This session, be reasonable

Finally, Gov. Susana Martinez’s last regular legislative session. It has been a long eight years. We can only be thankful that the session is short — 30 days — and that, this year at least, the state is not running on empty when it comes to revenues. Hope exists, in other words, for a drama-free 30 days in which Democrats and Republicans pass a budget — around $6.3 billion — with little fanfare, hand out a few raises and add money to the state’s savings accounts. Instead of the past few years of slash, slash, slash, we hope to see spend, then save, save, save, courtesy of $200 million in anticipated new money. That’s a vast improvement over the shortfalls of the past few years.

Potential pitfalls remain — the GOP continues to be obsessed with crime. And, yes, crime is an issue in New Mexico, especially in Albuquerque with personal and property offenses. The opioid epidemic has moved from crisis to way of life. Santa Fe has its share of property crimes, along with violent muggings and robberies.

The trouble is, solutions so favored by Republicans are too heavy on punishment and fail to address the causes of crime. To reduce crime, more than additional jail time is needed. Money to add public defenders, to shore up flagging behavioral health treatment, to help addicts kick their habits or to hire more police officers — these sorts of solutions could reduce crime.

So could more money spent on early childhood education; kids equipped to graduate from high school and attend secondary schooling, whether academic or vocational, are less likely to turn to crime. Early childhood education makes later academic success more likely, and the issue of whether to use state trust endowment monies to fund pre-K will be back but unlikely to pass.

With the shorter sessions dedicated primarily to finances, legislators should avoid too many other contentious issues. The financial focus comes by order of the constitution, which limits the sessions to bills on the budget and taxes, as well as matters the governor calls to be heard, past vetoed legislation and proposed constitutional amendments.

Too great a debate over bringing back the death penalty, expanding the three-strikes law or attempting to upend bail reform before it can work would reduce the rightful focus on dollars and cents. That’s especially true when the two governing parties do not agree.

Even debating gross receipts tax reform, a natural for a session dedicated to finances, would be less than useful unless Democrats and Republicans begin the session with at least some points of agreement. As we have said before, tax reform is the sort of issue where legislation — after preliminary bipartisan work — could be developed ahead of time and then dealt with in a timely fashion, perhaps in a special session. Without agreement on how to reduce the maze of exemptions in New Mexico’s gross receipts tax system before the session begins, though, the effort could be dead on arrival.

Interest in the legalization of recreational marijuana continues. Backers want to go the constitutional amendment route — they know the governor would veto legislation to legalize pot. She can’t veto amendments; voters get the final say. Still, like the death penalty, marijuana is one of those divisive issues better dealt with during a longer session.

What does seem to be drawing the parties together? Agreement that public workers deserve a raise — it won’t be large because finances remain tight — and that more money should go to public education and public safety after years of cutting. Those are reasonable goals, supported by both Republicans and Democrats.

And reasonable is what we hope for during this legislative session. Reasonable debate, with respect on all sides. A reasonable budget, with prudent spending increases and money tucked away for the next time oil prices fall.

Reasonable, so that laws are passed, the budget approved and everybody goes home. We can but hope.