Feed Bill to the House Floor
The House Appropriations and Finance Committee promptly dispatched HB 1, the “feed bill,” to the House floor on a vote of 14-4, with most committee Republicans in opposition. This bill appropriates the funds necessary to operate the Legislature in the coming year, both during this session and during the interim period. The bill contains a proposed appropriation of around $7 million to operate the session and $34 million to conduct business during the interim, which includes interim committee hearing expenses, work done by various staffs such as the Legislative Council Service, the Legislative Finance Committee and the Legislative Education Study Committee. The speaker announced that the House will take up the bill on third reading tomorrow.
The House convenes at 11 a.m., as does the Senate. It’s likely the Senate Finance Committee will take up the bill promptly upon receipt from the House and have it ready for Senate action no later than Thursday. Typically, the governor signs the bill and doesn’t mess with what the Legislature wants to spend on its operations.
Welcome to the Ceremony of it All – and New Members!
The opening day of the session brought with it the usual ceremonial proceedings and business, and in the Senate that included welcoming two newly appointed senators.
Before getting to down to business, the New Mexico State Senate Chaplain, Reverend Father Richard Lannucci, delivered the Invocation to the chamber, the Santa Fe High School Navy Junior Reserves Officer Training Corp Color Guard presented the flag, and a student from Cuba High School honored the chamber with a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem. Lauren Camp, the State’s Poet Laureatec finished the initial ceremonies by reciting a poem from one of her poet laureate trips around the state.
Senate Majority Floor Leader Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) then took to the floor and asked for unanimous consent to receive the commissions of two newly appointed senators mentioned in Monday’s Legislative Round-Up, Steven McCutcheon II (R-Chaves, Eddy and Lea) who steps in for Sen. Gay Kernan, and Greg Nibert (R- Chaves, Curry, DeBaca, Lea and Roosevelt) who replaces Sen. Stuart Ingle. Both Ingle and Kernan retired. (McCutcheon is center left above; Nibert is center right.)
Each leader and rank and file member was given the opportunity to speak and also to introduce special guests they brought to the opening session. President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart (D-Bernalillo) talked about how the Senate is a family, spoke about its diversity and how all senators should work together to treat each other as humans. And Minority Floor Leader Sen. Gregory Baca (R-Bernalillo and Valencia) took the opportunity to welcome the two new senators, echoed the call for decorum and hoped the body would continue its reputation for good ethics it’s known for.
Wirth also introduced Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and Santa Fe Mayor Tim Jennings, both Senate alumni.
In the House, two new representatives took their seats today. The first is Republican Jared Hembree, above, who will represent District 59 (Chaves County) and takes the place of former Rep. Greg Nibert, who as explained, moved over to the Senate. Like Nibert, Hembree is an attorney specializing in oil and gas and makes his home in Roswell. Nibert was also the House Republican whip. That position will now be filled by former House Republican leader Jim Townsend (Chaves, Eddy and Otero).
Filling the shoes of 11-year District 25 Rep. Christine Trujillo (D-Bernalillo) is Cristine Parajon (D-Bernalillo) who makes her home in Albuquerque. At 27 years old, she is the youngest female legislator. Her background is in public health.
