WINNERS***image3***Minimum wage workers
After weeks of legislative wrangling, the state's new wage floor is set to gradually rise to $7.50 an hour by 2009. And while that's clearly progress for a state where wage growth tends to stagnate, somehow agricultural and dairy workers were specifically written out of the raise. Word is apparently out that those jobs are a piece of cake.
Really sick people
While questions remain about a potential clash between federal law and the newly approved state law, the drive to legalize marijuana for chronically ill New Mexicans marks unambiguous progress. While the House initially balked, Gov. Bill Richardson successfully lobbied members to change their minds. As a direct result, in the months ahead select patients won't have to sneak around to feel a little better.
PE class
On top of more money for their teachers, a longer school day for public schools in poorer places, there is another education measure that should get kids up and moving…literally. Lawmakers passed $8 million for expanded physical education classes at the elementary level. This should help the youngest New Mexicans establish healthier habits earlier and save the state on preventable health care costs further down the road.
Accountability
The Legislature tried to backtrack on a basic open government requirement, but the governor wasn't having any of it. After lawmakers passed a bill that would have made electronic filings of campaign finance reports optional - candidates could cite an unspecified "hardship" to evade immediate disclosure - Gov. Richardson vetoed the bill. As it is, citizens (and reporters) have a tough time accessing updated lists of political contributions and expenditures in a timely fashion. Submitting
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paper reports would have made such a search even tougher.
Domestic partnerships
While the debate over the "m" word still rages, New Mexico is moving closer to enacting basic legal rights and protections for domestic partners. That's not because Rep. Mimi
Stewart, D-Bernalillo, successfully shepherded her domestic
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partners bill through the Legislature. She didn't. Instead, Gov. Richardson is resurrecting the bill in the special session that began March. 20. Roundhouse types speculate that the guv is aiming to spruce up his LGBT bona fides as he continues to pound the presidential pavement.
LOSERS
Cockfighters
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Advocates for cockfighting were the big losers in the recently ended 2007 session. After many failed efforts, lawmakers passed the ban despite impassioned pleas that they were trampling on the local culture. The overwhelming majority of New Mexicans are finally saying ya basta-or good riddance!
Mathematics
By law, the state budget has to be balanced and this year is no different. The recently passed and approved $5.6 billion budget matches projected state revenues-at least for now. Trouble is, as state spending rises by a very healthy 11 percent, the governor and legislators also passed a combined $94 million in tax cuts. New Mexico can apparently skate by with large spending increases and tax cuts so long as oil and gas revenues remain sky high. But, in general, that's not a sustainable way to budget. At least a measure to provide $30 million in state funds for a private tilapia farm in Hidalgo County was scrapped.
Predatory lenders
New Mexico has more than its fair share of payday lenders that routinely charge borrowers triple-digit interest rates. But things are about to change. Thanks to a compromise
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secured in the waning days of the legislative session, a first-ever set of limits and regulations on the industry were passed. They include limiting fees to $15.50 for every $100 borrowed as well as an automatic 130-day payment plan. Richardson has promised to sign the measure into law.
Excessive graft
State lawmakers bravely voted to limit the value of gifts they and other state officials can legally receive to ones that don't exceed $250, excluding meals. When the Legislature is in session, the gift cap would be set at $100. Buttering up powerful public officials will still be permissible, just not excessively.
Santa Fe River
File this one in the glass-is-half-empty category. Santa Fe city and county officials had requested a cool $2 million in river restoration funds, only to see it chopped down to $700,000. The money would have been used for planning and design work along a stretch of the Santa Fe River. Unless alternative funding can be secured, most of the work to stabilize portions of the river might simply have to wait.
