Santa Fe New Mexican, Feb. 9, 2014

Page 1

American uses new trick to earn Sochi Games Games’ first gold Sp Sports, D-1

Locally owned and independent

Feds to extend more benefits to same-sex couples Page A-3

Sunday, February 9, 2014

www.santafenewmexican.com $1.25

2014 LEGI LEGISLATURE

Lot of talk, little action

Taos groups court support from new ski resort owner Conservationists and charitable groups hope billionaire Louis Bacon will contribute to their causes. LOCAL NEWS, C-1

Local starts wedding guide Santa Fe woman creates an online resource for same-sex couples. LOCAL NEWS, C-1

Steward of the water Andy Otto’s meandering life path led him to the helm of the Santa Fe Watershed Association. NEIGHBORS, C-8

Immigrant license repeal bill hits snag in committee State legislators mingle Thursday on the House floor. More than halfway through the session, only one bill of about 700 proposed has cleared both the House and Senate — the ‘feed bill,’ which authorizes funding for the session. JANE PHILLIPS/THE NEW MEXICAN

WHERE ARE THE BILLS? u On the House calendar for Monday, there are 10 bills ready for the floor. On the Senate docket, there are five.

Only one bill has cleared both chambers so far; lawmakers say slow pace is to be expected, despite $179,000 daily price tag

By Steve Terrell The New Mexican

ou can’t say there wasn’t a lot to entertain observers of the state Legislature. For instance, those in the Senate gallery or following its webcast last week could have watched a performance by kids from the National Dance Institute, heard a few singers, seen introductions of senators’ guests and family members, heard a spoken-word piece about racism by Albuquerque’s poet laureate, listened to some good-natured ribbing about senators’ hairstyles, and heard a lot of sports trivia and even more talk about the annual Senate/House basketball game, which took place Friday. The situation was similar in the House. But one thing you wouldn’t have seen much of is actual bills being passed. In fact, by the end of the week, a couple of days past the halfway point of the 30-day session, only one bill — out of the 700 or so that have been introduced — had cleared the Legislature, passing both the House and the Senate. That was the “feed bill,” which authorizes money to pay for the session.

Y

We will get the work done. We always do. There will be some bills that won’t be heard, but most of the time, those are bills that shouldn’t have passed anyway. We have to vet them carefully to try to avoid unintended consequences.” Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, Senate Majority Leader With so much talk and so little action in the session so far, some newcomers and casual observers wonder why so much time is wasted in the Legislature — at a cost of nearly $179,000 a day — when so much remains to be done. Old hands at the Roundhouse, however, just shake their heads, acknowledging that this is how the system always has worked. Asked about this, Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, said last week, “This is a budget session. The budget is the most important thing we have to do.” The state constitution dictates

that every two years, the Legislature meets for only 30 days. Issues other than budget matters are restricted. And indeed, a general rule of thumb for a short session is that not much happens until the budget is passed. The House debated the budget on Friday, but it stalled on a tie vote. Sanchez said the Senate has been waiting for the House to pass the budget. He said he believes most other issues shouldn’t be acted on until the budget is in place. Most expected the House to pass the budget by the end of the week. However, House Republicans, aided by one Democrat, were able to stop the budget in its tracks amid a dispute over education funding. To be sure, it’s not as if bills are piling up on the House and Senate calendars waiting to be heard. On the House calendar for Monday, there are 10 bills ready for the floor. On the Senate, there are only five. Most bills still are meandering their way through the committee process. Most bills get assigned to at least two committees in each chamber.

Please see PACE, Page A-4

ON OUR WEBSITE: Find previous coverage of the 2014 session, as well as a summary of key issues facing

Measure is now stuck, unlikely to make it through Legislature

u Most bills still are meandering their way through the committee process. Most bills get assigned to at least two committees in each chamber.

By Milan Simonich The New Mexican

A bill to take driver’s licenses away from about 85,000 New Mexico residents who do not have proof of immigration status stalled again Saturday in a tie vote after a heated debate in the House Labor and Human Resources Committee. Four Democrats on the committee voted to block the bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Paul Pacheco of Albuquerque. The measure, calling for repeal of a 2003 law that enables New Mexico residents who are in the country unlawfully to receive a driver’s license, is now stuck in the committee

WHAT ELSE DO LAWMAKERS DO DURING THE SESSION?

Please see SNAG, Page A-4

u One way lawmakers in both chambers have spent their time is debating and passing memorials. These are nonbinding pieces of legislation, some calling for state agencies to study specific issues, some honoring prominent citizens, some dealing with international conflicts or small-town high school sports teams.

Marsha Mason soaks in the sun while walking on her Abiquiú farm in August 2001. The property sold last month for $6.2 million.

u By the end of this past week, the House had passed 21 memorials, four joint memorials (those are ones that go through both chambers) and seven bills. The Senate had passed 29 memorials, seven joint memorials and three bills.

lawmakers, helpful links and a schedule of daily happenings at the Capitol, at www.santafenewmexican.com.

AP FILE PHOTO

Mason leaving Abiquiú farm after 20 years Actress sells property for $6.2M; new owners to continue farming By Paul Weideman The New Mexican

Obituaries

Ancient art revived Shibori, a Japanese fabric-dyeing technique, has gone mainstream, popping up in all sorts of goods for the home. REAL ESTATE, E-1

Index

Calendar A-2

Classifieds E-7

Charles M. Anderson, Jan. 30 Frank “Pancho” Garcia, 72, Santa Fe, Feb. 6 Annie Wright Granito, 99, Feb. 5 Patrice J. Jaureguiberry, 66, Dec. 3 Homer Charles McLaughlin Jr., Feb. 1 Dolores Ortiz, 74, Feb. 5 Edward Harvey Pond, 82, Feb. 7 Henry Salazar Sr., 64, Feb. 5 Esther M. Sanchez, 62, Lamy, Feb. 5 PAGES C-6, C-7

Lotteries A-2

Pasapick www.pasatiempomagazine.com

Serenata of Santa Fe

Today Partly sunny. High 52, low 32.

Twists and Turns, music of Brahms, Bernard Herrmann and Joan Tower, 3 p.m., Scottish Rite Center, 463 Paseo de Peralta, $25, 988-1234, ticketssantafe.org.

Marsha Mason never intended to be a farmer when she purchased a rural estate in Abiquiú at the outset of the 1990s. But she thrived doing it, getting her hands dirty. And over the next 20 years, the actress — best known for her Golden Globe-winning portrayals in Cinderella Liberty and The Goodbye Girl — turned the property into a bustling certified organic operation specializing in medicinal herbs. Mason’s time on her Double M Farm is at an end. The 247-acre property bisected by the Rio Chama has been sold. The transaction closed Jan. 31, after the property had been listed for more than six years.

Please see MASON, Page A-4

PAGE D-6

Neighbors C-8

Opinions B-1

Police notes C-2

Editor: Ray Rivera, 986-3033, rrivera@sfnewmexican.com Design and headlines: Kristina Dunham, kdunham@sfnewmexican.com

Real Estate E-1

Sports D-1

Time Out/puzzles B-6

Main office: 983-3303 Late paper: 986-3010

Six sections, 48 pages 165th year, No. 40 Publication No. 596-440


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Santa Fe New Mexican, Feb. 9, 2014 by The New Mexican - Issuu