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Negotiations on housing overhaul bill continue

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Heavy negotiating continues on a proposal to remake the state’s troubled affordable housing system. Shortly after House Democrats emerged from their secret caucus this afternoon, Speaker of the House Ben Lujan spoke with Minority Leader Tom Taylor, R-Farmington, on the House floor. Immediately after that, Reps. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, and Al Park, D-Albuquerque, began negotiations with Taylor on two amendments the Democratic caucus is proposing. I’ve been unable to speak with any of the three about the negotiations. Continue Reading

Harrison to resign House seat at end of session

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Rep. Irvin Harrison, D-Gallup, submitted his resignation to the secretary of state’s office today. Harrison’s resignation will be effective upon the end of the session Saturday at noon. He’s resigning to move to Santa Fe and take a job as a staff assistant to Public Regulation Commissioner Carol K. Sloan. “I want to thank the residents of Gallup, McKinley County and San Juan County for their confidence in me over the past few years,” Harrison said in a news release. “It has been an honor to be their representative.” It will be up to the governor to appoint a replacement based on recommendations from the San Juan and McKinley county commissions. Continue Reading

Cervantes’ is first ethics bill to pass House and Senate

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A bill sponsored by Rep. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, became today the first in a package of ethics reform proposals to pass both the House and Senate. Minor changes made by the Senate, however, mean it has to go back to the House for concurrence before it heads to the governor for a signature. According to Sen. John Grubesic, D-Santa Fe, who presented the bill for Cervantes, the representative has agreed to the changes the Senate made today. The Senate vote on the bill was 35-0. There was very little debate. Continue Reading

Senators smell something fishy, table tilapia farm bill

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A number of senators smelled something fishy in a proposal that had been on the fast-track through the Legislature to fund a fish farm in Hidalgo County. After a lengthy discussion, they tabled a bill related to the proposal on Thursday night. Senate Bill 1130, sponsored by President Pro Tem Ben Altamirano, D-Silver City, would have set aside $30 million in state funds to back a loan for a company. The bill, which had the backing of Gov. Bill Richardson, was indefinitely tabled. It’s one of at least six bills that until Thursday had been moving quickly through the system. Continue Reading

House Dems, GOP negotiating housing compromise

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House Democrats emerged about 1 p.m. from their secret caucus meeting after almost three hours behind closed doors. Most had grim faces. Many wouldn’t talk to reporters and looked away as we tried to speak to them. They are now proposing a compromise on the proposal to remake the state’s affordable housing system. Some House Democrats are negotiating with the leadership of the House Republicans right now. Continue Reading

Senate tempers flare; House Dems meet in secret

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Tempers are flaring in the Senate, but the rest of the Roundhouse is eerily quiet today as House Democrats continue a secret caucus meeting that has lasted more than two hours already. A few moments ago, during a debate of a bill relating to the U.S. Border Patrol, Sens. Joe Carraro, R-Albuquerque, and Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, got into it. I wasn’t there to witness it (a sergeant-at-arms for some reason locked the door to the Senate media gallery and kept me out) but apparently Carraro threw a fit after Sanchez called him a liar. Lt. Gov. Diane Denish had to call the sergeant-at-arms and threaten to remove Carraro. Continue Reading

Opponents might be swayed on housing overhaul bill

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The House Business and Industry Committee didn’t take up this morning a bill that would remake the state’s troubled housing authority system, but shortly after the meeting, two committee members who have previously opposed the proposal said they might be willing to change their minds. The committee plans to meet again later today. Senate Bill 519, sponsored by Sen. Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, would fund an investigation to determine the extent of mismanagement that led to the housing authority system crumbling in scandal last year, and would also replace the authorities with a new system overseen by the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority. The committee recessed at about 9:30 a.m. so its Democratic members could attend a caucus meeting. Before the caucus meeting started, Papen spoke with the committee’s vice-chair, Rep. George Hanosh, D-Grants, and asked him to consider changing his vote. Continue Reading

Foley says he has the votes to blast out housing bill

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House Minority Whip Dan Foley, R-Roswell, says House Republicans have enough votes to blast a bill that would remake the state’s troubled housing authority system out of the Business and Industry Committee if its members don’t OK the proposal when they meet at 8:30 a.m. Friday morning. Senate Bill 519, sponsored by Sen. Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, would fund an investigation to determine the extent of mismanagement that led to the housing authority system crumbling in scandal last year, and would also replace the authorities with a new system overseen by the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority. The committee earlier killed its mirror bill, House Bill 997, sponsored by Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones, R-Albuquerque, and has left Papen’s bill in limbo, but Foley noted that a number of Democrats, including Speaker of the House Ben Lujan and the committee’s chair, Rep. Debbie Rodella, D-Ohkay Owingeh, signed on to Arnold-Jones’ bill before the committee killed it. It would take all Republicans and eight House Democrats to bring the bill out of committee and to the House floor. “Judging by the number of Democrats who signed on to House Bill 997, we believe we have ample votes to bring it to the House floor if we have to,” Foley said this evening. Continue Reading

