Santa Fe, NM – Senate Democrats today criticized Governor Susana Martinez’s vetoes of important and strong bipartisan legislation, including funding for the judicial system and courts, research for future industrial hemp production, accountability for the State’s troubled cash-balances, and other measures. Despite claims that the 2015 legislative session was a highly partisan one, there were in fact areas of strong agreement between the two parties and the two chambers which resulted in useful bills being sent to the Executive. Unfortunately the Governor rejected bipartisan compromise by vetoing several of those key consensus measures today.
Key examples:
Yesterday Gov. Martinez struck $1.3 million from the budget of the State Public Defenders and $750,000 from the magistrate courts. The funds were included in the House Bill 2, the State’s budget measure which passed the Senate by unanimous vote.
She vetoed language in House Bill 2 that would have allowed for the State to balance its chaotic cash balances sooner rather than later, requiring the Department of Finance and Administration to jump-start the process of accounting for the State’s finances. New Mexico is the only state in the nation that does not know what is in its checkbook, with an estimated $101 million in state funds that have not been reconciled. It passed the Senate by a bipartisan vote of 38-3.
Today she vetoed Senate Bill 94, a promising job-creation measure to lay the foundation for production of industrial hemp in New Mexico. That bill passed with broad bipartisan support by a vote of 33-8 in the Senate and 54-12 in the House of Representatives.
Governor Martinez vetoed legislation (House Bill 332) that would fix the overloaded probation system in New Mexico by reducing time on probation for those with good behavior. It passed the Senate 37-0 and the House by a vote of 39-0.
Governor Martinez today vetoed Senate Bill 391, another strong jobs bill and a proven measure to develop the market for more solar energy use through tax credits. It passed the Senate on a strong bipartisan basis, 37-5.
“It is unfortunate that the Governor will not support the best examples of bipartisan cooperation to emerge from the 2015 Legislature to address key challenges facing our state,” said Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Michael S. Sanchez (D-29-Bernalillo and Valencia). “She vetoed good policy solutions that reflect the thoughtful input of legislators from both ends of the political spectrum. Republicans and Democrats did come together on a set of difficult issues facing New Mexico and worked successfully in many instances to bridge the partisan divide. It seems like Gov. Martinez rejects that spirit of cooperation. With her vetoes today she is impeding our progress to make things better for the people of our state.”