I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
For the third straight day, the New Mexico Senate had on its agenda Tuesday a proposal to open conference committees and other legislative meetings to the public, but Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, never brought the item up for debate and a vote.
Senate Bill 737, sponsored by state Sen. Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque, began Tuesday at No. 6 on the agenda. The last item considered Tuesday was No. 72. It’s common for the Senate to skip around on its agenda, but No. 6 is an item that usually has a pretty good chance of being heard.
Meanwhile, as I already reported, House Bill 393, sponsored by state Rep. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces — a bill that’s identical to Feldman’s — was approved today by the Senate Rules Committee and is now awaiting a hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
If approved by that committee — which is likely, if it’s heard — Cervantes’ bill would join Feldman’s on the Senate floor calendar.
But it’s up to Sanchez to bring items on the calendar up for debate. And Sanchez has voted against opening conference committees to the public more than once in the past.
So we’ll have to keep waiting to see what happens.
Sanchez said at the end of today’s floor session that all members of the Senate are coming under pressure “to tell me that your bill is the most important on the calendar.” He said he’s moving through the calendar as quickly as possible. One group went home today after waiting four days for its bill to be heard — and the bill still hasn’t been heard, he said.
“I can take the backbiting and the heat. It’s really not that bad, but again, I take a look at these bills and I try to do the best I can,” Sanchez said.
The Senate didn’t meet Tuesday evening but plans to meet every remaining evening this week. The session ends at noon on Saturday.
