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>> THE FIGHT OVER EDUCATION SPENDING AND GOVERNOR SUSANA
MARTINEZ'S REFORM AGENDA WAS AT THE HEART OF THE BUDGET
DISAGREEMENT IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
DEMOCRATS WANTED INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO DECIDE
HOW TO USE EXTRA FUNDS, WHILE REPUBLICANS FAVORED
GIVING THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT MORE MONEY TO
IMPLEMENT REFORMS FROM MS. MARTINEZ.
THE COMPROMISE GIVES $17.5 MILLION IN NEW MONEY
TO THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FOR MERIT PAY,
TEACHER EVALUATIONS, AND OTHER INITIATIVES FROM THE
GOVERNOR, BUT DISTRICTS CAN DECIDE WHETHER TO ADOPT THEM
WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THEIR COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING CONTRACTS. JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT
THAT AND LOTS MORE IS ONE OF OUR LINE REGULARS, LAURA
SANCHEZ, CEO OF THE NEW MEXICO GREEN CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE, AND WITH A LITTLE BIT OF CRUD FROM THE
LEGISLATURE THIS YEAR. THAT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR.
THAT'S OKAY. ANOTHER REGULAR, ATTORNEY
SOPHIE MARTIN, IS HERE AS WELL.
RETURNING TO THE TABLE THIS WEEK, FORMER STATE
REPRESENTATIVE JANICE ARNOLD-JONES.
WE'RE VERY HAPPY SHE'S HERE. AND WE WELCOME A NEW
ADDITION TO THE LINE TABLE, FORMER STATE SENATOR
MARK BOITANO. MARK, LET ME START WITH YOU.
YOUR TAKE ON THE SESSION, THE BUDGET IN PARTICULAR.
IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT THEY
WANTED HERE, BUT THERE'S SOME NOISE STARTING, ALMOST
A TRUCK THAT'S STACKED TOO HIGH AND THERE'S LIKE A
WEIGHT LIMIT THAT'S BEEN CROSSED SOMEHOW.
ALMOST LIKE IT'S TOO MUCH MONEY IN THE BUDGET, AND
PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO WORRY THAT OUR PERCENTAGES, OUR
INVESTMENTS ARE GOING TO TAKE A DING.
WHAT'S YOUR SENSE OF THAT? >> YOU KNOW, THIS IS A
SIGNIFICANT YEAR. I THINK THIS MAY BE THE
BIGGEST BUDGET WE'VE EVER HAD, AND WE GO BACK TO
2007-2008 AND THE NUMBERS WERE SIX ONE.
THIS IS APPROACHING SIX TWO. SO THERE'S MORE MONEY IN THE
BUDGET THAN WE'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SAYING IN SANTA FE THAT IF
EVERYBODY IS UNHAPPY, YOU HAVE A GOOD BUDGET, AND
THAT'S WHAT I'M SEEING. THE GOVERNOR GOT A LITTLE
BIT OF WHAT SHE WANTED, EDUCATION ESTABLISHMENT GOT
A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT THEY WANTED, AND SO FORTH.
BUT, YEAH, IT SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY GOOD BUDGET.
THE REALITY IS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WORK THE BUDGET
ON THE SENATE SIDE AND THE HOUSE SIDE, I THINK MOST
REASONABLE PEOPLE WOULD AGREE THAT THEY'RE FRUGAL
AND THEY PAY ATTENTION TO THE NUMBERS.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE, IS A BUDGET THAT'S
REASONABLY RESPONSIBLE, AND AT THE SAME TIME WE'VE GOT
TEACHER SALARY INCREASES, WE'VE GOT STATE
WORKER INCREASES. SO EVERYBODY GOT A LITTLE
BIT IN THE BUDGET. >> FOR NOW, AS THEY SAY.
FOR NOW. WE'LL SEE. LET'S SWING TO OUR OTHER
EX-REP HERE. GOOD TO SEE YOU, BY THE WAY.
>> THANK YOU. >> AS MARK JUST MENTIONED,
IT'S A BIG LOADED BUDGET, EVERYONE SEEMS TO HAVE STUFF
IN THERE. JUST A COUPLE THINGS.
THE GOVERNOR WANTED SOME UNDER THE LINE MONEY, 20
MILLION, AND SHE GOT 17 AND A HALF.
THAT'S NOT BAD. >> I THINK THAT'S VERY GOOD.
>> YES, THAT'S NOT BAD. AND SHE'S MAKING A LOT OF
POSITIVE NOISE SO FAR ABOUT THIS BUDGET, AS WELL.
