Smokey got in their eyes
Those dedicated members of the New Mexico Legislature somehow found time for the late, legendary Smokey Bear.
With more than a dozen weighty bills on the agenda and less than a day remaining in the legislative session, Speaker Javier Martínez called House Bill 251 for consideration. The measure would authorize a state license plate featuring Smokey Bear.
Many of New Mexico’s 112 senators and representatives spoke throughout wintertime about modernizing government. But when given that chance, the House fell back on an old standby — debating the worth of yet another specialty license plate.
This led Rep. Harlan Vincent, R-Glencoe, to deliver one of the more incoherent speeches of the session.
“I wasn’t going to vote for this bill,” he began before careening in a different direction. “And because it was Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday this year, and I’m not going to call him out by name, but I have a request that there is an individual here that does not like those license plates. But Smokey Bear was on special assignment, and he was unable to be here to ask for himself, so I’m asking for everybody to vote for this bill.”
Vincent’s reference was to Rep. Matthew McQueen, D-Galisteo, whose practice was to oppose any more shades and styles of license plates.
Two significant constitutional amendments proposed by McQueen languished on the House calendar while the Smokey initiative sprinted along. McQueen kept his poise and his sense of humor as he replied to Vincent.
“I’m going to vote for your bill,” he announced, surprising everyone in the chamber.
Cheers and clapping from House members resounded across the floor, a violation of protocol. “I’ll allow applause for that one,” Speaker Martínez said.
Smokey’s bill passed the House 62-0. Senators hurried it along Thursday morning, and in a matter of hours it carried 41-0 in their chamber.
Sometimes legislators don’t get the bear, though. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham last year vetoed a bill for Smokey Bear decals on license plates. She again will have the final say.
The speed with which the bill for a license plate won approval came in contrast to what happened to McQueen’s proposed constitutional amendments. Both received overwhelming endorsements in two House committees before they died without a floor vote.
One proposal would have abolished the governor’s power of the pocket veto, in which she can kill legislation by ignoring it. McQueen’s other initiative would have made the annual legislative session 45 days long, and allowed for any topic to be considered every year.
New Mexico currently has a 60-day session in odd-numbered years and 30-day session in even ones. Finances are the main topic of the shorter session. The governor has to approve other topics before they can be considered in 30-day sessions.
Had the House and Senate approved McQueen’s proposals, they would have been placed on the fall ballot for voters’ to decide. Both were the sort of modernization initiatives legislators like to talk about until it becomes apparent they carry political risks.
Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, wanted to retain the pocket veto. McQueen was gutsy enough to propose the constitutional amendment abolishing that system while a member of his party occupies the Governor’s Office.
Governors should have to explain all of their vetoes. Republicans don’t care for Lujan Grisham, so they were sure to vote for McQueen’s proposal. His fellow Democrats wobbled and retained a bad policy.
The measure to abolish pocket vetoes was listed on the House calendar for the last 12 days, but Martínez didn’t call it for a vote. Smokey Bear was safer subject matter.
Most legislators don’t want a smoother, more modern government. If they did, they wouldn’t waste time and money by overloading their own system.
The 70 House members this session introduced 334 bills and 15 proposed constitutional amendments. New Mexico’s 42 senators proposed 317 bills and 18 constitutional amendments.
They did this knowing most of those bills were dead on arrival in a 30-day session. Larding the system with bills that have no chance of being approved also is political. Failed initiatives can still be useful in upcoming reelection campaigns.
Of the 684 bills and resolutions that were introduced, 76 were approved by both chambers of the Legislature. They go to either the governor or the voters for final action. Inaction also is possible if Lujan Grisham uses pocket vetos to kill bills.
Legislators, especially the Republicans, like to say government should run more like a business. No businesses would permit employees to embark on projects they knew would fail. Legislators do it all the time.
They also embrace easy bills no one will criticize. A license plate for Smokey Bear is the latest example.
It’s a nice New Mexico story. A black bear cub was badly burned in 1950 in a fire in the Capitan Mountains. Nursed back to health, he was called Smokey, and he became the symbol for preventing forest fires.
The famous bear died in 1976. Will he be the subject of a license plate 48 years later?
Maybe. But Lujan Grisham can scotch the will of 103 legislators with the stroke of a pen. Or she could supply a wry ending by pocket vetoing the Legislature’s feel-good bill.