Gerald Ortiz y Pino

A political battle over control of New Mexico’s dominant party played out on the Senate floor Tuesday over an unexpected issue: an Albuquerque woman’s nomination to a state board. Confirmations in the Senate are usually uneventful and state lawmakers usually speak glowingly of the nominee. But that wasn’t the case Tuesday, when the state Senate rejected the [...]

New Mexico would tax food for the first time in years, add $1 to the state cigarette tax and net taxes from out-of-state owners of business partnerships on income earned here.
Meanwhile, state agencies would get fewer dollars and several hundred jobs would disappear from state government. That mixture of spending cuts and tax hikes was part of a $5.276 billion state budget proposal that the Senate passed 25 to 17 early Sunday morning to help close a projected shortfall of several hundred million dollars next year.

Annie got one step closer to being able to carry her concealed gun into a restaurant on Friday.
Senators voted 27-15 to approve Sen. George Muñoz‘ SB 40 that would allow those with concealed weapon permits to bring their guns into restaurants that serve beer and wine, unless a restaurant opts out of the program.

Legislation sponsored by Sen. David Ulibarri wouldn’t affect the roughly 800 double dippers already collecting a pension and a paycheck, but it would set out new rules for state government retirees who return to work after July 1.

Approximately 100 people turned up at the New Mexico state capital Monday to support domestic partnership bill (SB 183) expected to be heard in the Senate this week.

I reported Tuesday on some of the fundraising numbers for Democratic lieutenant governor candidates. Here are the rest.

The Santa Fe County Democrats will host all seven (yes, seven) candidates for Lieutenant Governor at a forum on Wednesday, Sept. 16 according to a press release from the party. The seven candidates will each give five minutes opening statements then answer questions that are submitted to the moderator.

The New Mexico Senate had a passionate debate but ultimately took no action today on the issue of webcasting its proceedings.