Budget takes top billing for Legislative session

With the state expecting a budget shortfall of at least $600 million for 2010, the priority for the New Mexco Legislature is to fund what’s essential and cut  what’s not essential.
The 2010 regular session starts Tuesday in Santa Fe and lawmakers have 30 days to agree on what is essential, without letting what is local get in the way.
“Do we raise revenue or do we cut programs? Everybody has a special program,” Sen. Gay Kernan, R-Hobbs, said, “and nobody likes to see cuts.”
In what is a Republican-heavy pocket of representation — Santa Rosa’s Joe Campos, who could not be reached for comment, is the only Democrat out of seven legislators representing Curry and/or Roosevelt County — the solutions are pointed more towards cutting programs.
“I think what’s necessary,” Sen. Clint Harden, R.-Clovis, said, “is we really have to deal with the growth of government. We’ve got to deal with that to start with.”
Rep. Anna Crook, R-Clovis, said she’s received capital outlay requests, but  she can’t promise anything other than filing the requests.
Cutting is only part of the answer. Crook said she’s heard many suggestions during interim committees regarding how to create revenue. She said she would have qualms about supporting many, including $69 increases on vehicle registration and 10-cent-per-gallon hikes on gasoline.
Harden said two pieces of legislation he is planning on introducing deal with closing a tax loophole on cigarettes sold on reservations and pore space legislation providing natural gas as a backup energy source to keep wind turbines moving.
Hardin said he’s heard estimates the cigarette tax loophole could net an additional $19 million for the state.
A place legislators want to avoid cutting is in education. Republican Rep. Dennis Roch, who also serves as an assistant superintendent for Tucumcari Schools, said he was disappointed cuts were made to education. Roch said it happened while a bill he introduced in the October special session to suspend state spaceport expenditures never made it out of committee.
“Education is not only essential, it is mandated by Article XII of the State Constitution,” Roch said. “It is therefore indefensible for the state to continue funding non-essential projects while requiring our schools to cut their budgets.”
Other legislators are concerned over the fate of $1 million put toward a rural education cooperative, which impacts 57 of New Mexico’s 89 school districts. The cooperative, Harden said, allows smaller schools to share nurses, counselors and grant writers, among other personnel.
“When you represent rural New Mexico and you go to Santa Fe,” Harden said, “you’re always playing defense.”
However the budget gets balanced, legislators say it will take honest revenue predictions from the state and a team effort to avoid a special session later in 2010.
“ All I get is, ‘Don’t cut my program, don’t cut my salary,’” Crook said. “I think we’re all going to have to bite the bullet.”
The shorter session, which happens in even years, is comprised only of bills pertaining to the state budget and items getting special clearance from Gov. Bill Richardson.
Some of the bills pre-filed include domestic partnerships for unmarried couples — which failed last year — creation of a governmental ethics commission and mandatory jail time for first-time drunk driving convictions.
Roch said he plans to introduce a sovereignty resolution that, Roch said, “reasserts our state's rights under the 10th amendment of the US Constitution to resist the continued over-reaching of the federal government, whether on nationalized health care, attacks on personal property rights, or the burdensome reporting requirements of No Child Left Behind.”

Session calendar
Friday: Last day legislation could be prefiled.
Tuesday: Session opens at noon.
Feb. 3: Deadline for introduction of legislation.
Feb. 18: Session closes at noon.
March 10: Legislation not acted upon by Gov. Bill Richardson is pocket vetoed.
May 19: Effective date of legislation (not including general appropriation bills, bills carrying emergency clauses or bills with other specific effective dates listed)

Prefiled bills
The following are bills that have been pre-filed for the 2010 Legislature by area lawmakers, as of Saturday, according to the New Mexico Legislature Web site (www.nmlegis.gov).

Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Utility Authority
Prefiled by: Rep. Anna Crook, R-Clovis.
What it’s for: The bill would turn the current Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Authority, which currently operates as a joint powers agreement, The authoirty will construct a water delivery system from the Ute Lake in Quay County to the eight members of the authority — Clovis, Portales, Curry and Roosevelt Counties, Texico, Melrose, Elida and Grady.
The federal government authorized the project last year, with the federal government paying 75 percent of the approximate $432 cost. The state would pick up 15 percent and the local entities 10 percent.
The authority would also be given limited powers of eminent domain.

Electronic Communication and Handouts
Prefiled by: Keith Gardner, R-Roswell.
What it’s for: The bill would require all legislation be presented in electronic form to lawmakers in an attempt to reduce printning costs and to make legislation available to as many citizens as possible.

How to reach your legislator
All numbers include 505 prefix

Rep. Keith Gardner, R-Roswell
Phone: 986-4757
E-mail: gardners90@yahoo.com

Rep. Dennis Roch, R-Tucumcari
Phone: 986-4467
E-mail: denroch@hotmail.com

Rep. Jose Campos, D-Santa Rosa
Phone: 986-4341
E-mail: josephs@plateautel.net

Rep. Anna Crook, R-Clovis
Phone: 986-4454
E-mail: anna.crook@nmlegis.gov

Sen. Clint Harden, R-Clovis
Phone: 986-4369
E-mail: charden@theosogroup.com

Sen. Stuary Ingle, R-Portales
Phone: 986-4702
E-mail: stuart.ingle@nmlegis.gov

Sen. Gay Kernan, R-Hobbs
Phone: 986-4274
E-mail: ggkern@valornet.com