I caught up with first-term state Sen. Eric Griego this past weekend about the state’s burgeoning budget shortfall. As news of an October special legislative session to address the $433 million budget gap took shape last week, the battle lines over how to bridge that gap are now being drawn.

And Griego, an Albuquerque Democrat, is adamant that the budget should not be balanced solely with cuts.

“We don’t want to get into brinkmanship,” he told me, “but I think it would be very easy for us to shut the session down. You can do that in the Senate.”

Greigo noted that state senators can fillibuster for three hours at a time. He added, “And I think there are several of us willing to do that.”

Griego is an unabashed progressive who also leads the Albuquerque-based nonprofit advocacy organization New Mexico Voices for Children.

“We cannot let the wealthiest three percent of New Mexico and big multi-state corporations determine our economic policy in this state,” Griego continued. “Working families need to have a voice too.”

Earlier today, Gov. Bill Richardson told NMI’s Trip Jennings that he’s not interested in repealing the state income tax cut he successfully pushed in 2003; the major element of that tax cut was to slash the state’s top marginal income tax rate from a little over eight percent to just below five percent today. The governor went on to say he is open to closing some tax credits or incentives, but wouldn’t go into detail.

Last week, New Mexico Voices for Children sent out a press release that outlined the group’s case for raising additional revenue. From the release:

“By not considering raising revenue, New Mexico is going to fall further behind the rest of the county economically,” said Gerry Bradley, Research Director for the child advocacy organization. “This unbalanced approach of strictly cutting spending will slow down New Mexico’s economic recovery and hurt people. We need to follow the lead of the 30 other states that have raised new revenue as part of their approach to covering their budget gaps.”

While the many factions in the New Mexico Legislature are well known, it seems unclear whether or not Richardson and the legislative leadership will be able to conclude closed-door negotations on a budget fix — and then pass it in a rare, one-day special session.

Griego lamented what he called “Republican coalition leadership in the Senate,” and then added, “There’s also a coalition of groups, from labor to small business, faith-based groups — obviously advocates of all kinds — that is going to try to make the responsible case for increasing revenues, balanced with making some cuts.”