We start with this reader's reaction to the stunning defeat of the paid family and medical leave act when 11 Democrats joined with all House Republicans to kill the bill: 

Joe: I thought you had a good take on what happened at the Roundhouse with the bill. From my perspective, the Democratic caucus is in chaos. Rep. Patty Lundstrom--an ardent foe of Speaker Martinez--is building power while some lobbyists have pulled him too far to the left and essentially left him looking like a weak leader. The demise of the PFML is rooted in the intransient nature of the sponsors who refused to work for compromise and insist on this being a state run program. To have an honest debate the speaker should have allowed HB 11 and SB 3 and let the chips fall where they may. Without any caucus meetings, no wonder they couldn’t count their votes.

Both bills mentioned would have reduced the amount of paid leave allowed to nine weeks from 12 weeks. 

PROGRESSIVE POWER

Conservative columnist Tom Wright, writing in the Rio Grande Sun, ponders the power of progressive Democrats:

New Mexico has a Democrat majority, but most Democrats here are not progressives. One must ask, why was there so much progressive legislation being considered in this session? Progressive politicians get elected here because big money, from outside the state, funds their campaigns. Super-PACs funded by the likes of George Soros, Mark Zuckerberg, Michael Bloomberg and other elites with power agendas, make sure their handpicked and groomed candidates get elected and support their outside agenda. . . A truly local politician, funded only by locals stands little chance of being elected in a super-PAC funded race.

BRING IT BACK

Rubel

Politics columnist Walt Rubel says after a 20 year absence it's time to bring back a state board of education to run the show:

Test scores show that our students are still underperforming in comparison to their peers around the country. The latest report on childhood well-being showed that 76 percent of New Mexico fourth-graders are still not proficient in reading, and 79 percent of eighth-graders are not proficient in math.

Clearly, changing from an elected school board to a secretary of education did not fix the problem. Senate Joint Resolution 9, which would have called for the repeal of the Public Education Commission and replacing it with a  state board, passed the Senate on a 36-1 vote Jan. 30, but then got stuck in the House.

There is no simple solution. Switching back to an elected school board risks making the process more political. But, it would also ensure more representation from all areas of the state, and more public debate in the decision-making process. The new board would have 15 members, 10 elected from districts throughout the state and five appointed by the governor. . .As one of the voters who supported the change in 2003, I’d like the opportunity for a do-over.

KNOCKING  NELLA

Nella Domenici

The state Democratic Party is anxious to hear what Republican US Senate candidate Nella Domenici has on her mind. The party writes:

Over a month into her campaign Nella Domenici has yet to answer a single interview question from the press. . .Voters still have not heard a word directly from the GOP East Coast Elitist. 

. . .Clearly, she lacks not just a vision for her candidacy but also a familiarity with our state.New Mexicans deserve a candidate with a proven track record who won’t dodge questions or try to buy legitimacy for their campaign. Voters have a right to know if Nella agrees with Trump's plan to ban abortion nationwide or other pillars of the MAGA agenda, like eliminating healthcare for millions. 

. . .Nella still hasn’t given voters a single reason to overlook just how out of touch with everyday New Mexicans she really is.

Domenici's silence is encouraged by her lack of a GOP primary opponent now that Manny Gonzales has withdrawn. Given that backdrop and the ability to finance her own campaign, don't expect to hear much from her anytime soon (our request for her position on abortion got crickets) but do expect to hear more criticism from the Dems working on behalf of US Sen. Martin Heinrich. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.