Tuesday, February 21, 2023MLG Inaugural Money Disclosed; Progressives Urged To Turn Their Heads Away, Plus: GOP Looking More Edgy Than Dems On CYFD Reform? As one wag commented: "Nobody is giving this money just for fun." In 2016 a federal grand jury decided not to indict Gov. Martinez's chief political adviser after investigating his use of inaugural committee funds. Still, there has been no bill passed in the Legislature that would require full disclosure of inaugural funds and their expenditures. LOOKING EDGY?
MLG unveiled measures last week to show her commitment to reform but they had little teeth and fell flat. That contrasts with the GOP that has shown a firmer hand, particularly with a bill that would establish an independent ombudsman to monitor the department in hopes of reducing the too many cases of child abuse and even murders of children who have had contact with CYFD. That bill would seem primed for bipartisan support but was dismissed out of hand by MLG who says she will take responsibility for the department and not delegate authority to any outsider. It appears her view will prevail with lawmakers, if not the public at large: Senate Bill 373 would create an Office of Child Advocate to review CYFD procedures and report on them. Sen Crystal Diamond said New Mexicans need “outside eyes” to watch the agency. So far, the measure hasn’t had its first hearing, and none appears to be scheduled. The bill has been assigned to three Senate committees, which means it has a long way to go in the session’s second half. Diamond said it’s vital for lawmakers to act now to ensure the state’s children are protected. “We don’t need another dead child to make this an issue,” she said. Maralyn Beck, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group New Mexico Child First Network, criticized the governor’s plan, arguing there’s little in it to suggest it would improve the child welfare agency’s operations. Regarding the governor’s plan to hire retired social workers to fill staffing gaps, Beck said, “We can’t keep filing holes until we fix what is broken. They have a workforce turnover crisis issue, and until we fix that culture, we can hire as many people as we want but it’s not going to help.” GOP Sens. Gallegos and Schmedes are also sponsors of the ombudsman bill and others. A couple of them are making a little headway. Those senators and Diamond detailed their CYFD reforms--a "Children First Agenda"--at a news conference seen here. In terms of politics, the Alligators are keeping an eye on Diamond who shows higher office possibilities for the state's minority party. THE BOTTOM LINES She doesn't always get good press. A London Daily Mail headline: Interior Secretary Deb Haaland's daughter is a member of an environmentalist group that was responsible for a protest that was referred to as being 'reminiscent of January 6.' No, that story was not pushed out by Sen. Heinrich. . . Rep. Derrick Lente is the new chair of the House tax committee. In a first draft Monday we had Rep. Chandler as chair. She now chairs House Judiciary. The change was made last month. This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.   (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023 |
  
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