Bill Richardson today line-item vetoed (PDF — check page 243) $945,000 to study the ecology of the Gila River. The funding was tied to the Arizona Water Settlements Act, which might provide 14,000 acre-feet of water per year. In addition, the act sets aside $66 million for water projects in southwest New Mexico. This is [...]

As I mentioned yesterday, our sports editor is in Albuquerque covering the State Girls Basketball Championship. So, I’ve been off my usual beat, covering softball and baseball. As a result, I haven’t been keeping up to date with all the political news happening around the state and country. Fortunately, your other New Mexico bloggers have. [...]

Democracy for New Mexico has the goods: SJR 5, the New Mexico impeachment resolution, passed the NM Senate Public Affairs Committee this afternoon by a vote of 3-2! Once again the hearing room was packed, with many left standing and even more trailing out into the hallway. Not one person spoke against the measure during [...]

I just got off the phone with Rep. Dianne Hamilton (R – Grant & Sierra) to talk about capital outlay projects, and she mentioned that the House Agriculture Committee would be hearing the cockfighting ban and medical marijuana bills this afternoon after the regular floor session. Hopefully Kate Nash will liveblog the debate again, but, [...]

Meant to link to this last week, but Heath Haussaman has a wonderful post online on opening conference committees: The truth is that public scrutiny of conference committees would make the job of lawmakers much more difficult. Their decisions would be questioned. They would be challenged to act in a more ethical manner. A wise [...]

Heath Haussamen reported last night that we may be headed for a repeat of last year’s minimum wage outcome: The move sets up the same clash between the House and Senate that led to no minimum wage increase being approved in the 2006 legislative session. “I think we’ll leave this session without a minimum wage [...]

According to Heath Haussamen (who may still be in Santa Fe) the competing bills for an increased minimum wage are being discussed this afternoon: Competing minimum wage bills sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Ben Altamirano and Speaker of the House Ben Lujan will both be heard in a House committee today. Senate Bill 324 [...]

Heath has a good roundup of the status of various ethics reform bills: Perhaps there’s reason to hope New Mexico will take steps to clean up governmental ethics this year. Several of the reform bills introduced just over a week ago in the House have been endorsed by committees this week and are moving forward. [...]

Kate Nash is liveblogging the debate, with the last update just minutes ago: We’re back. It’s 4:28 p.m. and the Senate seems posed to vote on the bill, but I’ve been wrong before. Stay tuned.  Hat tip to Heath.

The short answer: probably, but not by much. Sen. Ben Altamirano (D-Silver City) introduced a minimum wage bill again this year (the Senate approved it on Friday), so the naysayers are out in force. We’re always treated with scare stories of businesses laying off workers and other myths: A small point of order, entry-level jobs [...]

Heath has the goods: A package of ethics reform bills crafted by House Democrats will be introduced Thursday. Kathleen MacRae, spokeswoman for the House majority leader’s office, confirmed that this afternoon. The bills come from the recommendations of the governor’s task force, the governor’s own recommendations and negotiations with other legislators, Majority Leader Ken Martinez [...]

New Mexico FBIHOP has a roundup of legislative action from yesterday: Some measures died a quiet death in committees Tuesday. Other more controversial measures went out kicking and screaming. I’ll start with an annual measure that never seems to go anywhere and was a victim of a party-line vote: a measure to open up committee [...]