Legislative score card

| The New Mexican

2/13/2008 - 2/14/08

Where issues stand on eve of Legislature's adjournment:

Health care: Gov. Bill Richardson's measure, House Bill 62, is pending in the Senate after being dramatically watered down by the House. It would create a Health Coverage Authority to further study ways to get coverage for the state's 400,000 uninsured residents.

A measure that would allow medical records to be accessed electronically, HB 37, cleared the House but was rejected by the Senate.

Domestic partners: HB 9, which would have given certain unmarried couples — homosexual or heterosexual — the same rights and benefits as married couples, was tabled in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Richardson has called for the full Senate to blast the bill out of committee and give it a floor vote, but advocates aren't optimistic.

Stem cells: Senate Bill 23, which would allow embryonic stem cell research, passed the Senate by two votes and is in the House Judiciary Committee.

Ethics: Although the governor sought several ethics reforms, the major bills have limped through various committees. The House on Tuesday passed a bill to establish a state ethics commission (HB 309), though its survival chances in the Senate are questionable.

HB 564, which would add candidates for statewide offices to those eligible for public financing of campaigns, appears stuck in the House committee process.

SB 387, which would limit campaign contributions, awaits action by the full Senate.

HB 438, which would allocate $176,000 to fix the secretary of state's Web site and create a searchable database for campaign finance reports, passed the House unanimously and is working its way through the Senate.

Elections: SB 1, which would allow state and federal candidates who are shut out of their party's pre-primary conventions to get on the primary ballots by collecting more petition signatures, made it through the Legislature this week and awaits approval by the governor, who early in the session said he'd sign it.

Real estate tax transfer: SB 160, sponsored Sen. John Grubesic, D-Santa Fe, would prohibit municipalities from imposing taxes on the transfer of real estate. This would prevent the Santa Fe City Council from reviving an idea it tabled last year — to add a 1 percent tax on the portion of home sales that is over $500,000 and use revenue for affordable housing programs. The bill passed the Senate on a 34-3 vote but appears stuck in House committees.

Rail Runner tax: HB 400, sponsored by Rep. Dan Silva, D-Albuquerque, would allow voters in Santa Fe and three other counties to consider a gross-receipts tax to pay for Rail Runner Express commuter train. The bill passed the House but is stuck in the Senate Finance Committee. Sen. Shannon Robinson, D-Albuquerque, who is carrying the bill in the Senate, said he seriously doubts the bill will get a vote.