A Special Session to balance the New Mexico budget was postponed a day before its scheduled start this week.

On this episode of New Mexico in Focus, what that postponement means and speculation on what might really be accomplished when that session convenes on Monday, March 1st. Then, in honor of Black History Month, NMiF Correspondent Tracy Dingmann sits down with a group of community leaders at one of the most famous African-American owned businesses in Albuquerque, Mr. Powdrell’s Barbeque House   And it’s back to Gene Grant and our roundtable panelists with analysis and opinions on the new G.O.P. Gubernatorial poll, the gun bill now sitting on Governor Richardson’s desk, the new credit card law, and more.

This afternoon, Governor Bill Richardson announced he would postpone the start of the special session until Monday.  The Governor says he granted lawmakers the extra time at the request of legislative leaders, who are working hard to come up with a solution to the state’s roughly $600 million budget shortfall.  “Since the end of the regular session last week, lawmakers have been working on a budget compromise and have seen progress.  However, the legislative leadership has requested that I give them a few more days of negotiation ahead of a Special Session and I am granting their request.  I believe giving lawmakers this extra time to build consensus is the best thing for all New Mexicans.”

Not all legislative leaders are happy about the March 1st start to the Special Session, though.  Shortly after the announcement from the Governor, Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle criticized the decision, saying “it would be wiser to have a Special Session after the state’s first quarter revenue is known in April”.  Ingle went on to say that any work done on a Special Session before April would just be a “guessing game”.  The Senator says “The revenue information we are dealing with is very optimistic, too optimistic.  If we base a nudget on the projected 6% growth in revenue we will be in trouble again if the revenue does not come in.  By April we will have a better idea of what we are dealing with”.

The Public Affairs Team