WE'RE HEARING IT'S NOT LIKE SHE'S READY TO KICK THIS
THING RIGHT BACK. >> EVEN THE RESERVES WERE
CLOSE. SHE WANTED 10%.
I WINCE A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE IT APPEARS THAT WE'RE GOING
TO GO INTO A LARGE FIRE SEASON, AND YOU NEED THOSE
RESERVES JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF
THOSE ISSUES. BUT THAT WAS LIKE 9.57, AND
SHE WANTED 10. BUT I NOTED THAT LUCKY
BARELA SAID ON THE FLOOR THAT EVERYTHING IN THIS
BUDGET IS GOING TO BE SANDED, THAT THERE WILL BE A
REQUIREMENT. AND HOW MUCH SANDING -- AND
THAT TERM MEANS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO SHAVE PIECES OFF,
THEY'RE GOING TO SHAVE OFF THE CORNERS.
BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH. >> THAT'S INTERESTING.
AND THAT DID HAPPEN A LITTLE BIT ALONG THE WAY, LAURA,
SOME THINGS GOT AGREED TO, BUT THERE WAS SANDING AND
SHAVING ALL OVER THE PLACE TO MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPEN.
AGAIN, COMPROMISE IS THE WORD RIGHT NOW.
IS THIS A GOOD COMPROMISE IN YOUR VIEW, HOW THIS
HAPPENED? >> I THINK THE OVERALL
PROCESS WAS VERY DIFFERENT THIS YEAR THAN IT HAS BEEN
IN THE PAST, MAINLY BECAUSE IT USUALLY STARTS IN THE
HOUSE, THE HOUSE COMES UP WITH A VERSION THAT THEY
PASS OUT, AND THEN IT GETS OFTEN BACKLOGGED IN THE
SENATE, AND THIS TIME THE SENATE DIDN'T WANT TO WAIT
AROUND AFTER THERE HAD BEEN A VOTE AND THERE WAS STILL
NOT A BUDGET THAT CAME OUT. SO THEY FINALLY JUST PASSED
THEIR OWN. >> RIGHT.
>> SO IT WAS DEFINITELY DIFFERENT THIS YEAR.
I'M NOT SURE THAT EVERYBODY GOT EVERYTHING THAT
THEY WANTED. I MEAN, CERTAINLY A LOT OF
THE -- I MEAN, I'LL JUST SAY, FOR THE GROUPS THAT WE
REPRESENT, WE DEFINITELY DID NOT SEE AS MUCH PROGRESS AS
WE WOULD HAVE HOPED. THAT'S INVESTMENT IN HI-TECH
AND RENEWABLE ENERGY. BUT WE ALSO DIDN'T SEE A
HUGE CUT IN THOSE AREAS, SO I GUESS IN THAT SENSE,
THAT'S WALKING AWAY WITH SOMETHING.
BUT, YEAH, I THINK THERE WAS DEFINITELY A LOT OF -- I
THINK EARLY ON IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE THERE WAS A LOT OF
MOVEMENT ON ANYTHING, FOR ABOUT THE FIRST WEEK AND A
HALF, AND THAT MEANS THAT IF YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING IN
COMMITTEE FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND THEN YOU START LATE,
YOU'RE ALREADY BEHIND THE 8-BALL, AND THERE JUST
WASN'T A LOT OF MOVEMENT ON ANYTHING.
>> SURE. BUT YET, SOPHIE, IT'S INTERESTING WHEN YOU
THINK BACK TO LAST YEAR, AND WE HAD A BIT OF A CALENDAR
HITCH LAST YEAR AND WE HAD A SESSION ENDING ON A
SATURDAY, WHICH CREATED THAT CRAZY SATURDAY MORNING THAT
WE ALL REMEMBER, IT WAS JUST MADNESS, BUT A BUDGET DID
GET OUT MAYBE NOT SUPER TIMELY, BUT IT GOT OUT AND
THERE WAS SOME RESPONSE. >> ONE THING THAT'S WORTH
REMEMBERING ABOUT LAST YEAR IS THERE WAS A LOT OF
HEARTACHE OVER WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST DAY, LAST
MOMENTS OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AND WHAT WE SEE
THIS YEAR IS THAT, WELL, NOT EVERYTHING GOT DONE, AND
CERTAINLY NOT EVERYTHING THAT MANY PEOPLE WOULD HAVE
LIKED TO HAVE SEEN, BUT THE BUDGET WAS PASSED NOT AT THE
LAST MINUTE. IT WAS PASSED EARLIER.
