Infrastructure funding bill clears committee
Anew attempt to change New Mexico’s system for funding dams, roadways and other infrastructure projects cleared its first Senate committee Friday.
Members of the Senate Rules Committee voted 4-2 in favor of the legislation, though a few senators expressed concern it would give too much power to topranking lawmakers.
The bill, Senate Bill 262, would create a legislative interim committee that would review and rank potential projects, then submit a plan before the start of each legislative session — similar to how the state’s annual budget process works.
It’s one of several proposals to overhaul the state’s capital outlay system, which has increasingly come under fire for being inefficient and prone to funding pet “pork” projects.
Sen. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, one of the sponsors of the bill that now goes to the Senate Finance Committee, called the current system flawed.
“This is fully within our control — there’s no reason we can’t fix this,” Cervantes said.
— Dan Boyd, dboyd@abqjournal.com
ELECTIONS: The state House wants to boost voter turnout by requiring cities, school districts and other nonpartisan governments to hold their elections on the same day in November.
The consolidated election would happen on a Tuesday in November of odd-numbered years.
In Albuquerque, for example, voters would elect a mayor, school board members and city councilors on the same day — rather than having a city election in October and a school election in February, as they do now.
House Bill 174 now heads to the Senate. It passed the House 38-29 late Friday.
It’s sponsored by Republican Reps. James Smith of Albuquerque and Paul Bandy of Aztec and Democratic Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto of Albuquerque.
— Dan McKay, dmckay@abqjournal.com
CONFIRMED: The Senate voted Friday to confirm David Jablonski as secretary of the Department of Corrections.
Senators voted unanimously to confirm Jablonski to lead an agency that oversees about 7,500 prisoners in state and privately contracted facilities.
Jablonski previously worked as a member of the executive staff for Gov. Susana Martinez, where he oversaw multiple agencies involved in public safety.
He has served as deputy superintendent of the state Regulation and Licensing Department, and spent 14 years with the Corrections Department, including a stint as director of the Probation and Parole Division.
Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, said Jablonski’s experience in probation and parole will be important amid a state budget crisis that could mean prisoners get released earlier.
Gregg Marcantel previously led the agency. He retired in October.
— Associated Press