Secretary of State Dianna Duran

Secretary of State Dianna Duran placed the staffer responsible for what a liberal-leaning PAC described as “racist jokes” on a disclosure form on leave.

“I was shocked and disappointed to learn that a state employee apparently posted what can be interpreted as racially offensive language in a sample finance report,” Duran said in the release. “I find these actions deeply offensive and I immediately ordered the materials removed and I initiated an investigation.”

Duran also said, “I will not tolerate any form of racism or bigotry in this office.”

A sample spreadsheet for political action committee’s disclosure featured a combination of the names of two African American legislators as the last name and “JeffersonDavis” as the first name.

The Justice League PAC found the reference and called for Duran’s resignation.

Jefferson Davis was the president of the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton, D-Albuquerque and Rep. Jane Powdrell-Culbert, R-Corrales, were the legislators whose names were put together in the sample.

A PAC that supported Diane Denish in the 2010 gubernatorial election is accusing Secretary of State Dianna Duran of “racist jokes” and is calling for her resignation.

The alleged racist joke comes in a disclosure form released by her office. The form uses “Sheryl Powdrell-Culbertson” as the last name of an example, combining the names of Sheryl Williams Stapleton and Jane Powdrell-Culbertson, two African American members of the state legislator. The first name is listed as “JeffersonDavis.” Jefferson Davis was the President of the Confederacy during the Civil War.

“I was shocked when I downloaded Secretary Duran’s spreadsheet this morning to find such racist comments on a State document. Secretary Duran should be ashamed of herself,” Justice League PAC Treasurer Eli Il Young said in a statement. “We expect more from elected officials. There is no place for racism in New Mexico, much less in a state office. She should resign immediately.”

The disclosure form is downloadable from the website of the Secretary of State under “2011 PAC Filing Form for April 11, 2011 Report.”

Update: Sec. of State places staffer on leave after racist joke

“I know that the appropriations committees for the House and the Senate have worked diligently to come up with [a budget] but it really concerns me that we have not completely addressed the needs of the state through the finances,” Powdrell-Culbert said on the House floor.

Rodefer followed on the House floor by saying, “We handed a balanced, sensible and fair budget to the Senate. We did our job, and we will continue to do our job.”

The House then moved on to continuing to pass legislation as the session ticked down to its end — without a budget on the governor’s desk.

Lujan speaking to Giannini after the vote. (Photo by Patricia Sauthoff)

House Speaker Ben Lujan’s bill to implement a temporary half-cent hike in the state’s gross receipts tax would presumably not have passed earlier today if two Republican members hadn’t missed the vote.

Ultimately, following drama on the House floor, Lujan’s bill was approved on a vote of 34-32, with two Democrats and two Republicans missing the vote.

The excitement began when Republican Rep. James White asked for a call of the House and the doors were locked to ensure no members left the floor. Democratic Reps. Danice Picraux and Karen Giannini – who had previously been excused – were absent, as were Republican Reps. Jane Powdrell-Culbert and Dennis Roch.

Both Roch and Powdrell-Culbert were at doctors’ appointments, House Chief of Staff Matt Kennicott told reporters after the vote.

The sergeant-at-arms went searching for missing members. Though the two excused Democrats weren’t required to respond to a call of the House, both did return briefly to the House floor. Lujan got on the phone, and after a moment Picraux and Giannini quickly left again.

They weren’t required to return for the final vote, even following a debate between Minority Whip Keith Gardner and Rick Miera – the Democrat who was presiding over the chamber at the time – about whether they should be forced to come back and vote on the bill.

Meanwhile, the House did vote to excuse Powdrell-Culbert and Roch.

The House Republican caucus, minus Powdrell-Culbert and Roch, voted as a group against Lujan’s bill. They presumably would have been joined by the two missing Republicans if they had been present, and the vote would have been 34-34.

A tie vote kills a bill.

