RSS FeedGRANTS - The Beacon spoke to House Majority Leader Ken Martinez on Monday. Martinez identified the recent Legislative Special Session as the hardest ever.
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Tension was high, according to Martinez, because of the much publicized $650 million shortfall in revenue. “The challenge was to identify the items,” said Martinez. “Whether the shortfall items were one time or long term because of a shrinking government. The other tension was the fact that nobody wants to take a cut.”
Martinez noted that he recently had a meeting with Governor Bill Richardson and told the Beacon that he feels the CCA women's correctional facility in Grants is “safe.”
“I expect Richardson to line item veto items on the bill,” said Martinez. “He won't veto the whole bill.” Richardson's deadline to sign the bill is Thursday, Nov. 12.
Martinez also noted that the short legislative session in January will also be hard, “But hopefully we've done our homework and we know better what to expect.
“The shortfall is worldwide,” Martinez said. “We are in good shape compared some neighboring states.
We've done the best we could and I worked to minimize the impact on Cibola County.”
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The Regulator wrote on Nov 12, 2009 1:28 PM:
Sen. David Ulibarri, D-Grants, meanwhile left the session after just three days, instead hunting elk in the Four Corners.
He refused News 13's requests for comment, so reporter Michael Herzenberg found him at a Veterans Day ceremony in Truth or Consequences.
"You know, we wasted so much time the first four days," he said.
Later, when asked about whether he felt he was protecting his constituents' interests, he said, "I think all the interests that I represent were protected."
Ulibarri missed every vote on budget cuts. Food for the elderly, education and Medicaid took a hit statewide.
Even a state park in Ulibarri's own district is shut down for now and the Department of Corrections says it may have to close the women's prison in the senator's hometown. That could mean 150 jobs gone and hundreds of inmates freed. "