Legislators prepare to sue Governor over vetoes.
Source: Albuquerque Journal
SANTA FE – New Mexico’s legislative leaders authorized their attorneys on Thursday to sue Gov. Susana Martinez over her veto of funding for state universities and the Legislature itself.
And they directed their staff to begin gathering signatures for an extraordinary session – a legislative session called by lawmakers themselves and open to any topic.
It would take signatures from three-fifths of the Legislature to enter such a session, which has happened only once in New Mexico history, officials said.
Top Democrats in the Legislature have repeatedly questioned whether the Republican governor had authority to reject funding for an equal branch of government and for universities mentioned in the state Constitution.
Read more: Legislators prepare to sue Governor over vetoes
Gov. Martinez vetoed 145 bills, while signing 132. The legislature is lead by Democrats. Several bills were vetoed that had broad bi-partisan support.
“In the coming weeks,” Martinez said Friday, “I will call the Legislature back to Santa Fe to finish the job they were supposed to do in the first place. I believe that by working together, we can balance the budget – without tax increases. While I’m disappointed in them, I am optimistic that we can come together.”
Gov. Martinez was disengaged from the legislature while they were in session. She spent precious little time working with the legislators to compromise. Instead, she simply vetoed bills that had support from both parties, claimed they were "wasting time", and now wants to spend extra money for a special session, even though the state is in financial trouble right now.
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Cross-posted in Latest Breaking News.
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