Legislators discuss upcoming session

The New Mexico Legislature finished its 2020 regular session just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, and it’s affected everything since — including the necessity of two special sessions later on in the year.

The pandemic is still having impacts as the House and Senate prepare for the 60-day session that begins Tuesday. The News reached out to all six area legislators, and was able to make contact with five to briefly discuss concerns and goals for the session, and what a largely virtual format will mean.

District 66 Rep. Phelps Anderson, R-Roswell

What concerns do you have entering the session?

My two top concerns are getting our schools open and New Mexicans back to work. That spreads over a whole lot of areas, from budget to other spending bills. The first priority is always a balanced budget. Under the closed capitol conditions, this will be a greater challenge as New Mexicans will not be able to communicate with their legislators. I hope the critical issues of getting our schools open and New Mexicans back to work will not be lost in other less urgent matters.

What legislation do you plan to bring?

Due to my work on the finance committee, I am not committed to new legislation.

Are there processes a virtual session will make more difficult? Any that will be simpler?

Yes, (it will be more difficult) to meet our constitutional requirement to tackle the state’s business. New Mexicans who have access to wifi and virtual access may find a way to getting a message into the capitol. Many New Mexicans lack this technology in their home or workplace.

Including Wednesday’s insurrection at the Capitol, and prior reports of vandalism at the homes of Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi and others, are you concerned about your property or general safety?

The violence and destruction in our nation’s capital was a low moment for America. In Santa Fe, I do not expect the violence and destruction to be here.

Rep. Carolyn Brown of Carlsbad said she is prefiling legislation to decertify Joe Biden’s electoral victory in the state. How would you vote on such a measure if it came before you?

I would vote no.

District 67 Rep. Jack Chatfield, R-Mosquero

What concerns do you have entering the session?

The budget. Schools, how are we going to get them open? Businesses, how are we going to get them open and do it safely?

What legislation do you plan to bring?

I’m going to bring some legislation that would encourage more packing houses for the beef industry. Right now, we’re depending on some large multinational corporations. If those places (drop out), there’s no place for the ranchers to sell their calves.

I have another bill that will fund a water study. We need to know how much water is available. You don’t write checks without knowing how much money is in your bank account. We’ve been writing a lot of checks with our water without knowing how much we have.

Are there processes a virtual session will make more difficult? Any that will be simpler?

We’ll wait and see. I don’t know.

Including Wednesday’s insurrection at the Capitol, and prior reports of vandalism at the homes of Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi and others, are you concerned about your property or general safety?

No.

Rep. Carolyn Brown of Carlsbad said she is prefiling legislation to decertify Joe Biden’s electoral victory in the state. How would you vote on such a measure if it came before you?

For it.

District 64 Rep. Randy Crowder, R-Clovis

What concerns do you have entering the session?

I think the political climate of this session is more volatile than I have ever seen. I don’t look forward to that. They’re putting chain link fences and guards around the capitol as we speak.

What legislation do you plan to bring?

I’m not prefiling any this year. There are two or three bills I plan to sign on to, a public/private partnership bill. The mayor has a bill he wants to carry (allowing cities over 35,000 to use economic development dollars to recruit and retain retail business). Sen. Woods is carrying it.

Are there processes a virtual session will make more difficult? Any that will be simpler?

They will all be more difficult, they will all be less efficient.

Including Wednesday’s insurrection at the Capitol, and prior reports of vandalism at the homes of Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi and others, are you concerned about your property or general safety?

I’m not concerned about the state’s property or my personal safety.

Rep. Carolyn Brown of Carlsbad said she is prefiling legislation to decertify Joe Biden’s electoral victory in the state. How would you vote on such a measure if it came before you?

I have not read the bill. I’ve talked to Rep. Brown about it. I doubt that bill will go anywhere.

District 27 Sen. Stuart Ingle, R-Portales

What concerns do you have entering the session?

