If you’ve caught – or plan on catching – NMiF correspondent Tracy Dingmann’s interview with Dr. Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor on this week’s show, here’s all the info you need to catch up with her this weekend, provided by Black History Month organizers. The interview is guaranteed to make you hungry!

Saturday, February 11th 2012, 2pm
Bank of America Theater
National Hispanic Cultural Center
1701 4th Street NW
Albuquerque, New Mexico

A Conversation with Vertamae Grosvenor
“Everybody Eats: The History of African American Cuisine”

Dr. Smart-Grosvenor is the author of Vibration Cooking, also known as The Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl. The cookbook, originally published in 1970, is an autobiographical culinary cookbook, and documents her accession from the dusty roads of South Carolina to the bright lights of Paris, Italy, and other European countries, and later, to the Black Arts Movement of New York City. Through her experiences, Grosvenor uses the universal palate of adventure to introduce the reader to people, places, rituals, and international culinary delights.

Vibration Cooking focuses on low country and Geechee (Gullah) cooking. The book emphasizes spontaneity in the kitchen. Grosvenor shows the reader how to cook by “vibration,” rather than precisely measuring ingredients, and how to “make do” with ingredients on hand. Grosvenor is able to eloquently capture the essence of traditional African American techniques. Her book uses the hearty, simple, healthful, basic ingredients of low country cuisine, including shrimp, oysters, crab, fresh produce, rice, and sweet potatoes.

(The Awards Ceremony for the Sweet Potato Pie Contest and the dessert reception will be a part of this multimedia lecture presentation)

By Matt Grubs, NMiF Producer

UPDATED with statement from the governor at the end of the post.

One of the governor’s top priorities was tabled in committee today – “dead” in the words of one senator – without a single Republican vote supporting the measure.

Senate Bill 5, sponsored by Senator Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque, is designed to allow a fireworks ban in times of “high, very high, or extreme” fire danger. The bill initially would have allowed the governor to make that declaration, but Senator Feldman shifted that power to allow local authorities to make the call. The compromise would have narrowed the scope of a potential ban and came in response to concerns raised by the fireworks lobby.

The strength of the lobbying effort surprised some as the industry flexed considerable muscle in effectively killing the measure before it reached the Senate floor. After a lengthy debate in the Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee, Senator Bill Sharer, a Republican, moved to table the bill. The move was supported by fellow Republicans Mark Boitano and Bill Burt. Committee Chairman Phil Griego, D-San Jose, voted to table as well. Democrats Tim Keller and John Sapien voted against tabling the bill the first time they were polled. David Ulibarri, Tim Eichenberg and George Munoz all passed on a vote during the first polling. When the vote came around again, Eichenberg and Munoz voted to table. With the vote standing at 6-3 in favor of tabling, Ulibarri voted against the motion.

Senator Eichenberg, D-Albuquerque, refused a request for an interview, saying, “Not now. I’m doing something.” A request has also been made to speak with Senator Munoz. In the hall outside the committee room, Senator Phil Griego shook hands with the bill’s opponents and told us, “People in New Mexico are smart enough to understand that [fireworks are not a good idea in times of high fire danger].”

The index to which Griego is referring is the National Fire Danger Rating System of the United States Forest Service. That’s a change from “extreme or severe drought conditions”. As you heard, Griego and others felt the USFS system is too broad a measure. And as he mentioned, the Las Conchas Fire – New Mexico’s largest ever – was not caused by fireworks.

Senator Feldman is one of those who feel, as we indicated to Senator Griego, that this is a near-textbook example of a special interest lobbying hard to kill a bill before a floor vote. Though she told us she’ll keep working for an acceptable compromise, as you’ll hear her say below, she feels as though the industry is happy with the status quo.

UPDATE: The Governor’s Office has replied to our request for comment. Scott Darnell sent us this strongly worded statement just a few minutes ago:

“At one point during last year’s horrific wildfire season, our office received over 700 calls in a roughly 2 week period from mayors, fire chiefs, and concerned New Mexicans who were worried about the prospect of fireworks wreaking havoc and destruction in communities that had already faced weeks of wildfire threats. They expressed frustration that, in these times of emergency, our local governments and the state have their hands tied by the law and aren’t able to take the action necessary to prevent this potential for widespread damage and loss of life.