GROUPS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN, AND THE
LEGISLATORS APPEAR TO HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY
REVIEW IT. SO I THINK WE'RE SEEING TO A
CERTAIN EXTENT THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR,
WHERE IT'S BETTER THOUGHT OUT, BECAUSE PEOPLE DID
SUFFER SOME POLITICAL DAMAGE NOT HAVING REALLY READ THE
BUDGET, NOT REALLY KNOWING WHAT THEY WERE VOTING ON
LAST YEAR. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I --
>> LET ME SWING OVER TO MARK, I'M SORRY TO DO THAT,
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR POINT. IS SOPHIE QUITE RIGHT, THAT
THERE WAS AN AGREEMENT, I'M THINKING OF KENNY MARTINEZ,
THAT THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN, WHAT HAPPENED
LAST YEAR? WE ARE NOT GOING TO PROSTATE
OURSELVES OUT ON THE LAST DAY AND HAVE PEOPLE
COMPLAINING THAT THEY DIDN'T EVEN READ THE BILL.
WAS IT YOUR SENSE THAT THERE WAS AN AGREEMENT THAT THAT
WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN THIS YEAR?
>> POSSIBLY, BUT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT MOVING PARTS.
ONE IS, THIS IS A 30-DAY SESSION.
THE FOCUS IS BUDGET. LAST YEAR WITH A 60-DAY
SESSION, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF MOVING PARTS.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, THE ENVIRONMENT.
ALSO, JANICE AND I WERE TALKING A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT
SEEMS LIKE MAYBE THE MANAGEMENT STYLE AND THE
ADMINISTRATIVE WORK ETHIC IS DIFFERENT TODAY UNDER
SPEAKER MARTINEZ THAN UNDER SPEAKER LUJAN, AND SO THINGS
DON'T SEEM TO BE MOVING AS QUICKLY, AND THEY SEEM TO BE
HAPPENING A LITTLE BIT SMOOTHER THAN UNDER THE
PREDECESSOR. SO I THINK THAT'S A PART OF
IT, AS WELL. >> SURE. ANOTHER
INTERESTING POINT, JANICE, THAT LAURA BROUGHT UP A
LITTLE BIT AGO WAS SOME OF THE MACHINATIONS BETWEEN THE
SENATE AND THE HOUSE. SOME FOLKS KIND OF WALKED
ACROSS THE AISLE, SO TO SPEAK, AND DID SOME THINGS
THAT WERE SOMEWHAT UNUSUAL. WHAT WAS YOUR SENSE OF THAT?
>> WELL, IT IS UNUSUAL TO HAVE THE BUDGET START FROM
THE SENATE, BUT IT DIDN'T, REALLY.
HAVING WATCHED THIS BUDGET PROCESS, THERE WAS GREAT
AGREEMENT GOING IN. MORE THAN I HAVE SEEN IN
MANY YEARS. AND SO I APPRECIATE THE
KUDOS TO THE SENATE, BUT THEY REALLY DIDN'T CREATE A
BUDGET, THERE WAS A VERY GOOD BUDGET --
>> I'M ALWAYS PARTIAL TO THE SENATE.
>> I UNDERSTAND. I FEEL OUTNUMBERED HERE.
BUT IN DEFERENCE TO REPRESENTATIVE KIKI
SAAVEDRA, THIS IS HIS LAST BUDGET, THEY WERE VERY
CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS GREAT AGREEMENT.
SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHAT YOU SAW, AND YOU DIDN'T
SEE MAJOR CHANGES. IT WAS JUST THEY JUST
ADDRESSED THE ISSUES THAT WERE KIND OF HOLDING IT UP
AND THEY WERE ABLE TO PUT IT BACK OVER, BECAUSE PEOPLE
HAD READ IT. THAT WAS REALLY
QUITE REMARKABLE. AND THE FACT THAT -- BECAUSE
I HAVE BEEN THERE WHEN YOU GET THE BUDGET AND YOU'RE
GOING -- >> RIGHT, AND THE CLOCK'S
TICKING, EXACTLY RIGHT. SOME PROJECTS WERE A BIG
DEAL GOING IN. THE GOVERNOR IN THE STATE OF
THE STATE SAID, A LOT OF MONEY FOR THE BUDGET, 60%.
WHAT HAPPENED THERE? >> WELL, I THINK THERE WAS
NOT ENOUGH AGREEMENT AMONG THE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT
WERE INTERESTED IN THAT, AND A LOT OF REPRESENTATIVES AND
SENATORS FROM DIFFERENT AREAS THAT HAD THEIR OWN
PARTICULAR BILL, AND SO I THINK A LOT OF THOSE DIDN'T
MAKE THE CUT, MAKE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS.
