courtesy of Karl Terry

Back from Santa Fe
It only takes a short visit to Santa Fe and the Roundhouse where all the sausage gets made to reaffirm our appreciation for our area lawmakers. We had an outstanding Legislative Appreciation Dinner on Monday with our east-side legislators. Hosted by the Roosevelt and Curry Chambers, well over 100 folks attended, including several state-wide office-holders including Lt. Gov. John Sanchez. Besides a report from legislators Sen. Stuart Ingle, Sen. Pat Woods, Rep. Bob Wooley, Rep. Dennis Roch, Rep. George Dodge and Rep. Randy Crowder, we also heard from Xcel Energy and Pattern Energy on wind energy projects planned for Roosevelt and Curry counties.

Roch in his swan song
We learned back before the session began that Rep. Dennis Roch would not be running for re-election this fall so it was with some bit of trepidation that we heard from him for the last time at our Legislative Dinner. When he started his first of five terms in the House he had a bigger slice of Roosevelt County in his district, a different job and a very young family. Today he is Superintendent of Logan Schools, His family has grown to four as of this winter and thanks to Gerrymandering he now has the largest district in the state with only a fraction of it in Roosevelt County. With his education background he has been a strong advocate for public education even when that meant taking unpopular and politically risky stands. He has remained an strong ally to Roosevelt County during his career and has built a favorable reputation in Santa Fe and here at home. We hate to see him go but his family demands his attention and as he reminded us Monday he never planned on staying long. “Dirty diapers and politicians need to be changed regularly,” said Roch. We agree and wish him well.

Budget bill getting closer
Sen. Ingle told the crowd Monday that the budget bill was moving along and the increased revenues due to increased tax revenue from the oil and gas industry was making the process easier. The state’s reserves are one of the most important legislative considerations according to Ingle and he said it looked like the budget would leave approximately 10 percent in reserve. The House Appropriations and Finance Committee passed the $6.3 billion budget Tuesday and a vote before the full House of Representatives was scheduled to take place Wednesday. The budget as proposed is about a 4.1 percent increase with a 2 percent pay increase to most state workers and a 2.5 percent increase to teachers along with merit bonuses for the best teachers. The rub may be in the increases provided for District Attorneys and crime-fighting initiatives. The Albuquerque Journal reports that Gov. Susana Martinez is already threatening retribution for what she is calling a “soft-on-crime budget.” Stay tuned, if it’s happening in Santa Fe it’s never easy.

More on education
The Albuquerque Chamber reports that HB180 will be introduced on Friday. It seeks to focus school spending on the classroom and lessen the budget impacts of reporting and other bureaucracy. The initiative is coming on the heels of a Think New Mexico study. This sounds like a lot to accomplish with time so short but we embrace the notion at first glance. Among the bills co-sponsors are our own Roch and Dodge.

Other initiatives to watch
Legislation is moving forward on removing statute of limitations on second-degree murder. It’s a get-tough-on-crime measure that sounds good. Senate Joint Resolution 1 that seeks to strip the power to appoint university regents from the governor and place it in the hands of a nomination commission was passed out of Senate Rules Committee Monday. If this measure passes it would go to voters in the fall in a constitutional amendment. Another initiative worth watching is a move to add $49 million to the General Obligation Bond measure on the ballot this fall. The GO bond is a big source of capital project money for ENMU and we need to study carefully how this might affect that whole process.

Follow the Roundhouse online
You can easily follow bills you’re interested in or watch online sessions and committee meetings at https://nmlegis.gov