Days remaining in session: 31

Health care contributions: Public employees and their employers would pay more to help shore up a health care program for governmental retirees under legislation (House Bill 351) approved by the House.

The bill phases in higher payroll contributions over three years to improve the finances of the Retiree Health Care Authority.

The program is projected to become insolvent by 2019, but the legislation will extend that to 2027. The higher contributions would start in July 2010.

The authority provides health care coverage for 42,000 governmental retirees and their dependents. The retirees once worked in state, county and municipal governments, public schools or higher education.

The House unanimously sent the bill on to the Senate.

A vote for the exempts: On a party-line vote, the Senate Public Affairs Committee on Tuesday killed a measure (SB424) that would cut by 10 percent the salaries of exempt state workers who make more than $75,000.

Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort, R-Sandia Park, sponsored the measure.

In a news release, she said she is "receiving a lot of positive feedback from classified state employees who feel the bill makes things more equitable and they say it's a morale boost to the entire classified state work force."

Five Democrats on the committee voted to table the bill, effectively killing it. Three Republicans voted against tabling.

Casino ATMs: A marriage between slot machines and automated teller machines is a dangerous union, anti-gambling activists say, but a bill that would allow the two in the same room has won initial approval.

Senate Bill 330 would allow casinos at the state's race tracks to put ATMs in the same room as slot machines. Under current law, ATMs at non-Indian casinos must be outside secure gambling areas.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Richard Martinez, D-Española, said the change would level the playing field between casinos at tracks and Indian casinos, which he said have ATMs in gambling areas.

Martinez told the Senate Public Affairs Committee on Tuesday that, "It is a matter of convenience, and convenience for handicapped patrons."

But opponents said convenience is dangerous for people with — or the potential for — a gambling addiction. Guy Clark, executive director of the New Mexico Coalition Against Gambling, said the distance gamblers have to walk to reach an ATM can provide a critical mental break from the "zoning rhythm" they get into at a slot machine.

The bill would have to clear the Corporations and Transportation Committee before reaching the full Senate for a vote.

Pay the chiropractor: A bill (HB561) pending in the House would require insurance companies to pay chiropractors the same reimbursement they pay to doctors for the same services.

Sponsored by Rep. Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, the bill is before the House Government and Urban Affairs Committee.

Looking ahead: The Senate will have an early-morning floor session today so members can attend the funeral service of Patty Jennings, wife of Senate President Pro Tem Tim Jennings, who died over the weekend. The service is in Roswell.

• Today is DWI day at the Legislature. Gov. Bill Richardson is scheduled to speak at the Rotunda at 10:30 a.m.

•   The session will be half over on Thursday. That's also the last day to introduce bills this session.

Quote of the day: "Mr. Speaker, I'm missing a sandwich and I'm going to have to do without lunch. ... Can I send out security or the FBI?" — Rep. Ed Sandoval, D-Albuquerque, during House floor session.




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