Progressive Democrats may not get all they want in session
SANTA FE – After a blue wave washed over New Mexico Nov. 6, Democrats will go into next year’s 60-day session with decisive majorities in both legislative chambers and control of the Governor’s Office for the first time in eight years.
But the new legislative landscape might not guarantee quick passage of a progressive agenda – including legalization of recreational marijuana, a higher minimum wage and more money for early childhood programs from the state’s largest permanent fund.
In large part, that’s because conservative Democrats still hold influential positions in the state Senate and have expressed little appetite for fast-tracking such measures.
Sen. John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said in an interview this week that the Senate won’t be swayed by outside pressure.
Read more: https://www.abqjournal.com/1247883/progressive-democrats-may-not-get-all-they-want-in-session.html