Speaker Martinez

Coalition politics, a mainstay of New Mexican politics, has been in hibernation but no longer. 

The cave emptied out at the Roundhouse Wednesday as 11 conservative/moderate Democrats joined with all the House Republicans to deliver a stunning blow to the progressive Democrats and House Speaker Javier Martinez by defeating their paid family medical leave act. 

The 36 to 34 vote was fraught with emotion with some progressive lawmakers breaking out in tears and having to be calmed down as they reeled from the unexpected loss.

Progressive activists like Andrea Serrato revealed their anguish on social media:

To listen to so many people put their suffering on display to convince lawmakers to pass paid family medical leave only to have a handful of Democrats work with Republicans to kill it is a new level of disappointment and heartbreak. 

But conservative activists like Sarah Smith rejoiced:

The paid family medical leave act has failed in the NM legislature! Thanks to all of you who took action to stop this new tax that would have affected all New Mexico workers, businesses, and families! Thanks to the Legislators who stood up for us! 

Two of the ringleaders of the conservative D's are Rep. Patty Lundstrom, the onetime chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee who was ousted by Speaker Martinez last year but Wednesday got her revenge, and business-friendly northern Dem Rep. Joseph Sanchez who had this analysis of the upset victory:

We all know small business owners — they’re our friends or our neighbors — a lot of them don’t pay attention to what we do here in the Legislature. And I’d hate to be near those people when they find out this is implemented.

Business lobbyists watched as the state Senate approved the act on a party line 25 to 15 vote but formed stronger battle lines when it was sent over to the House. 

Sponsors fruitlessly pointed out that the measure did not cast that wide of a net with employers of five or fewer workers exempt but  to no avail.  

It may have been the status quo that did the progressives in, a status quo that is not all that bad:

New Mexico already requires employers to provide paid sick leave to workers under a 2021 law. Employees accrue an hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, ensuring up to about 8 days of leave annually. The failed proposal for paid leave would have eventually provided workers with up to 12 weeks of medical and family leave — which would be extended to parents of adopted, foster and stepchildren. 

BLAME GAME

It was just a few years ago when progressives made successful primary election challenges against conservative Senate Dems and busted the decade-long coalition led by Dem Sen. John Arthur Smith, known as "Dr. No"  for his penchant for killing progressive plans. Now they have seen the coalition arise in the other chamber and with a force that is not going to be forgotten going forward.

The blame game started immediately with some Roundhouse Wall-Leaners telling us they blame the lobbyist who helped persuade Speaker Martinez to bring the act to a floor vote. He reportedly was uncertain but was assured the votes were there. They weren't and his speakership suffered its first major blow as a result. 

Also taking a hit was new House Majority Whip Renee Szczepanski. Her abacus abandoned her. Her reputation for political astuteness fostered under her mentor and former Speaker Brian Egolf and nourished by an obsequious hometown press is for the moment under water. 

But it is the current speaker who must absorb most of the blow, recover and move on. That is not the tallest of orders but a strengthened conservative caucus is now emboldened and could test him again--and again. That makes the House a much more Machiavellian environment.  

That the Governor was mainly quiet on the leave act was also cited as a reason for the gut punch to the progressives. She is at heart a self-described conservative on many matters and this appeared to be one of them. 

There is also the overreach of the progressives. They came with a California-like leave act and tried to clone it here, but they crossed an unseen line and paid the price. A similar occurrence came last month when conservative Dems joined with Republicans on the ABQ City Council to rebuke Mayor Keller over actions of an environmental board. 

Unlike California, the progressives here are getting schooled on the limits to their reach and shown that coalition politics in intriguing New Mexico is always lurking in the hallways of the Roundhouse--and elsewhere

THE BOTTOM LINES

The '24 legislative session adjourns at noon today. Join me for late breaking news and analysis of the past month's action today at 5 p.m. with TJ Trout on KKOB and at 96.3 FM

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.