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.
New Mexico legislators took a step toward the once-a-decade process of redistricting by naming an 18-member committee to begin the hard work of redistricting. The committee will not only reset the lines for the state’s three congressional districts but also for each of the state House and state Senate districts.
Lawmakers are worried, however, that they may not be able to get as much public input because Gov. Susana Martinez line-item vetoed $100,000 in funding for the redistricting committee’s expenses.
Rep. Mary Helen Garcia of Las Cruces and Sen. Linda Lopez of Albuquerque, both Democrats, are the co-chairs of the committee, which consists of 18 voting members, eleven Democrats and seven Republicans. Another 23 lawmakers are advisory members on the committee.
A special session for redistricting is expected this fall. Like 10 years ago, Democrats hold a majority in both the House and Senate while a Republican is governor, setting up a potential challenge for creating the new districts.
The money that was vetoed by Martinez would have gone towards holding panels in cities across the state and reimbursing legislators for travel and per diems. New Mexico does not have a full-time legislature, instead legislators get per diems and travel expenses paid when they attend official events.
The Santa Fe New Mexican explained that they will instead have to use money set aside for other interim committees, which help create the legislation that is introduced during the annual legislative sessions, for the redistricting committee’s work.
The loss of the money for the redistricting panel means the Legislature will have to absorb these costs into its budget. The redistricting committee will be paid for out of money allocated for legislative interim study committees. About $861,000 was approved for that purpose in the current budget year, which ends June 30, and a similar amount was allocated for the upcoming fiscal year.
Martinez also line-itemed $50,000 for pre-session expenses lawmakers wanted for committee meetings in the days before next year’s 30-day regular session.
Senate President Pro Tem Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, said that the legislature may have to cap legislators’ out-of-state travel to just one trip this year because of the tightened funds. These include trips to legislative conferences and other state-government conferences.
