Sen. Gerald Ortiz Y Pino

By a 31-5 vote, Jamie Koch survived a bruising debate in the state Senate Monday to win another term on the University of New Mexico Board of Regents. But the lopsided vote belied strong opposition presented from faculty and student representatives, as well as some state lawmakers. Among opponents’ biggest gripes was the amount of money spent on top administrators over the last few years as funding for some academic programs has languished. The cost of administration at UNM had jumped to $8.2 million in 2008, up from $2.6 million in 2002, Dr. Tim Lowery, a UNM professor, told lawmakers sitting on the Senate Rules Committee Monday morning.

Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, wants to abolish the state behavioral health collaborative.
The collaborative, formed in 2005, aimed to make more efficient the delivery of services to the mentally ill and those struggling with substance abuse.

This week Gov. Bill Richardson announced plans to end a policy that allows state workers to retire, then return to work and collect both a salary and a pension. But some critics point out that Richardson’s proposal targets future “double dipping,” not current practices. Retirees who work in political jobs can take home over $150,000; one administrative assistant makes $89,000.

Three days into the special legislative session, a nearly $900 million structural deficit continues to confound the New Mexico Legislature. Meanwhile, Richardson, the state’s bigger-than-life chief executive and former presidential candidate, finds himself attacked from both the political right and left.

Developers who want to convert Albuquerque’s dreary Winrock Mall into a showcase of New Urbanism, where people live, shop and work, got a big boost Wednesday.
Gov. Bill Richardson signed into law a bill authorizing $137 million in public bonds that will provide the developers money upfront to help pay for the infrastructure for Winrock Town [...]