The Santa Fe New Mexican Staff:
PED overhaul bill gets a chance: Less than a week after the state Senate unanimously confirmed Mariana Padilla as New Mexico’s latest education secretary, the body advanced a resolution on Monday that would eventually remove her position.
Senate Joint Resolution 15, which has earned bipartisan support, passed the Senate on a 27-15 vote, with most opposing votes coming from Democrats uneasy with overhauling the state education system’s leadership structure.
SJR 15 calls for a constitutional amendment to remove the New Mexico Public Education Department from the governor’s Cabinet and instead restore a previous system of governance overseeing public education in the state: a statewide school board, with a superintendent at the helm of the department.
The move, said sponsor Sen. Bill Soules, D-Las Cruces, would provide more stability to the state’s education system, which has seen near-constant turnover in its top leadership.
“I would never tell you that suddenly, we are going to jump to the top of the scores when we do this — this is one piece of many of the strategies we’re working on to improve education in the state of New Mexico,” he said. “But we need to have stability. We need to have stability across administrations.”
SJR 15 came after another, similar resolution foundered after concerns from charter school advocates led to significant amendments to the measure that left Soules feeling dissatisfied with his own legislation.
The new resolution faces its own set of concerns. Opponents have expressed concerns about who would serve on the board — though the resolution notes its members would be appointed, it’s not clear yet exactly by whom.
Soules said that would be ironed out in enabling legislation after the resolution — an amendment to the state Constitution — wins approval from voters, should it get that far.
Opponents also questioned whether such a leadership overhaul was really what would get New Mexico students back on track.
“You want stability when you want status quo, when things are going well in your business, when you’re profitable, when you like your growth,” said Sen. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces. “… But when you’re on the verge of bankruptcy, and you’re losing year after year after year, sometimes you got to change the coach.”
The measure would require approval from voters but would not need the governor’s signature.
Senate confirms energy secretary, state engineer: The state Senate unanimously approved the confirmations Monday of Melanie Kenderdine as cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department and Elizabeth Anderson as state engineer.
Senators heaped praise on both conferees on the floor, and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham did the same in separate statements.
“Sec. Kenderdine has earned a reputation as a global thought leader in energy deployment strategies that promote economic growth and protect the environment,” Lujan Grisham said. “Her expertise will continue to help my administration leverage the state’s natural resources responsibly for the benefit of all New Mexicans.”
Anderson is the first female to serve as New Mexico state engineer.
“Elizabeth’s extensive experience and dedication to water resource management make her the ideal leader to address the challenges posed by climate change and to implement our 50-year Water Action Plan,” the governor said. “Her proactive approach will ensure that New Mexico remains a leader in water stewardship and sustainability.”
High school equivalency — for free: The Senate Education Committee on Monday unanimously advanced a proposal to provide free high school equivalency exams to New Mexico residents without high school diplomas, after they’ve passed an official practice test.
Currently, the exams cost about $145 per person, which can be prohibitively expensive for adults seeking a high school equivalency while balancing other bills, Sen. Natalie Figueroa, D-Albuquerque, said while explaining the bill Monday.
The total cost for the state to foot the bill for the high school equivalency exams would be about $870,000, the Higher Education Department estimates. The sum is already included in initial drafts of the state’s budget.
House green-lights housing initiatives: The House on Monday voted to approve three bills to help address the housing crisis and homelessness.
House Bill 253 — which would seal eviction records for cases that are old, incomplete or unsuccessfully pursued by the landlord — passed by a vote of 38-25.
House Bill 453, which passed by a vote of 47-16, would help New Mexicans with less-than-ideal credit secure housing while limiting risk for landlords to rent to these individuals. The bill creates a Housing Creditworthiness Assistance Program within the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority.
House Bill 448, which passed by a vote of 49-17, would establish a state Office of Housing Planning and Production to address housing and homelessness challenges across New Mexico.
Quote of the day: “Not me. Twenty-three years in child care, I could lick toilets. … Don’t tweet that. I said I could. I didn’t say I do.” —Rep. Rebecca Dow, R-Truth or Consequences, chiming in on a private conversation among House Republicans who expressed concerns about a bug spreading in the final stretch of the 60-day session.