Richardson leaves capital outlay bill intact

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Gov. Bill Richardson left intact a $622-million capital outlay package approved by lawmakers in signing it this evening. The decision to not veto any funding in the bill might offset some of the vetoes I wrote about earlier this evening that might upset some lawmakers. Richardson did chop some words from funding items, but left the funding intact. “I have signed this capital outlay package without any vetoes as a sign of good will, and I urge the Legislature to move quickly to pass the remaining priorities, including minimum wage, tax cuts, ethics reform, GRIP II and the housing authority reform bill,” Richardson said in a news release. Here’s a copy of the governor’s message to the Senate: March 15, 2007 SENATE EXECUTIVE MESSAGE NO. Continue Reading

Committee won’t hear housing overhaul bill tonight

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Following a day of tense negotiations in which it appeared at one point a deal might have been struck, the House Business and Industry Committee won’t meet tonight to reconsider approval of a bill that would remake the state’s troubled housing authority system. Senate Bill 519, sponsored by Sen. Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, might still be heard when the committee meets Friday morning. But House Republicans and others who are pushing the proposal are growing increasingly frustrated. Earlier today, they were told the committee would hear the bill tonight. Talk of blasting the bill out of committee is becoming louder, and lobbying for the votes to do it has been heavy. Continue Reading

Richardson vetoes might lead to override attempt

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Gov. Bill Richardson signed today the state’s $5.6 billion budget, but not before vetoing about $57 million in spending. You can read the version of the budget submitted by Richardson today by clicking here. Lawmakers have until noon on Saturday to override his vetoes. Richardson returned from a presidential-campaign trip to the East Coast late Wednesday, and sources say he worked through the night on the budget. It was submitted to the secretary of state’s office at 6:57 a.m. – not long before it would have taken effect without his signature. Continue Reading

GOP lawyer: Iglesias failed to probe voter fraud claim

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A lawyer representing U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., asked former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias last year to investigate allegations that a Bernalillo County elections worker added fraudulent ballots that benefited the congresswoman’s re-election bid. Iglesias did nothing with the allegations, Wilson’s attorney, Patrick J. Rogers, said. If that’s true, it could be interpreted, in light of other complaints about failed investigations and prosecutions, to suggest that Iglesias was ineffective as U.S. attorney, and could be used to bolster defense of his ouster. It could also be interpreted as evidence that Iglesias ignored the allegations because they involved a fellow Republican and someone who he considered, at the time, a friend. In a Nov. Continue Reading

Richardson optimistic about some ethics bills

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Gov. Bill Richardson says he’s optimistic that four of his ethics reform proposals will be approved before the end of the session. He said at a news conference today that he is most optimistic about three proposals: • Limitations on gifts. Senate Bill 931, sponsored by John Grubesic, D-Santa Fe, and House Bill 819, sponsored by Rep. Gail Chasey, D-Albuquerque, have passed their own chambers but are awaiting approval in the other. • Campaign contribution limits. The Senate has approved Senate Bill 800, sponsored by Sen. Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque, which places limits on campaign contributions to candidates for offices and political action committees. Continue Reading

Richardson signs whistleblower protection bill

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Gov. Bill Richardson signed today a bill that would give citizens, including government employees, protection and incentive to expose government officials and contractors who defraud taxpayers. “This bill sends a strong message to those who would try to cheat the taxpayers and the state of their money,” Richardson said at today’s ceremony. “Crime doesn’t pay.” House Bill 770, sponsored by Rep. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, protects those who opt to sue the state in an attempt to expose government corruption. Such a lawsuit, when filed, would remain sealed and would be presented to the state agency with authority to prosecute or file civil suit – the attorney general or district attorney, in most instances. Under the provisions in the bill, the agency could prosecute or sue, and the citizen would be compensated. Continue Reading

Heavy negotiating could resurrect housing bill

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House Republicans, the lieutenant governor and others are putting heavy pressure on Speaker of the House Ben Lujan to allow approval of a bill that would remake the state’s troubled housing authority system. In the meantime, Senate Bill 519, sponsored by Sen. Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, remains in limbo in the House Business and Industry Committee. At this point, all options are on the table, and there’s a lot of uncertainty. House Republicans spent much of Wednesday evening working on getting commitments that at least eight House Democrats would vote with them to bring the bill directly to the House floor for debate. I’m told several have agreed, but the exact number isn’t certain. Continue Reading