It's a week before the legislative session ends. A frustrated governor praises the New Mexico House of Representatives for cooperating with the administration's wishes, but chastises the Senate for dragging its feet.

Bad vibes. Veto threats. A counterpunch from a Senate leader, who says the governor is just playing politics.

No, this isn't a time warp. We're not talking Bill Richardson circa 2009. This is Susana Martinez 2011.

The governor has changed, but true to its traditional role, the Senate remains slow. And no matter who occupies the Capitol's Fourth Floor, the Senate remains independent-minded.

The Republican governor blasted the Senate on Friday, singling out Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, for the fact that the Senate didn't take quick action on a corruption bill she favors, as well as some of her education-reform bills. "One of the educational reforms, social promotion, has been on the Senate calendar for over a week," Martinez told reporters at a news conference.

On the governor's mind, undoubtedly, was what the Senate did to one of her main proposals this week — House Bill 78, which, in its original form, would have denied driver's licenses to foreign nationals.

The Senate gutted it. They added amendments. They sent it back to the House in a form that would continue to allow the undocumented to get licenses.

Martinez said Friday that she'd veto the bill in its current form. A more likely scenario is that the House and Senate would be unable to reach a compromise before the session ends one week from today.

In fairness, the Senate isn't the only place where Martinez's bills have stalled. House committees effectively killed measures that would bring back the death penalty and would require voters to present photo identification at polling places.

Sanchez on Friday fired back at Martinez's criticisms, issuing a statement that said her "background as a prosecutor has not given her practical experience or any idea of governing and how the legislative process works, including the detailed efforts required for shaping legislation."

Martinez was district attorney in Las Cruces before becoming governor in January.

Sanchez continued: "Rather than tying up valuable legislative time on divisive issues, Gov. Martinez needs to get out of campaign mode and get down to the business of governing and working with the Legislature to create a comprehensive plan for the future. I would encourage the governor to focus her energy on solving problems instead of merely exploiting them for partisan political purposes."

Martinez also mentioned a bill that would require DNA samples from all convicted felons. HB 256, sponsored by Rep. Al Park, D-Albuquerque, as of Friday was awaiting a hearing in the Senate Public Affairs Committee. Meanwhile, the Senate's version of the bill, SB 365, sponsored by Sen. Vern Asbill, R-Carlsbad, has been on the Senate floor calendar for more than a week.

And the major anti-corruption bill Martinez wants, HB 378, sponsored by Rep. Nate Gentry, R-Albuquerque, might have a tougher road. The bill, which would add sentence enhancements for state officials convicted of corruption felonies, passed the House unanimously. But when it got to the Senate, it was assigned to three committees — which usually is interpreted as a kiss of death.

"They're going to be heard as soon as they are ready to be heard," Sanchez told a reporter Friday evening when asked about the governor's bills. When asked if he expected action on the bills before the end of the session, he said, "Oh absolutely. She just doesn't understand the process. All she needs to do is call and ask or send some of her (staff) to visit." He said there has been "very little communication" between him and the Governor's Office.

Sanchez, a lawyer, said he wasn't surprised by Martinez's criticisms. "That's just what prosecutors do." he said.

By Friday night, however, Martinez was praising the Senate for passing SB 502, sponsored by Sen. Cynthia Nava, D-Las Cruces, which is an education bill Martinez wants passed.

Trip Jennings contributed to this report

Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com. Read his political blog at roundhouseroundup.com.


UPDATED 3:15 p.m. A typo in the description of HB78 was corrected.