—Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort, R-Sandia Park, is retiring. The Senate Minority issued a press release announcing it, though The Independent out of Edgewood already had the scoop.
“In challenging budget years we have guided New Mexico through financially hard times, such as what we are currently experiencing,” Wilson Beffort said in the release. said. “Unlike Congress, New Mexico’s Constitution requires a balanced budget. We are prohibited from getting into deficit spending. Therefore, this year like so many other years, will be faced with very difficult decisions.”
—Nick Salazar, D- Ohkay Owingeh, is running for reelection. The long-serving state representative is 87.
—Mothers Against Drunk Driving and a few House Republicans held a press conference in the rotunda about the ills of drinking and driving. Family members of victims of drunken driving told their stories. And Rep. Sarah Maestas Barnes, R-Albuquerque, talked about three bills adding penalties to DWI that passed the House of Representatives. “It’s important to me and my colleagues in the House of Representatives to prioritize this issue, talk about this issue, to find solutions to this very dangerous epidemic in New Mexico,” she said.
—Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, asked that the Senate stand in recess until “4:30 tomorrow morning.” The Senators laughed and he said, “I just wanted to see if anyone was paying attention.”
The Senate will meet again at 10:30 on Thursday morning.