Death penalty repeal on House calendar

HB285 is the ninth item for "third readings" on Wednesday's calendar. Unless they move it up, that sounds like late morning, or, more likely, early afternoon before they get to it.

If it goes like past years, it should pass the House by a pretty-much party-line votes. A few Democrats will vote against the bill, and probably a couple of Republicans will vote for it.

As I noted in a recent story, "Four of six Republicans who voted for (Rep. Gail) Chasey's death-penalty repeal bill in 2007 are no longer in the Legislature. Of those six, only Larry Larranaga and Janice Arnold-Jones, both of Albuquerque, still remain."

More on the Portal Project

My story in Wednesday's paper about the proposed electronic portal for the Motor Vehicle Divisionis HERE.

You can find a lot of information about "The Portal Project," including the state's RFP HERE.

Egolf passes first bill

Freshman Santa Fe Rep. Brian Egolf of Santa Fe this afternoon passed his first bill, HB227, which would increase airport facilities funding limits.

That was a real hot issue during his campaign. (Oh, wait, a minute ... he was unopposed.) I haven't actually read the bill, but if you're itching to do that CLICK HERE .

Several of his fellow House members used the "debate" on the bill to razz Egolf -- a tradition when members pass their first bill. House Majority Leader Kenny Martinez asked Egolf the whereabouts of his predecessor, Peter Wirth. Egolf joked he had no idea. (There's a rumor that Wirth was elected to the State Senate.) Martinez then expressed concern about Santa Fe electing bright young lawyers who abandon their House seats.

Congratulations Brian.

Public Information ... for a price

I'm about to check out a meeting regarding a state proposal to have a private company design and maintain a Web portal for the Motor Vehicle Division. Under the request for proposal, no tax dollars would be involved because the company chosen to do the work would make its money by charging the public -- including the press -- to use it.

At this point it's not clear how much it would cost. (The contractor has yet to be chosen.)

Back in 2004, the last time the administration proposed something like this, fees for record checks averaged $5.90 nationally and $7.40 in the surrounding states of Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Nevada, Oklahoma and Utah, according to an Associated Press report.

Newspapers and insurance companies are among the groups concerned about this. Hopefully I'll learn a lot more shortly.

Audio Webcasting!

It's streaming live right now from the House Appropriations & Finance Committee on the official Legislature Web site. CLICK HERE

Unfortunately, you can't see whether anyone is sleeping, and in the little I've heard so far, nobody has said anything that could be turned into an attack ad.

LENO FOR GOVERNOR?

I didn't go to Jay Leno's show at Buffalo Thunder casino Saturday night, but two people told me this little anecdote, one of whom is a fellow reporter.

Apparently the governor attended the show with some staff and Leno recognized him from the stage. Leno made some reference to the CDR investigation -- I still haven't gotten exactly what he said -- and some people in the crowd yelled "Guilty!"

I don't know what, if any, Richardson's reaction to this was. But that's a sign things might be getting ugly.

Leno, by the way, is credited for influencing at least one New Mexico law -- at Richardson's expense. Back in 2006 on The Tonight Show, he made fun of a statement Richardson made about cockfighting.

“In New Mexico, Gov. Bill Richardson — this is unbelievable — Gov. Bill Richardson said he is still undecided about cockfighting, which is not banned in New Mexico. It’s still legal. This is what he said, he said there are arguments on both sides. Really? What is the good argument for cockfighting? Does this keep the roosters off the street?”

This got wide play, and a few months later, shortly before he began his presidential campaign, Richardson ended his neutrality on cockfighting. In 2007, the Legislature, with the governor's support, banned it.

KILMER BACK AT CAPITOL

While leaving a press conference in the Governor's Cabinet Room about an hour and a half ago, who did I run into, but possible future Gov. VAL KILMER.

He smiled for this photo, but went in the door of Gov. Richardson's office before I could even ask him about his comments on Vietnam vets.

Not sure yet what he was talking to Richardson about.

UPDATE: I just ran into Kilmer up in Sen. Phil Griego's office. (Griego and Kilmer tangled years go over that Rolling Stone statement.)

I asked him about his statements in the Esquire article.

"I didn't make that statement," he said. "I have nothing but praise and respect for veterans."

This is Kilmer's second visit to the Roundhouse -- that we know of -- in three days. He said he came for Native American Day and, as he said on Tuesday, "to say hi to some friends."

THE KILMER BANDWAGON

A few years ago, before anyone was talking about Val Kilmer for governor, Rolling Stone quoted him saying, "80 percent of the people in my county are drunk." That of course caused an uproar and Kilmer said he was misquoted.

I wonder if he was misquoted in this 2005 Esquire interview drudged up by Matthew Reichbach at The New Mexico Independent:

(Question)You understand how it feels to shoot someone as much as a person who has actually committed a murder?

(Answer): I understand it more. It’s an actor’s job. A guy who’s lived through the horror of Vietnam has not spent his life preparing his mind for it. He’s some punk. Most guys were borderline criminal or poor, and that’s why they got sent to Vietnam. It was all the poor, wretched kids who got beat up by their dads, guys who didn’t get on the football team, couldn’t finagle a scholarship.

They didn’t have the emotional equipment to handle that experience. But this is what an actor trains to do. I can more effectively represent that kid in Vietnam than a guy who was there.

Reichbach quotes a military families blog that calls Kilmer the "brass-balled moron of the year.”

UPDATE: The entire Esquire interview, by Chuck Klosterman, is HERE.

OIL & GAS MONEY

I did a story about the new state Common Cause report, Connecting the Dots: The Oil and Gas Industry's Influence on New Mexico Politics.

You can find my article HERE.

The report itself is HERE (or to download it immedicately CLICK HERE. )

CHECKING THE POWER OF THE GOV & THE LAND COMMISSIONER

Land Commissioner Pat Lyons is backing a bill to cut back the governor's power on the State Investment Council.

Three Las Cruces Democrats have introduced bills to cut back the Land Commissioner's power on real estate development deals, such as the controversial 2,450-acre Vistas at Presidio development near Las Cruces. (Lyons called that "a little retribution, obviously." The Dems deny it.)

Meanwhile, Senate Republican Whip Bill Payne is trying to take away the pensions of state officials convicted for corruption on the job.

Read all about it HERE.