COMMENTARY:
Like all 30-day sessions, next year’s is going to be a busy one for the New Mexico Legislature, starting with the opening day, Jan. 20, when the Democratic Party will host an invitation-only dinner at the La Fonda Hotel.
Jan. 21 is Eastern New Mexico University Day. Jan 22 is Elevate the Spectrum; Autism Day. There are no social events on Jan. 23, as lawmakers traditionally take off the first Friday of each session to allow staff time to print and copy bills.
The festivities pick up on the weekend of Jan. 24 and 25 with the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce Mesilla Valley Days, which will include a reception at the governor’s mansion. The Las Cruces folks will still be in town for a breakfast on Monday, Jan. 26. That same day also includes a lunch with the New Mexico Black Leadership Council and dinner with the Santa Fe Chamber.
Jan. 27 is the Black Leadership Council Legislative Day of Action. Jan 28 is the URENCO USA and UUSA Legislative Breakfast. And no, I don’t know what those stand for either. Jan 29 is Golden Apple Day and New Mexico Tech Day along with a breakfast for the Coalition to End Homelessness, and an evening reception with Conservation Voters New Mexico. Jan. 30 is Career Technical Student Organization Day and Earth Science Day, and starts with a breakfast with the Supreme Court.
Feb. 3 is Central New Mexico Community College Day and Hidalgo County Day, with an evening reception for Leadership New Mexico. Feb. 4 is Lincoln County Day with a reception for the Roswell-Chaves County Economic Development Corporation. Feb 5 is West Side Day, with a rally, town hall and reception; and concludes with the annual House vs. Senate basketball game. Feb. 6 is Speech and Hearing Day.
The social calendar on the Legislature’s Website lists only one event after that, the Film and Media Day on Feb. 17. But it’s an incomplete list. And, it doesn’t include all the mariachi groups, ballet folklorico dancers, poets, singers, actors and other artists representing New Mexico culture who will be featured throughout the session.
This will be a 30-day session, meaning it is intended to deal primarily with the budget. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who has called two special sessions since the end of this year’s 60-day session, clearly has a more ambitious agenda.
Greater access to health care, increasing food security for state residents, reducing gun violence, improving the state’s behavioral health system and addressing overall affordability are all on her lengthy to-do list as she approaches the end of her second term.
At the end of the 30-day session in February, dozens of bills addressing those issues will be killed, not because a majority of legislators voted against them. That almost never happens once a bill reaches the floor. They will be killed because 30 days is not enough time to give careful consideration to all of the issues in need of legislative attention.
That would be true even without all the receptions and dinners and special events. One can only speculate as to how many good bills never made it to the finish line because the social calendar got in the way.
The obvious solution is to extend the legislative calendar. Until they do, lawmakers need to spend more time legislating and less time socializing.
Walter Rubel can be reached at waltrubel@gmail.com
Walt Rubel's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of KRWG Public Media or NMSU.