Tuesday, April 02, 2024A Special Session? Doesn't Look Special As MLG Mulls Possibility, Plus: Thanking Big Oil; Cabinet Secretary With Rare Pat On Back, And: GOP State Senate Race Poll
--Address unsafe panhandling --Increase penalties for felons with firearms --Rework criminal competency process --Establish civil competency process That's the agenda that MLG is pushing for at a possible special session that she now assigns an 80 percent chance of calling--if and when she can get agreement with legislative leadership on the above-mentioned items. Republicans would relish a special session on crime in an election year since it is their top polling issue. MLG's fellow Dems don't sound enthused and with good reason. They just came off a regular session where they passed some crime bills and put the issue behind them--or so they thought--as they headed out for the '24 campaign in which all 112 senators and representatives face voters. Reading between the lines, House Speaker Javier Martinez seems filled with dread or even horrified over having the Governor call everyone back to Santa Fe. The measures mentioned by the Guv have stalled at the Roundhouse and MLG is savvy enough to know that she can't call lawmakers back unless she has a done deal for every bill on her call. Otherwise, the R's would take advantage of any chaos. Just why the Governor wants to call a special over smallball crime bills like panhandling and competency hearings is baffling. She can't run for Governor again. Is she running for something else? THANKING OIL Each year in her State of the State speech MLG is urged by conservatives to acknowledge oil and gas drilling as a huge economic driver for the state. She doesn't. So while the oil boosters again wait for a mention in next year's annual speech, they will have to do with this rare nod of support from a member of MLG's cabinet. Mark Roper, Acting Secretary of the Economic Development Department, comes with this: I think New Mexico in itself is in a really key place in life, where we have some economic opportunities, thanks to the oil and gas industry, to put us in a position to diversify and continue our economic prosperity into the future. Roper's compliment of the industry comes on the heels of a lambasting given to the oil boys by Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard who is asking for an increase in the royalty rate for drilling on prime state lands. It seems there's something for everyone in Santa Fe. BLOCK BRAG
The GOP is mostly owned by the Trumpers and Block, who ran unsuccessfully for the GOP Guv nomination in '22, is an unabashed Trumper. Gould is affiliated with what's left of the nontrump wing of the party but she is no slouch politically. But here's the big reason the Block poll may be worth more than spin: District 12, under a new district map, now consists of much of Rio Rancho and Paradise Hills neighborhoods in Bernalillo County. Approximately 51,700 people live in the newly drawn Senate district, which lies generally west of Corrales. Block won his election in a nearly identical district in 2016 when he ran for Sandoval County commissioner and won re-election in 2020. Gould represented a different district for one term and was defeated by Dem Katy Duhigg in 2020. Democrat Phil Ramirez will face the primary winner in November. NELLA'S CHANCES A reader writes of the Monday blog where we dived into the first media interview given by GOP US Senate candidate Nella Domenici: Joe,
In reading your article my feeling is that Ms. Domenici can’t win in today’s Republican Party. She likely is more like her dad (former GOP US Sen. Pete Domenici)--someone who would work across the aisle and compromise. That Republican Party doesn’t exist anymore. Even Pete would have a hard time winning today. Also, I think the Supreme Court decision on Roe and the votes of women will deliver the the 2024 election to the Democrats. 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 2024 |
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