Thread: NM: Senator to governor: 'Get out of campaign mode'

Senator to governor: 'Get out of campaign mode'
BARRY MASSEY, Associated Press
Updated 08:17 p.m., Friday, March 11, 2011

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A top Senate Democratic leader and Gov. Susana Martinez are waging a war of words as the Legislature enters its final week.

The Republican governor complained Friday that several of her initiatives are tied up in the Democratic-controlled Senate, which also has rejected the governor's proposal to stop driver's licenses for illegal immigrants.

"I am going to continue to work with the Senate but they need to start moving those bills along," Martinez said at a news conference.

Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, fired back, saying the governor's "background as a prosecutor has not given her practical experience or any idea of governing and how the legislative process works, including the detailed efforts required for shaping legislation."

Martinez served as district attorney in Dona Ana before being elected governor in November.

Sanchez also complained about the governor's continued insistence that lawmakers approve her proposal to halt licenses for immigrants.

"Rather than tying up valuable legislative time on divisive issues, Gov. Martinez needs to get out of campaign mode and get down to the business of governing and working with the Legislature to create a comprehensive plan for the future," Sanchez said in a statement. "I would encourage the governor to focus her energy on solving problems instead of merely exploiting them for partisan political purposes."

With the Legislature set to adjourn next Saturday, the governor said she's not considering calling lawmakers back to work in a special session if they fail to approve her top priorities, such as the immigrant licensing proposal.

However, Martinez said she hasn't given up on the driver's license measure and will continue to push for its approval during the final week of the 60-day legislative session.

"I am going to fight for New Mexicans and what they want, and they do not want driver's licenses issued to illegal immigrants," Martinez said.

A bill backed by the governor to stop driver's licenses for immigrants passed the House with the backing of a coalition of Republicans and Democrats. But the measure appears doomed after the Senate changed it on a mostly party-line vote to a bill that would keep the state's immigrant licensing system but establish tougher penalties for fraudulently trying to obtain a license.

The governor remains adamant that she won't accept anything short of a halt on immigrant licenses. She calls the House-passed bill as the "perfect compromise" and promised to veto the Senate-approved measure if lawmakers send it to her, which seems unlikely.

If the Legislature doesn't go along with Martinez to end licenses for illegal immigrants, she could ask lawmakers to take up the issue next year — when all 112 House and Senate members will be up for election.

With time running out in the session, the governor's other top initiatives also remain unresolved. That includes educational reform proposals, including ones to hold back third-graders if they can't read, assign A through F grades to schools based on student achievement, and establish performance-based compensation for teachers and principals.

Several measures on the governor's legislative agenda have passed the House, including a proposal to expand DNA testing to people arrested for any felony, increase penalties for public officials convicted of corruption, and the school measure to end "social promotion" of struggling third-graders. However, those still need to clear the Senate.

Perhaps the main assignment of the Legislature is to approve a budget to finance public education and general government programs next year. A House-passed budget, which would cut spending by nearly 3 percent next year, is pending before a Senate committee.

Sen. John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, chairman of the Finance Committee, said Friday he expected a budget bill to be sent to the full Senate in the next several days.

A main sticking point in the budget debate has been a proposal to free up $25 million by capping subsidies for film production. The governor wants the $25 million to be used for public schools, health care and public safety programs.

Read more: http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Sena ... z1GO1nMvGI

Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, fired back, saying the governor's "background as a prosecutor has not given her practical experience or any idea of governing and how the legislative process works, including the detailed efforts required for shaping legislation."

So Majority Leader, you know how to govern?
your too busy screwing the citizens of new mexico by playing into the hands of illegals and their supporters. your not much better

Get out of campaign mode? So trying to keep promises made during a campaign is considered campaign mode?

I guess to liberals then campaign mode is when you lie and when you get out of campaign mode is when you stop lieing and just do what the people don't support.