News
Martinez has no plans to call a special session
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The odds of a special session are nearing nil, as a spokesman for Gov. Susana Martinez said that she has “no intention” to call a special session for capital outlay funding. If Martinez’s intention remains the same, there will be no capital outlay spending this year, since the Legislature failed to pass such legislation during the year’s regular session. The capital outlay legislation would have funded more than $200 million in spending for infrastructure and other projects throughout the state. A spokesman for Martinez told the Albuquerque Journal about the special session possibility, or lack thereof.A Martinez spokesman said the governor met twice today with Sen. John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, the lead negotiator for the Senate Democrats, in an attempt to forge an elusive deal on special session legislation. However, the news release sent out later in the day by Senate Democrats, which the Governor’s Office blasted as “partisan” and “misleading,” apparently prompted the decision not to call a special session — at least for now.Earlier on Thursday, New Mexico Political Report reported that Sen. John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, was not optimistic about a special session being called.