![\"Susana](\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Martinez-Susana-336x196.jpg\")
Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/p>
Gov. Susana Martinez<\/p><\/div>\n
“The governor has worked for over 60 days to negotiate a budget deal with Senate Democrats. However, it appears that Senate Democrats would rather play political games that could shut down the government rather than solve our budget challenges,” Martinez spokesman Michael\u00a0Lonergan said.<\/p>\n
“The governor believes we need to act now, and will therefore call a special session for Friday,” Lonergan said. “We hope it will be short, but that all depends on whether the Senate will take our pressing challenges seriously, including our crime issues, or if they will continue to play games.”<\/p>\n
One Senate Democrat was quick to fire back. In a comment posted on NMPolitics.net, Bill Soules of Las Cruces repeated a line he’s been posting on social media frequently: “Governor, where is the plan?”<\/p>\n
“We have been waiting and nothing has been presented,” Soules wrote. “Have there been any discussions with the House? Any budget bill would require an emergency clause and that means a supermajority of both chambers. When cuts are made, real people will be hurt.”<\/p>\n
The supermajority Soules refers to is a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate. At least some of the proposals being discussed would require such a vote for approval rather than a simple\u00a0majority.<\/p>\n
Legislative leaders and the governor’s administration have been negotiating behind closed doors on how to address the massive budget shortfall, but no deal is in place. The governor has insisted she won’t consider tax increases. Soules and many other\u00a0Democrats, meanwhile, have called for a plan that mixes cuts with tax hikes.<\/p>\n
The newest revenue projections leave the state short almost $600 million<\/a> to pay outstanding bills from the last fiscal year and fund\u00a0its\u00a0budget for the current year that began July 1.\u00a0Lawmakers and Martinez\u2019s administration are discussing taking\u00a0money from\u00a0the $219 million Tobacco Permanent Fund to address the shortfall. But that\u2019s\u00a0not nearly enough.<\/p>\n Negotiators have considered several budget proposals in recent days. In at least some of them,\u00a0higher education would face the steepest cuts. New Mexico State University<\/a> and the University of New Mexico<\/a> have already been preparing for a mid-year funding reduction from the state.<\/p>\n The judiciary and public K-12 education would also face significant cuts in several of the proposals. In anticipation of possible cuts, the courts announced Tuesday that they would cut mileage reimbursement rates<\/a> for all employees to save $500,000.<\/p>\n Martinez has\u00a0already directed state agencies under her direct control \u2014 which don\u2019t\u00a0include universities, schools or the judiciary\u00a0\u2014 to reduce spending by 5 percent<\/a>. She\u2019s urged agencies not under her control to do the same.<\/p>\n Shortly after the governor made her announcement on Wednesday, the National Education Association-New Mexico circulated a petition calling for no cuts to higher education or K-12 schools. The group said it would present signatures to leaders in Santa Fe on Friday.<\/p>\n “The success of New Mexico students is undermined by any further cuts,” the petition states.<\/p>\n During the special session, the governor will also\u00a0ask lawmakers to consider reinstating the death penalty<\/a>,\u00a0approving a bill to require life sentences<\/a> for people convicted of three violent felonies, and legislation that would allow a life sentence for those convicted of intentional child abuse resulting in the death of a child of any age.<\/p>\n Current law in New Mexico allows a life sentence for intentional abuse resulting in the death of a child under 12; the maximum penalty for intentional abuse resulting in the death of a child ages 12-17 is 18 years.<\/p>\n In New Mexico, a life sentence is defined as 30 years in prison.<\/p>\n The bills are sparked by\u00a0recent crimes that have shocked many New Mexicans — the killings of police officers in Hatch<\/a> and Alamogordo<\/a> and the killing in Albuquerque of 10-year-old Victoria Martens<\/a>, whose mother is among those charged in her death.<\/p>\n The special session comes weeks before an election in which control of the House and a handful of important Senate seats — including Soules’ — are up for grabs. For the past two years, Republicans have held the majority\u00a0the House for the first time in decades. Democrats hope to win control back this year and retain the majority in\u00a0the Senate.<\/p>\n During the session, Democratic lawmakers in particular could\u00a0be in the position of fighting for tax increases that may not be popular with voters and deciding whether to back crime bills\u00a0that have public support. And lawmakers are\u00a0banned from fundraising during the special session.<\/p>\n The governor’s political machine has long been\u00a0quick to hammer lawmakers for votes against her proposals in campaign mailers, radio ads, and sometimes even pricey TV ads.<\/p>\n Some Democrats have been quick to point out that increasing criminal penalties could necessitate\u00a0increased spending at a time when the state is cutting.<\/p>\n Senate Majority Whip Michael Padilla called for raising revenues in addition to cutting spending\u00a0in a recent commentary<\/a>. And he scoffed at the idea of considering crime legislation during the special session.<\/p>\n “Surely, that can only be meant to distract attention from the economic crisis created under her watch,” he wrote about Martinez. “To be contemplating any policy items other than fixing the budget shortfall is irresponsible.”<\/p>\nCrime bills<\/h3>\n
Election-year politics<\/h3>\n