Nearly a third of New Mexico's lawmakers will be new to their jobs when the Legislature convenes on Tuesday, but the hurdles confronting Republican Gov. Susana Martinez remain largely unchanged as she tries to overcome Democratic opposition to her proposals such as stopping the state from issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.
Martinez found common ground with the Democratic-controlled Legislature in hammering out state budgets during the past two years but bipartisan cooperation has proven more elusive on broader policy questions.
Democrats have blocked key pieces of the governor's agenda that she plans to renew this session, including the politically charged immigrant driver's license proposal and a school improvement initiative for holding back third graders who can't read proficiently rather than giving them a "social promotion" to the next grade.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.