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Summary: What the Legislature approved, killed

By Associated Press
Friday, February 15, 2008

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A summary of what happened in the Legislature's 30-day session, which ended Thursday. Gov. Bill Richardson has until March 5 to sign or veto bills passed during the final 72 hours of the session. A few bills already have been signed into law.

HEALTH CARE-MEDICAL

Passed: Expand role of physician assistants, including allowing them to direct the use of prescription drugs; create a commission in Bernalillo County to improve off-reservation health services for American Indians; establish a uniform system for physicians, nurses, veterinarians and other health care practitioners to volunteer their services during emergencies.

Failed: Governor's plan for expanding health coverage for all New Mexicans; legislative alternatives to governor's plan, including creation of Health Care Authority to recommend health reforms; governor's proposal to get all medical providers to use electronic records.

BUDGET-FINANCES

Passed: State budget providing $6 billion for public education and general government; junior budget allocating $20 million for initiatives of legislators and governor; financing of $348 million in capital improvements statewide. Capital project financing of $224 million from general obligation bonds, which must be approved by voters in the November general election; shifting previously approved capital improvement money to new projects, including $2.8 million for purchase of a state airplane.

Failed: Shore up financially troubled Retiree Health Care Authority; allow state to make no-interest loans to independent or minority filmmakers; restrictions on home lending practices to address subprime mortgage problems.

TAXES

Passed: Extend tax credit for companies that create high-wage jobs; broaden eligibility of low-income elderly and disabled to qualify for a property tax valuation freeze; require county assessors to take affordable housing subsidies into account when valuing residential property.

Failed: Personal income tax simplification and package of tax breaks for businesses and individuals; tax on video games and televisions to pay for outdoor education for children; reduced tax rate for smallest horse-racing casinos.

ETHICS-CAMPAIGN FINANCE

Passed: Money for Secretary of State's Office to upgrade its computer system for campaign finance reporting and disclosure.

Failed: Create independent ethics commission to investigate misconduct; limit campaign contributions; public financing of campaigns for statewide offices; protect government worker whistle-blowers from employer retaliation for disclosing alleged wrongdoing.

EDUCATION

Passed: Establish a residential state-chartered high school for the performing and visual arts; money in state budget to continue expanding pre-kindergarten programs.

Failed: Revamp formula for distributing state money to public schools; various proposals to provide extra money to implement the funding formula overhaul, including tapping into a state permanent fund.

DWI-ALCOHOL

Passed: Increase penalties for tampering with an ignition interlock required for drunken-driving convictions.

Failed: Add mandatory prison time to the basic sentence of offenders with previous felonies; prohibit sale of alcohol at gas stations and convenience stores that sell gasoline.

CRIME

Passed: Make human trafficking a felony crime; make third and subsequent domestic violence offenses a felony; prohibit police or prosecutors from requiring victims of sex crimes to take a polygraph test before a case is investigated or charges are filed.

Failed: Governor-backed proposals to make gang recruitment a crime and to increase prison sentences for gang-related crimes.

ENERGY-ENVIRONMENT

Passed: Governor-backed proposal offering financial incentives to utilities to implement energy efficiency programs; establish program for cleaning up abandoned uranium mining and mill sites.

Failed: Allow regulators to establish preferential or cheaper utility rates for low-income customers; require legislative review and approval of executive branch regulatory rules.

ELECTIONS

Passed: Provide ballot access to candidates who fail to gain automatic nomination at party preprimary conventions; constitutional amendment to allow school elections to be held on same day as nonpartisan municipal elections; forgive debts of counties for voting machines no longer in use and make state responsible for cost of maintenance of new paper ballot voting machines; require automatic recounts in elections for federal or state offices when top two candidates are separated by less than 0.5 percent of the total votes.

Failed: Permit voters to have absentee ballots sent to them automatically in all elections.

GOVERNMENT-OTHER

Passed: Local and state governments can offer compensatory time rather than cash to employees for working overtime; create a state veterans museum in Las Cruces; constitutional amendment to allow appointment of a lieutenant governor if a vacancy occurs in the office; permit the state to replace the Fort Bayard Medical Center with a publicly owned, privately operated facility.

Failed: Domestic partnerships to give certain homosexual or heterosexual couples the same rights and benefits as married couples; authorize taxpayer-subsidized bonds for infrastructure at development on Albuquerque's West Side; open legislative conference committees to the public.

TRANSPORTATION

Passed: Extend a tax incentive for a planned railroad facility in southern New Mexico.

Failed: Establish a four-county regional transit district to operate and pay for the Rail Runner Express commuter train.