How Giannini and Picraux would have voted isn’t clear. Neither could be immediately reached for comment. Following the vote on the bill, Gardner put out a statement saying they “clearly… did not want to be on record as voting for the largest tax increase in recent New Mexico history.”

“These kinds of games are an outrageous abuse of democracy,” Gardner said.

Picraux and Ginannini returned to the House floor during debate on the next bill.

Nine Democrats did join the Republicans in voting against the bill. They were Elias Barela, Joseph Cervantes, John Heaton, Dona Irwin, Rhonda King, Andy Nuñez, Al Park, Ben Rodefer and Jeff Steinborn.

Here’s video of the debate between Gardner and Miera, taken by The Independent’s Larry Behrens:

This story has been updated to reflect information about absences of Reps. Roch and Powdrell-Culbert.

The Albuquerque Police Department worked with a consortium of law-enforcement agencies, including the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service, to arrest or charge nearly 50 members of the cocaine-dealing gang, nine of whom face federal charges, according to the story. (You can read it online here, but unfortunately the photos are available only in the print edition with the eJournal service.)

According to 2000 Census figures, Albuquerque is slightly over 3 percent black; New Mexico as a whole is less than 2 percent black. There is no mention in the story of the names of the alleged gang members pictured in the mug shots, or the racial makeup of the gang.

While few would disagree that breaking up the gang is a positive development for the city, the image of six young black men’s mug shots on the front page troubled some.

“It’s just another example of — I don’t want to use the regular words like ‘racist’ — but convoluted thinking. It’s just an absence of thought. It’s amazing how people on a major newspaper, who are supposed to be intelligent would do that, unless they’re just trying to sell papers,” Ron Hinson of the African-American Chamber of Commerce told NMI.

Hinson said the story might have bothered him less had it been published on an inside page. He also thought it ironic that the story appeared alongside another item about a bill passed by the Legislature that would create a Department of Hispanic Affairs.

“Not only are we angry, but … today I find that there’s also an article about the governor having some serious thoughts about passing a bill that’s going to make things better for a Hispanic cultural group — which is 42 percent of the population. Now what problems are they having? They just got through stomping a black guy nearly to death, who was supposed to be in protective custody,” Hinson said.

Hinson was referring to a recent incident in which an African-American inmate at the Metropolitan Detention Center was beaten so severely by another inmate that he was partially paralyzed. The accused attacker and a correctional officer who is facing charges of intimidating a witness in the case are both Hispanic. Just this week the victim’s family and community groups spoke out about the attack.

“We may have a black president, but we have not changed the hearts and minds of other cultural groups who have been misguided in their zeal to always have someone to step on,” Hinson said.

State Rep. Jane Powdrell-Culbert, a Corrales Republican, had not yet seen the story when reached by NMI, but she quickly located a copy of Thursday’s paper in the doctor’s office where she was waiting for her father.

Rep. Jane Powdrell-Culbert

“They look like thugs,” she said, scanning the front page. Powdrell-Culbert spent six years in the 1980s working for the Albuquerque Police Department as an education coordinator.

“The thing that concerns me, with it being presented like this, is that it may give other folks a … standoffishness toward those of us [African-Americans] who are here, who have never gotten into anything,” she said.

Powdrell-Culbert is one of only two African-American lawmakers in the 112-member New Mexico Legislature.

“When you’re what, 5 percent or less [of the population], it seems that whenever someone does get into something, then … it’s made out to be this major, major issue. They don’t do that with other nationalities,” she added.

The media is often criticized as presenting an unfair picture of African Americans by focusing disproportionately on drugs and crime. This week there is an example from Memphis, Tenn., the home of the “Memphis Mob.”

On Sunday, the Memphis Commercial Appeal published commentary by a local art history professor who recently attended a media conference at which panelists asked: “How do Memphis journalists cover race in their stories? What images, perceptions and stereotypes are portrayed through the news media?” The professor wrote:

Throughout the discussion I repeatedly heard the belief articulated that the media should serve the community by “representing reality.” …The implication was that in reporting, for example, a “breaking” crime story, the media should focus more on reporting content — “what’s actually out there,” as one speaker put it — rather than the race or ethnicity of the perpetrator, victim or witness.

