Friday, March 20, 2015

The New Mexico Legislature

New Mexico does not have a full-time legislature. Legislative sessions are 60 days long beginning in January following an election and 30 days long in the alternate years.

The House of Representatives has been doing its job this year, passing a significant number of bills. As of Wednesday — 56 days into the 60 day session — the Senate had passed (I think) just two: the "feed bill" providing their own pay for the session (always the first bill passed) and a bill to keep New Mexico permanently on Daylight Savings Time. (!) They seem to be sitting on (killing, tabling, etc.) everything else. They can't even pass a budget!

The cartoonist at the Albuquerque Journal describes this perfectly.

(The Roundhouse sitting on top of the basket is our beloved New Mexico capital building.)

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