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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

Spaceport tax ramifications cannot be overstated

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There is widespread agreement that Spaceport America should be built; what is contentious is the proposal to raise the gross receipts tax in three counties to help fund it. This is the first in a series of guest columns I will run before the April 3 election on whether to raise the gross receipts tax in Doña Ana County to help fund the spaceport. I will run one in support of the tax increase, followed by one in opposition, back and forth, and plan to publish a roughly equal number on each side. Public officials and other readers are invited to participate in this debate. To submit a guest column for publication, e-mail me at heath@haussamen.com. 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

Opponents disingenuously use outdated audits in campaign against affordable housing overhaul

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Opponents of a bill that would remake the state’s affordable housing system are passing out a series of outdated audits in an apparent attempt to argue that the system doesn’t need a complete overhaul. Meanwhile Senate Bill 519, sponsored by Sen. Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, has not yet been scheduled for a hearing in the House Business and Industry Committee. Speaker of the House Ben Lujan and that committee have made moves in recent days most believe are designed to kill the proposal, though Lujan says that’s not his intent. On Sunday the committee, after at least two of its Democratic members spoke privately with Lujan, tabled the House version of Papen’s bill. Then on Monday, Lujan moved Papen’s bill from the Judiciary Committee to the Business and Industry Committee. Continue Reading

Chávez says Wilson won’t win another N.M. election

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Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez says U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., won’t win another election in New Mexico. His comments come in response to the growing scandal over allegations that Wilson and Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., pressured former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias to speed indictments in a public corruption scandal in time to sway voters in the November 2006 election. Chávez was quoted today by Congressional Quarterly, which is read by members of Congress and politicos in the nation’s capital and beyond, on the impact the scandal will have on Wilson’s career. “Heather Wilson will no longer be elected in New Mexico,” he said, adding that her actions were “reprehensible.” I was also interviewed for and quoted in the article. Chávez is a prominent Democrat who is currently raising money for a potential 2010 gubernatorial run against Lt. Gov. Diane Denish. Continue Reading

Richardson works to earn American Indian support

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Gov. Bill Richardson is working hard to earn the support of American Indians for his presidential bid. Since announcing his presidential run on Jan. 21, Richardson has made a series of visible moves that clearly support the causes of American Indians. George Hardeen, communications director for the Office of the President and Vice President of the Navajo Nation, said that’s nothing new: Richardson, he said, has provided “consistent support” for Navajos in his years in elected office, and that has won him many friends. “There’s always been a good deal of support for Gov. Richardson,” Hardeen said. Continue Reading

Richardson may have skipped full VP vetting in 2004

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In defending himself against currently vague allegations about inappropriate behavior toward women, Gov. Bill Richardson has repeatedly said he was vetted for vice president by the John Kerry campaign in 2004 and passed the test. Apparently, there’s some disagreement about whether that’s true. The Politico ran an in-depth article today looking at the allegations in which staffers of the former campaign talked about Richardson’s vetting process. Since announcing in January he was running for president, Richardson has been hampered by talk, particularly on liberal blogs, about unspecified and alleged problems with women. In an interview with the publication, Richardson called the talk about his behavior with women “mean-spirited” and said it has “no foundation.” But the publication notes that “many Democrats say gossip about Richardson’s personal behavior is an important factor in keeping an exceptionally well-credentialed politician – a former energy secretary and ambassador to the United Nations, who has been elected in a swing state – from entering the top tier of 2008 candidates.” Richardson said, “The Kerry people vetted me for vice president,” adding that he knew that because Washington lawyer and Democratic insider Jim Johnson “has said so.” The Politico got this comment from Johnson – “The Kerry campaign vetted Governor Richardson, and nothing was found that would have prevented him from being chosen as John Kerry’s vice presidential candidate” – but it came only after five days of phone calls and e-mails, and Johnson refused to elaborate or answer further questions. Continue Reading

New members chosen to lead LCPS school board

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The two new members of the Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education will be its president and vice president, board members decided at Tuesday’s meeting. The 3-2 vote to make Bonnie Votaw president and Connie Phillips vice president bucks tradition and further emphasizes the resounding message of voters in the February election that they want change. The women were joined in the vote by Board Member Gene Gant. Chuck Davis and Leonel Briseño voted against the motion, which came after a separate motion to make Davis president and Briseño vice president was defeated 3-2. Historically, the presidency has rotated between board members based on their district numbers. Continue Reading

House OKs ethics commission but doesn’t fund it

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A bill that would create a state ethics commission was overwhelmingly approved in the House today, but now heads to a Senate that has been reluctant to move on any ethics-reform proposals. House Bill 822, sponsored by Rep. Mary Helen Garcia, D-Las Cruces, would create a state ethics commission that has the authority to subpoena and investigate complaints against state officials, lobbyists and contractors.It was approved on a vote of 58-4. The bill originally funded the commission in fiscal year 2008 with $500,000, but the Appropriations and Finance Committee cut that provision from the bill on Tuesday. Garcia had previously told me there was a problem because the funding was not included in the budget bill, so I’m still trying to get an answer on how the commission would be funded. The bill will likely go, along with the rest of the ethics reform proposals, to the Senate Rules Committee, whose chair has worked hard to avoid hearings on the proposals this session. Continue Reading