And that’s what has Hinson and Powdrell-Culbert worried. Did the huge mug shots put the focus of the news story disproportionately on race?

“It’s unfair because we do have such a small population,” Powdrell-Culbert said. “I just hope that folks wouldn’t look at this story and think that this is typical of black males in our city — because it’s not.”

Albuquerque Journal Editor Ken Walz did not immediately respond to an e-mail sent Thursday evening seeking comment.

Thanks to clever redistricting, most seats in the 112-member body have remained remarkably stable for years. But at least a few are drawing intense interest, and money, in this election cycle. Should Obama win New Mexico in key districts, Democrats could increase — marginally — their advantages in the 24-18 Senate and the 42-28 House.

The New Mexico Independent contacted a handful of people in a position to know:

Rep. Mimi Stewart, an Albuquerque Democrat and executive director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee

Rep. Larry Larranaga, an Albuquerque Republican

Ace lobbyist Scott Scanland, who will analyze results with Larranaga on Joe Monahan‘s always-a-must-listen KANW-FM election night program

Larranaga is unopposed in the general election, but Stewart has a hard-fighting candidate in Republican Howard DeLaCruz-Bancroft for control of her mid-Heights District 21. While she’s working hard right back, Larranaga and Scanland predict she’ll pull off a victory. (Besides, she got the Journal endorsement and DeLaCruz Bancroft can’t be happy about the Journal’s story on lawsuits against him.) The real races to watch, they all agree are:

House District 15

Incumbent Republican Teresa Zanetti, a business owner and former educator, has pulled out past victories in this swing district, which includes parts of the North Valley and Northeast Heights. But Democrat Bill O’Neill, director of the state’s Juvenile Parole Board, is fighting hard. He ran unsuccessfully two years ago, but hopes to make the second time the charm.

“That’s always been a competitive race,” Stewart said.

Larranaga cited this as a seat the Republicans need to hold, but neither he nor Scanland expect them to lose it.

House District 23

Republican incumbent Eric Youngberg, an attorney, has been challenged in this Corrales seat by Democrat Ben Rodefer, a small business owner who’s gotten significant support from the DLCC (along with an unfortunate headline), including a mailer that lauded him along with Obama in violation of Federal Election Commission rules.

Democrats are counting on Obama coattails here — and Larranaga says that if the district turns out for the presidential race, Youngberg could go down. But it’s no sure deal.

“There’s always a chance,” Stewart said. “But the (party registration) numbers aren’t as good there, and we have an incumbent. Open seats are easier to win.”

House District 44

Both Larranaga and Scanland are waiting to see if Republican Jane Powdrell-Culbert, a training consultant, can hang onto her Corrales seat against Democratic challenger Lisa Cour.

Larranaga called Cour “well-known” in education circles and a “credible” candidate.

If Powdrell-Culbert, a three-time winner, loses, Republicans will likely blame Obama’s coattails. But who knows? Powdrell-Culbert, after all, is African-American, too.

House District 60

Democrat Tom Swisstack is leaving this Rio Rancho seat to serve as the City of Vision’s mayor. While he initially won it in 2002 with just seven votes, he built enough support to clinch future elections in the triple figures. That said, it’s no Democratic stronghold.

Democrat Jack Thomas, a Sandoval County commissioner, faces Republican Paula Papponi, a retired public school official.

Stewart lauds Thomas as “a working-class guy,” a retired PNM lineman, and a former city councilor and county commissioner who’s “always done a lot for kids and water infrastructure.”

Larranaga said Papponi “is making a real run at that. It’s an open seat, so it’s really in play for us.”

Scanland said this is one to look at “seriously.”

House District 67

Republican Brian Moore of Clayton is vacating this northeastern New Mexico seat, making it more possible for a Democrat to pick up votes. Republican Dennis Roch is running against Democrat Craig Cosner and, while the generally conservative area would favor Roch, Obama could change that. Both Scanland and Larranaga have the race on their lists.

