A Small Mutiny

Surprisingly, Senate Democrats didn't automatically give Governor Bill Richardson everything he wanted at the Special Legislative Session just completed. Shapes of things to come?

From the New Mexican:

The special session of the New Mexico Legislature that ended Wednesday might be remembered as the first time the state Senate mutinied against Gov. Bill Richardson.

The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, under the leadership of Speaker Ben Luján, D-Nambé, basically gave the Democratic governor what he wanted. Richardson called the session to push his plans for dealing with rising energy prices — use the state’s windfall from oil-and-gas revenues to fund rebate checks to taxpayers and pass a law aimed at price-gouging . But an emboldened Senate, also controlled by Democrats , had ideas of its own. “The governor didn’t consult with Democrats or Republicans in the Senate,” said Sen. Joe Carraro, R-Albuquerque . “Finally the Senate realized that we are elected to do our own business without taking orders from the governor.”

Sen. John Grubesic, D-Santa Fe, sounded a similar theme: “One of the surprises of this session was that the Senate is restoring itself as an independent body. This should send a strong message to the executive that you need to think these things out.”

Some Democratic senators, such as President Pro-tem Ben Altamirano of Silver City and Sen. Phil Griego of San Jose, downplayed the conflict with the governor — though they still voted against some of Richardson’s wishes.

One of Richardson’s bills — the price-gouging legislation — was shot down.

And the governor’s energy relief package was pumped up virtually beyond recognition, evoking cries of “irresponsible” and “reckless” from the governor’s office.

With a windfall of more than $800 million in state funds produced by taxes on skyrocketing gas and oil prices, I can't see how spending a little more than $250 million on relief for citizens, schools and others will be bankrupting the state government anytime soon.

Richardson is threatening to veto some of the package, specifically the $109 million in personal income-tax rate reductions that were speeded up by the Legislature. We'll see. But it seems clear that if the Governor wants to be effective in the next regular session in January, he'll have to do some fence mending within his own Party.

What bothered me most about Richardson's actions was his threat to force the legislators to stay in special session for many more days to consider a raise in the minimum wage. Evidently, this would have been a sort of "punishment" for not swallowing his energy cost relief package whole. A minimum wage measure has been mentioned by the Governor and others for consideration at the regular session in January. It's sure to create controversy -- and long debates.

I think it's unconscionable that Richardson would use an issue of such huge importance to the economic well-being of our citizens as a mere bludgeon to try and get rebellious legislators in line. We deserve better than that, don't we? In particular, I hope the much needed raise in the state's minimum wage will be given its due in the regular session in January, despite it's being used as a political football this time out.

Here's a rundown on the final version of the energy relief package passed by the Legislature.

Meanwhile, there'll be an "extraordinary session" of the Legislature starting October 28 to consider whether there's enough evidence to impeach indicted State Treasurer Robert Vigil. As of yesterday, 19 more counts of extortion have been added to the indictment.