Morning Word: Lickety-Split, Lawmakers Approve Capital Funds and Tax Breaks

It's Tuesday, June 9, 2015

It only took 4.5 hours for lawmakers to unanimously approve a $295 million capital outlay funding bill on Monday in Santa Fe.

While most of the deal was put together behind closed doors, there was still some debate on the floor.

Read more at New Mexico In Depth.  The brick-and-mortar project money will start flowing into New Mexico communities after Gov. Susana Martinez signs the funding bill into law. New Mexico In Depth data journalist Sandra Fish published a table showing how the funds are allocated. It looks like there’s something for every county. Take a look at her analysis here.  A tax incentive bill the governor hopes will stimulate the state’s economy also won approval on Monday.

Steve Terrell reports.  Lawmakers also approved extra funding for the Department of Health and magistrate courts.

Read it at the Santa Fe New Mexican.  Journalist Heath Haussamen talked to open government advocates who believe the backroom deals made ahead of the special one-day session violate the spirit of the state’s sunshine laws.

Read more at NMPolitics.Net.  After the session adjourned, New Mexico Political Report ’s Andy Lyman talked to lawmakers about their bipartisan effort to get the bills passed. Read it here.  Before the powerbrokers started their work, 11,000 Santa Feans had to cope with an early morning power outage. PNM blamed it on damage to one of its transmission line caused by a crow or raven.

Justin Horwath reports.  It isn’t part of the capital outlay bill, but the governor is pledging $1 million to improve a portion of BNSF’s rail tracks used by Amtrak’s Southwest Chief between Lamy and La Bajada Hill. Read it at the Las Vegas Optic.  Now that Danny Diaz, one of the governor’s former campaign advisers, has been tapped to lead Jeb Bush’s presidential campaign, some people are again speculating about Martinez’ chances to be tapped for the vice presidential nomination. Joe Monahan reports. Former Santa Fe New Mexican investigative reporter Patrick Malone is already earning bylines at the Center for Public Integrity. Malone reports the state’s two national labs face serious financial fines for mishandling bomb secrets for years. Read it at the Daily Beast.  It isn’t threatening any homes or structures, but firefighters are battling a small 25-acre fire in the Santa Fe National Forest. Read it here.  It’s not real clear why, but it appears abortion rates in the state are down almost 25 percent over the past three years.

Read it at the ABQ Journal.  New Mexico baseball All-Star Alex Bregman is headed to Houston to play Major League Baseball. The former Albuquerque Academy shortstop could get a signing bonus of almost $7.5 million. Before that, he and his LSU teammates hope to win the College World Series.

Read about about Bregman's big day in the ABQ Journal.

Santa Fe Reporter