Legislature passes $371 million budget fix
SANTA FE – A special legislative session to address a massive budget deficit ended Thursday with agreement on a $371 million solvency package but no accord on three crime bills sought by Gov. Susana Martinez.
The contentious session, which it was hoped would be brief, stretched to seven days and – with the general election only a month away – was laced with partisan political wrangling.
The Republican-controlled House worked through the night Wednesday, finishing up its budget-balancing bills and then voting after five hours of debate to reinstate the death penalty – although it was clear the Democratic-controlled Senate was not going to touch the issue.
In the end, the House and Senate agreed on, and sent to the governor, a plan to plug holes in the current and just-ended budget years. The House passed the death penalty legislation and two other crime bills, which the Senate did not vote on.
Read more: https://www.abqjournal.com/861886/special-session-ends-with-budget-deal-no-vote-on-crime-bills.html