As these things go the legislative session set to adjourn at noon today wasn't bad and like all of them this one had its share of hits and misses.

THE HITS

--They finished their main task, crafting a state budget of $7.6 billion for the fiscal year that begins July 1 and represents a 7.6 percent increase over the current one. Teachers and state employees get another round of pay raises and more state vacancies will be filled.

Thanks to the SE oil boom the budget has grown from $6 billion in the past two sessions but as several lawmakers noted there were no or tiny increases under eight years of Gov. Martinez and that the budget basically catches up with inflation and a bit more.

---The long running early childhood crisis in the state received more attention than uusal. An Early Childhood Trust Fund of $320 million was approved that supporters hope will put $30 million annually toward the cause but there is no guarantee. The fund plan is flawed and modest and anything but "transformational" as supporters argued, but it was a welcome turn.

---The proposed constitutional amendment for early childhood would provide a guaranteed source for early childhood from the nearly $20 billion Land Grant Permanent Fund. It scored a big win when two Dem senators switched their position in favor of it and it passed Senate Rules. However, in the end opposition again killed it. So a hit and a miss on that one.

---The conservative coalition of Republicans and a handful of conservate/moderate Democrats finally showed cracks in the wall after a decade in power. The biggest coming when Sen. Clemente Sanchez voted in Rules for a scaled down version of the early childhood amendment. He faces a June primary opponent but also noted the state's dismal ranking in child well-being and he wants change. Senator Munoz, another coalition member, unexpectedly voted for the Red Flag law, signaling that the Senate is loosening up a bit--just a bit.

--The Legislature killed a misguided plan to reform the Public Regulation Commission (PRC). Voters will decide a reform plan in November.

--The Red Flag law getting approved in the wake of the El Paso mass shooting was a job well done. It was amended to be not as stringent, but still sent a clear signal that the state values human life. (It was also a major win for MLG even though it will give her heartburn in the south)

--The move to legalize marijuana failed. That's "a hit" because the state is simply not ready for it, especially under the complex legislation that was readily dismissed. Its time may come, but not yet.

--Infrastructure was another hit as the annual capital outlay bill was over $520 million. That is a lot of buildings, road repairs, water system updates and the like. And we're told there's even $5,000 tucked away in the bill for a capitol statue for the late Sen. Carlos Cisneros. New Mexicans can thank the oil boom for this second year of an immense capital outlay bill.

THE MISSES

--The "reform bill" for the government employee retirement fund known as PERA was perhaps the most unnecessary piece of legislation approved this year. That pleased Wall Street which will get more state pension funds to invest as a result.

It was strange seeing the ardor for this bill that fixated on retiree checks 25 years from now, even as we face a social conditions crisis in education, crime and drugs this very day. By the way, there is no PERA "crisis" according to the Brookings Institution.

--Another miss was lawmakers not getting more specific in targeting the increase in education funding to address the "at risk" student population. They were at the center of a district court ruling that found the state was in violation of the Constitution for not providing them with adequate education. It's a theme that House Education Committee Chairman Andres Romero will be hitting on in the off season.

--The "opportunity scholarship" offering free higher education was a miss. The Guv unveiled it as a top priority but did not have her ducks in a row. The problems with the legislation became an unneeded distraction and was greatly watered down.

All 112 lawmakers are up for election this year so they tried to keep things relatively quiet, to the chagrin of the political junkies. But there were signs that the senate's long running budget dominance over the House has peaked. Speaker Egolf's public complaints were notable and that may be what's most remembered about the session.

Now attention turns to the election. The June primary will be one of the most important in recent memory as progressive challengers take on at least four coalition Dems who help control the senate. Then it's on to November to see if the R's can take back some of the House seats they lost in '18 and whether the Dems can make inroads against GOP senators.