The main concern we have is how much we’ll be able to work up there with the COVID situation and have some kind of session. There’s all kind of talk about doing things on Zoom. We’ve never had that up there and I have no idea how well the communication will work. It works on some things, but the Legislature has a lot of people to people discussions. Hopefully we can get some kind of budget done.

What legislation do you plan to bring?

I don’t have anything that I’m working on specifically. There are a few things in draft status, and we have to see how well we go forward with this. There’s always legislation I carry, and that will be introduced at some point. Asking staff to do a lot of that work, knowing you’re not going to introduce it, is pretty tough.

Are there processes a virtual session will make more difficult? Any that will be simpler?

I don’t think there will be anything simpler. We’re going to have people working out of their homes, offices. We’re going to have staff keeping up with who’s where and what we need, and we’ve never done that before. First few weeks, all of the secretarial staff may be at home communicating with cell phones.

Including Wednesday’s insurrection at the Capitol, and prior reports of vandalism at the homes of Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi and others, are you concerned about your property or general safety?

Hopefully not here in Portales.

Rep. Carolyn Brown of Carlsbad said she is prefiling legislation to decertify Joe Biden’s electoral victory in the state. How would you vote on such a measure if it came before you?

I wouldn’t vote for that. The election’s done and over with. He’s going to be inaugurated.

District 7 Sen. Pat Woods, R-Broadview

What concerns do you have entering the session?

My big concern is qualified immunity for local governments. Taking the immunity away from public officials, mostly cops, and putting it on their personal liability (insurance)? I don’t think we’ll have any cops left in the state.

What legislation do you plan to bring?

One piece I think is very important is to limit the governor’s power under the emergency powers act. I would like to force her to call the Legislature in soon after she declares one of those acts. I would like it to be 30 days, but I know the only thing likely to pass would be 90 days. She’s taken it on herself to spend money different ways; that’s the Legislature’s job. Closing down businesses, that needs to be addressed by the Legislature, and setting standards for when a church can open. All of those constitutional guarantees need to be addressed by the Legislature. I’m also carrying a LEDA bill with how (municipalities) can spend that money. This is to try to entice retail establishments to come into a city.

Also with the (U.S.) Drought Monitor, there are 120 or 130 automated weather stations we’d like to see installed in New Mexico. These are to be used for the Drought Monitor, but we also have some USDA insurance programs that would use this information to determine drought and rainfall. These insurance policies cover a 15-mile area, but some of that data may currently be coming from more than 100 miles away.

I’ve also got a bill about absentee ballots. It’s a double check as to whether that citizen got (their proper ballot).

Are there processes a virtual session will make more difficult? Any that will be simpler?

It’s going to kill public participation. We’ve been having a lot of virtual meetings. Sometimes we have to turn off the video for the audio to work. If you were trying to convince me of something, and I was silent, would you know you’re getting the point across? The virtual system we’re using, I have concerns about the broadband of people in rural communities who will call in. Sometimes it doesn’t work for all people in all places. I know it’s hard to get to Santa Fe, and I know some group can just sit in a room and take up all of the chairs. But if there are 300 people who want to show up to talk on a Zoom call, I’m wondering how that’s going to work out.

Including Wednesday’s insurrection at the Capitol, and prior reports of vandalism at the homes of Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi and others, are you concerned about your property or general safety?

Nope. When I think of all of the veterans and the law enforcement people who put their lives on the line, if I wasn’t comfortable serving the people of New Mexico there would be a problem with that. I have had threats in the past, and that’s uncomfortable, but that goes with the job. If you can’t stand the pressure, you need to find something else to do.

Rep. Carolyn Brown of Carlsbad said she is prefiling legislation to decertify Joe Biden’s electoral victory in the state. How would you vote on such a measure if it came before you?

I’d have to listen to it. Carolyn Brown is a smart lady, and she doesn’t do anything halfway. So to tell you up front, no. I’m going to wait and see how she crafts that bill. If somebody was carrying it who I didn’t respect, I could tell you right up front what I’m going to do. But she may know something I don’t know.