the offer. Continue Reading

New Mexico won’t force impeachment proceedings

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New Mexico won’t be the state that sets in motion impeachment proceedings against President George W. Bush after nine Senate Democrats voted with Republicans today to kill a resolution that would have started the process. The resolution, if approved by the Senate and House, would have forced the U.S. House of Representatives to debate whether Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should be impeached. The vote to kill the resolution was 26-13. Technically, the Senate didn’t vote on whether to approve the resolution. The vote was to reject the Senate Judiciary Committee report that sent the bill to the Senate floor for a vote. Continue Reading