Roch, a former staffer for Sen. Pete Domenici, is associate superintendent of Tucumcari Public Schools.  Cosner, a retired banker, has served on Eastern New Mexico University’s Board of Regents and the New Mexico Finance Authority.

Senate District 9

Republican Steve Komadina has held this West Side district since 2000, but Democrat John Sapien is putting his family’s deep Bernalillo roots to the test.

“His name is known, he’s an energetic, progressive guy,” Stewart said of Sapien.

Scanland isn’t betting on an upset here, but thanks to the Obama factor, won’t knock it off his list either.

Senate District 15

Democrat Tim Eichenberg, a former AMAFCA board member, has built a strong campaign against Republican incumbent H. Diane Snyder, a project manager, in this Northeast Heights district. But she’s fought back strongly.

“Tim Eichenberg is going to win,” Stewart said. “He’s been a public servant for a long time. His kids grew up there. He’s active in public schools.”

Snyder, a fiscal conservative, won the Journal endorsement, but Scanland said that might not be enough if Obama polls well in her district. He’s putting the race on his must-watch list.

“I think she’s OK,” Larranaga said of Snyder keeping her seat. “But it’s been a real hotly contested race. There’s a lot of money on both sides.”

Senate District 37

If Democrats pull an upset in this Las Cruces district, it means a hard fall for Senate Minority Whip Leonard Lee Rawson, a businessman. Democrat Steve Fischmann, a retired Levi Strauss executive and former county commissioner, has a strong organization and progressive views.

“We have a real chance to pick that up,” Stewart said. “Leonard Lee Rawson hasn’t really had any opposition for years. Voters don’t know how he votes and where he stands.”

Larranaga said Rawson has to work hard to win.

“Although he’s raised quite a bit of money, it’s still closer than we would like to see,” Larranaga said.

Other races

More seats could be up for grabs, though are less likely to be, depending on how Obama does, as well as how strongly candidates finish their races. Among them:

The North Valley-Rio Rancho District 10 race between Republican incumbent John Ryan and Democrat Victor Raigoza. While cutting a generally moderate record, Ryan, a federal lobbyist, drew attention in the campaign’s waning days for a mailer put out by Republicans that highlighted the membership of Raigoza, a financial consultant, in Equality New Mexico, a gay-rights group.

Democrat and 25-year incumbent Ed Sandoval will likely hold on in Albuquerque’s District 17 against Republican Ronald Toya, but Toya, a Jemez Pueblo native and retired federal worker, has campaigned aggressively, with help from the state party.

In Las Cruces, District 37 incumbent Democrat Jeff Steinborn is running against a tough challenge from Dona Ana County Commissioner D. Kent Evans. The Las Cruces Sun-News gave Steinborn the nod, while acknowledging both were solid candidates.

In the eastern New Mexico Senate District 7, bipartisan-liked Republican incumbent Clint Harden, a businessman, faces a challenge from Eagles Nest Democrat Jeff Carr, a history teacher.

Scanland’s conclusion: “I don’t suspect there’ll be many surprises on Election Night. We had plenty in the primary. There might be one or two incumbents losing their seats, but for the most part in the House, out of 70 seats, 38 are already in, and of the 32 races, only a few to watch. In the Senate, 30 are already elected, and in the other 12, there are only a few to watch.”

That’s not to say that other races haven’t featured a good amount of spirit. And as the primary-race upsets proved, anything can happen on Election Day. Both parties say it could come down to Obama.

“We’ve engaged Democrats in a way we haven’t in the last two presidential elections,” Stewart said. “The more I hear about Obama, the more I like him, and I think that’s happening with other Democrats.”

Larranaga acknowledged as much.

“Most of the time, when you get a big turnout, Republicans usually do better,” he said. “But it’s different this time. Democrats have gotten out in the early vote. It favors them.”