Fourth Week in Santa Fe

Sad News

Last time I wrote that Rep. Gloria Vaughan’s (R-Otero) husband was very ill. Jim Vaughan passed away last weekend. They were married for 44 years. Rep. Vaughan has returned to the legislature and resumed her duties. The outpouring of sympathy and concern has been very inspiring. Rep. Vaughan and I share an office, and I have seen her moved to tears by the kindness shown her.

As most of you know the wife of Senator Tim Jennings (D-Chaves), Patty Jennings, passed away Saturday morning. I never met Patty Jennings, but I have heard many great things about her.

This is the third death of a legislator’s spouse this session. Rep. Mary Helen Garcia (D-Dona Anna) lost her husband just before the session started.

Carol and I ask that you join us in keeping these families in prayer.

The Death Penalty Debate

On Wednesday afternoon we had an extremely intense debate involving a number of legislators. I fully support the Death Penalty as an appropriate punishment. I spoke at length on this issue. I was surprised to discover my comments were the focus of an article in the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper. The article is here (I would have preferred the word passionate instead of emotional):

www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Death-penalty-repeal-clears-N-M--House

The final vote was 40-28 in favor of Repeal (or Abolishment) of the Death Penalty and it was pretty much along party lines. I knew the numbers were against us from the beginning, but I gave it my best effort. I was honored to be told by a Representative who voted the other way that I had made “the decision harder.”

Budget Situation

Friday, February 13th (note Friday the 13th), new budget projections came out for FY2010. FY2010 starts July 1, 2009 and runs to June 30, 2010. The numbers are not good. I got to sit down with Mr. David Abbey, Director of the Legislative Finance Committee and his Chief Economist, Mr. Norton Francis for a personal briefing on the situation.

The total revenue collected for FY2008 (July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2008) was $6.062 Billion (that’s with a “B”). In December 2008 it was estimated that the revenue for the current year (FY2009) would be less and the projection for FY2010 was $5.733 Billion. Now FY2010 is even lower. The new figure for FY2010 is down to $5.488 Billion, $574 Million less than we had in FY2008.

Over the past six years this administration has been constantly increasing spending. Now New Mexico will have around 10% less money than last year. The citizens will have to deal with some painful cuts because of this reckless spending. It now seems very likely we will have NO capital outlay in FY2010. We don’t know when we will get out of this, but we must tighten our belts.

HB725

On Wednesday I introduced HB 725 which would repeal the film industry tax rebate. Right now, an expenditure in New Mexico by a movie company qualifies for a 25% rebate from the State. In other words, if a movie outfit spends $100 in New Mexico, they get $25 from the taxpayers of this state. A study by NMSU economists concluded that the state gets a return of about 15 cents for each taxpayer dollar spent. Not a good investment.

No other business or industry gets treated like this. No restaurant, no tire store, no dairy, no farm, no retail outlet, no oil field service outfit, no one. In FY2008 this rebate cost New Mexico $47 Million. I was uncomfortable with this was last year when times were good. Now it is indefensible. We cannot ask New Mexico citizens to accept cut backs in services and at the same time give millions to Hollywood movie moguls.