2019 Legislative Session

Senators pare back proposed childhood ed agency

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A bipartisan group of state senators on Monday balked at creating a new department to centralize early childhood education programs, stripping the proposed agency of about half of its responsibilities. Members of the Senate Education Committee voted 5-4 to amend Senate Bill 22, which would establish the centralized agency. The change would keep programs for 4-year-olds under the purview of the Public Education Department. The bill sponsor, Democratic Sen. Michael Padilla of Albuquerque, said the amendment hurts his proposal. “It defeats the ability to ensure consistency across the early childhood education spectrum,” he said.

2019 Legislative Session

The year for legal weed? Bill gets mixed reviews on both sides

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After years of efforts by drug-law reform advocates, could this be the year that New Mexico legalizes marijuana? There’s little doubt that the state is closer now than ever, with Republican Gov. Susana Martinez — an unyielding opponent of marijuana for recreational use — out of the picture and new Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on the record saying she’d sign a legalization bill as long as it had proper safeguards. But few, if indeed any, people at the Capitol are predicting House Bill 356, introduced last week by Rep. Javier Martinez, will make it out of the Legislature this year. “It’s time to be smart about the war on drugs,” Rep. Martinez, D-Albuquerque, said in a recent interview, calling the state and federal governments’ decade-sold anti-marijuana policy a failure. If the bill passes the Legislature and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signs it into law, possession of up to 2 ounces of marijuana would be legal for those over 21.

Mimi Stewart

Mimi Stewart elected Senate majority whip

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State Sen. Mimi Stewart will replace fellow Albuquerque Democrat Michael Padilla as Senate majority whip, elevating her to a leadership position for the first time after 23 years in the New Mexico Legislature. Senate Democrats, meeting behind closed doors Monday, chose Stewart to replace Padilla, who Senate Democrats voted to remove from the post because of an old sexual harassment case that took place before he was elected to the Senate. Stewart, a retired educator, said she believes she was chosen because of hard work. “You know I’m a teacher by trade,” she said. “I told my students, `I have eyes in the back of my head.’

sexual harassment

Senate Dems remove Padilla from leadership

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Responding to renewed attention on sexual harassment, New Mexico Democrats removed Sen. Michael Padilla from his position as Majority Whip in the chamber on Saturday. The move comes two weeks after Padilla dropped out of the race for Lieutenant Governor. Democrats in Senate leadership released laudatory statements when announcing the caucus voted to vacate the whip position. “Senator Padilla is a valued member of the New Mexico state Senate,” Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, said. “We look forward to supporting his ongoing legislative efforts to create jobs and help New Mexico families.”

Senate President Pro Tem Mary Kay Papen also praised Padilla.

Quick Reads

Padilla drops out of Lt. Gov. race because of decade-old sexual harassment claims

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State Senator Michael Padilla dropped out of the race for Lieutenant Governor Monday afternoon. The move came just two weeks after gubernatorial candidate Michelle Lujan Grisham said he should drop out because of past sexual harassment allegations which led to the city of Albuquerque paying out almost $250,000. Padilla has denied the allegations. “I do not want to be a distraction as we come together as New Mexicans to solve this unacceptable work place issue,” Padilla said in a statement to media, though not NM Political Report. Padilla is still the Senate Majority Whip, a leadership position.

Michael Padilla

Lujan Grisham says Padilla should leave Lt. Gov. race over sexual harassment claims

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A top Democratic gubernatorial candidates says a Lt. Gov. candidate should step down because of sexual harassment claims from a decade ago. Michelle Lujan Grisham told the Associated Press she believed State Sen. Michael Padilla, D-Albuquerque, should not run for the state’s second-highest position because of the claims.

In New Mexico, the governor and lieutenant governor of major parties are each nominated separately in party primaries, then run as a ticket in the general election. The allegations date back to before Padilla’s political career, when he worked for the city of Albuquerque at the city’s 911 call center. Padilla faced a suit in federal court from five women for creating a hostile work environment and sexual harassment. Padilla resigned, but denied the allegations.

Michael Padilla

Senate Majority Whip running for Lt. Gov.

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A member of Democratic state senate leadership announced he is running for Lieutenant Governor. Michael Padilla, the Majority Whip in the state Senate, made the announcement early Monday morning. He says his focus while running for Lt. Gov. will be similar to his focus during his four years in the state senate. “Helping New Mexico end poverty will be the focus of my campaign for Lieutenant Governor,” Padilla said in a statement. Padilla mentioned early childhood development in his announcement.

2017 Legislative Session

Legislature pass budget, tax bills, waits on governor’s actions

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Both the House and Senate recessed Thursday afternoon—without officially ending the special session. Now, the governor has three days to take action on four bills aimed at tax changes and reinstating funding to the Legislative branch and institutes of higher education. By recessing until Tuesday instead of adjourning, the House and Senate could still introduce new legislation to replace anything Gov. Susana Martinez might veto. Martinez, in an atypical statement, praised the Legislature for some of their work. “In a bipartisan manner, lawmakers passed my plan to put more funding toward cancer research and student financial aid, while at the same time forfeiting their pork projects and a small portion of their personal legislative retirement accounts to fill the budget hole — something I’ve urged them to do for months,” she said.

Congress & Federal Issues

Dems in delegation introduce bill to ban lunch-shaming nationwide

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The Democrats in New Mexico’s congressional delegation want to end “lunch-shaming” nationwide. The members introduced legislation in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate to end the practice. The Anti-Lunch Shaming Act would ban schools from singling out children for their parent’s  inability to pay for school lunch. Some schools make children whose parents can’t afford lunch wear wristbands or stamps on their hands or perform extra chores. Earlier this year, New Mexico became the first state in the nation to outlaw the practice.

Peter Wirth
Veto

Wirth: Governor’s late message on vetoes means bills will become law

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The state Senate majority leader says three bills that Gov. Susana Martinez vetoed during the last week will become law after all, including legislation that would legalize research of industrial hemp. Setting up a constitutional showdown, Sen. Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, told the chamber Thursday night that Martinez had missed her deadline to veto the bills. The governor has three days during a legislative session to sign or veto bills. If she does neither, the bills become law. The constitution also says governors are to state their objections when vetoing a bill, giving lawmakers some sort of explanation.