BUT I THINK ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS IN TERMS
OF THIS YEAR BEING UNIQUE, AND I THINK BACK TO SORT OF
THE MANAGEMENT AND JUST TRYING TO KEEP ORDER, I
GUESS, PARTY LINE AND ALL THAT, THE MARGINS REALLY
DECREASED THIS TIME. I MEAN, WE'RE REALLY TALKING
ABOUT VERY SLIM MARGINS IN THE HOUSE.
WE HAD TWO MEMBERS THAT WERE ILL THE ENTIRE SESSION,
WHICH IS A HUGE DYNAMIC. THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT
REALLY AFFECTED COMMITTEE VOTES, YOU KNOW, IN HOUSE
TAX & REV, FOR EXAMPLE. YOU WERE TIED IN HOUSE TAX &
REV, SO IT WAS NO LONGER AN ISSUE OF PARTY LINE VOTE.
AND I THINK INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, IT MEANT THAT THERE
HAD TO BE A LOT MORE DISCUSSION ACROSS THE AISLE
ON A LOT OF ISSUES. SO IN THAT SENSE, I DID SEE
A LOT OF INTERESTING, I THINK, DYNAMIC THAT WE MAYBE
COULD USE MORE OF, FRANKLY, IN SOME SITUATIONS.
>> INTERESTING, INTERESTING. SOPHIE, FOR LOTS OF FOLKS,
YOU KNOW, THEY GO UP, THEY HAVE EXPECTATIONS.
LAURA HAS HER GROUP. YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S GOT A
CUT AT THIS. BUT WAS THERE ENOUGH FOR
EVERYBODY TO BE HAPPY? AND I APPRECIATE MARK'S
POINT EARLIER, SAYING IF EVERYONE IS UNHAPPY, BUT IS
EVERYONE GOING TO BE HAPPY HERE?
JUST A FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION. DO WE HAVE ENOUGH TO MOVE
FORWARD WITH? >> AS HUMAN BEINGS, WE'RE
NEVER GOING TO BE TOTALLY HAPPY WITH WHAT COMES OUT OF
THE LEGISLATURE. THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE.
THERE IS STILL, AND YOU SEE THIS AMONGST THE GROUPS WHO
LOBBIED THIS YEAR AND WHO WERE INTERESTED IN
PARTICULAR PIECES OF LEGISLATION, REMEMBER THAT
THERE IS THIS NEXT STEP, WHICH IS THAT EVERYTHING
GOES TO THE GOVERNOR'S DESK. SO IT'S NOT REALLY DONE FOR
THE CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE BEEN ACTIVE AND
LOBBYING LEGISLATORS. THEY HAVE ONE MORE STEP,
WHICH IS THE GOVERNOR'S DESK.
AND THERE IS, I THINK LESS ANXIETY AMONGST THE GROUPS
THAT I'M TALKING TO, TO THE EARLIER COMMENT THAT SHE
SEEMED MORE OR LESS SATISFIED WITH THE BUDGET,
LESS ANXIETY THAT I'VE SEEN IN THE PAST, AND I THINK
THAT IS A FUNCTION OF THE 30-DAY SESSION AND THE FACT
THAT IT'S SO FOCUSED. >> IT'S ALSO A FUNCTION,
MARK, THAT IT'S AN ELECTION YEAR AND THE AVOIDANCE OF A
SPECIAL, MEANING NO ONE CAN GET OUT THERE AND CAMPAIGN
AND RAISE MONEY AND DO THOSE THINGS.
I CAN'T IMAGINE ANYBODY WOULD WANT TO HAVE
THAT HAPPEN. IS THAT PART OF THE DYNAMIC
DRIVE TO GET SOMETHING DONE IN A TIMELY MANNER?
>> ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY IT IS, BUT I THINK, ALSO, THE
NAME OF THE GAME IN POLITICS IS COMPROMISE, AND THERE WAS
A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT COMPROMISE.
EVEN REPRESENTATIVE JEFF IN THE HOUSE SAID, LISTEN, IF I
DON'T SEE COMPROMISE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET MY VOTE.
SO THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE WHY SHE
DID WHAT SHE DID, BUT THAT WAS THE -- THAT'S WHAT
SHE SAID. SO I MEAN, WE SAW COMPROMISE
ON THE PART OF THE UNIONS, WE SAW COMPROMISE ON THE
PART OF THE GOVERNOR, AND SO THAT'S THE NAME OF THE GAME.
WE SAW A LOT OF THAT. AND WE'RE GETTING A BUDGET
THAT I THINK MOSTLY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO
LIVE WITH. >> INTERESTING.
IN A MOMENT, WE'RE BACK WITH MORE ON EDUCATION AND THE
BUDGET IN OUR ROUNDHOUSE REPORT.