We all hope and pray that we do not experience another dangerous fire season like we experienced last year, but if it happens again, New Mexicans can rightfully express disappointment that the special interest lobby prevailed among a small group of Senators in defeating a bill that would have given cities, counties, and the state the tools they need to keep our communities safe during the most extreme wildfire emergencies.”

To underscore his point, Darnell attached a list of more than two dozen cities, county officials and fire chiefs who supported the measure.

By Matt Grubs, NMiF Producer

The House Appropriations and Finance Committee unanimously passed a budget bill this morning after nearly a week of negotiations. Last week, the Democrats who control the committee were flummoxed by the sudden withdrawal from a proposed budget plan by Republicans. Governor Susana Martinez later confirmed she asked Republicans to back out of the deal over concern that several of her budget priorities were left unaddressed.

The 5.642 billion dollar budget is almost 42 million dollars less than the additional revenue anticipated, leaving a little room for tax cuts, efforts to shore up public pensions, money for infrastructure or for reserve funding. As it stands now, the budget has a 9.9% reserve level; one generally considered prudent by budget watchers and bond rating companies.

The bill heads to the House floor next. HAFC Vice Chairman Lucky Varela talks about what made the difference and what led to the delay.

A committee analysis notes new language has been added that give the Department of Finance and Administration (and thus, Governor Martinez) authority to reduce allotments to programs if revenue falls short. That provision excludes Medicaid, developmental disabilities support programs, law enforcement, inmate management for the Department of Corrections and any agency with a budget of less than five million dollars in general fund appropriations. Further, representatives wrote in a clause that allows 2.5 million dollars to be used by DFA for critical public health and safety emergencies that would arise due to budget cuts. It’s not much, but it’s an olive branch.

The compromise includes what’s called “below the line” funding for the Public Education Department. Given the governor’s focus on education reform, this may be considered a strong win by her office. Communications Director Scott Darnell weighed in this morning, saying “The Governor appreciates their decision to invest in direct education reforms in order to improve our kids’ educational achievement, as opposed to simply throwing more money at the status quo. Rather than being forced to make across-the-board cuts in the event that anticipated revenues do not materialize, however, the Governor would prefer to be able to identify areas of excess or waste and cut accordingly. The Governor will continue to work across party lines as the budget moves through the House and Senate and hopes to be able to sign a fiscally responsible budget that invests in ensuring that our kids can read and succeed, as well as in making New Mexico competitive so that we can create jobs.”

Here’s a quick primer from Representative Varela on why there is more flexibility built in to “below the line” funding.

Representative Varela says the committee feels more comfortable with natural gas prices having stabilized and their ongoing contribution to state coffers. In addition, Varela – as you’ll see below – seems optimistic about growing state revenues by growing the economy.

We’ll update with Republican responses.

By Matt Grubs, NMiF Producer

Compromise. It’s a word that’s been thrown around a lot up here at the Roundhouse this session. In truth, it does happen. A lot. Representative Tom Taylor pointed that out to us earlier in the session. Nearly everything that gets through up here that carries any weight is a compromise of some sort.

But when it comes to New Mexico’s law that allows certain undocumented immigrants to obtain unrestricted driver’s licenses, it appears the word “compromise” has limited application. Sources close to the negotiations tell us that a bill may very well come out of the House Judiciary Committee this afternoon (it was blasted out by Rep. Andy Nunez – and others voting for the motion – last regular session). The question is whether it’s a compromise that could clear both houses and get signed by the governor. The answer is no. The source told NMiF “I don’t see that happening.” That’s despite what many describe as a very good two days of dialogue on the subcommittee appointed by House Judiciary Chairman Al Park.

We caught up with Representative Park – who is in his last legislative session as he resigns to run for the Public Regulation Commission seat in District 1 – to talk about a potential deal. Park said, as you’ll see below, “We don’t have a compromise”. He wouldn’t give up the ghost as far as how close the subcommittee came or what specifics of the proposed compromise were. The problem is that Governor Martinez seems unlikely to sign anything that allows for any sort of restricted or provisional license and the Senate seems unlikely to pass anything that puts restrictions on a license.

Governor Martinez, meanwhile, confirms she won’t sign any sort of license for people who are here illegally. We asked her if that means the issue is dead. Her reply? She’s hopeful the support she sees in polls on the issue will somehow sink in with those who oppose her.