Hundreds of legislators from 13 Western states will descend upon Santa Fe in October when The Council of State Governments-West holds its 62nd annual meeting here.

Among speakers scheduled for the Oct. 5-8 gathering at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center are pollster John Zogby and CNN political analyst David Gergen, who has been an aide to presidents including Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.

"It's good for the local economy because you have people from 13 states filling Santa Fe hotels and eating at Santa Fe restaurants," state Rep. Thomas Garcia, D-Ocate, who serves on the organization's executive committee, said Tuesday. "And it's good for legislators because it gives us the opportunity to hear ideas from other states. For example, we might hear about how they're handling energy issues in Wyoming, or what they're doing about health care in Colorado."

CSG-West, part of the national Council of State Governments, is a nonpartisan organization promoting "regional cooperation and collaboration," according to its Web site.

The organization's chairman is New Mexico state Rep. Joe Campos, D-Santa Rosa. Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones, R-Albuquerque, is vice chairwoman of the Trade and Transportation Committee.

Garcia said about 15 to 20 New Mexico lawmakers have been active in the group in recent years, although he expects about 50 New Mexico lawmakers to attend the Santa Fe meeting.

CSG-West staffer Mary Lou Cooper — who lives in Santa Fe — said Tuesday that about 500 legislators attended last year's annual meeting in Anchorage, Alaska.

Cooper said there will be forums on various issues at the Santa Fe meeting, including tax incentives for the movie industry; border problems; energy and natural resources; and women in politics.

The meeting coincides with one of central New Mexico's bigger tourism draws: the International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque. Although that annual event is mentioned on the CSG-West Web site and the registration brochure, no Balloon Fiesta events are planned for the visiting legislators.

Eight downtown Santa Fe hotels are offering rooms at special rates for rates for participants, ranging from $149 to $189 a night.

CSG-West is funded by dues from state governments — New Mexico's share is $96,000 a year, Cooper said — and corporate sponsorships.

The registration brochure solicits corporate sponsors at levels between $2,500 and $40,000. The two largest "early bird" sponsors are oil companies BP, which paid $20,000, and Chevron, which paid $10,000.

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