EXIT STRATEGY: Gov. Bill Richardson talks to a state legislator on Tuesday as he makes his way from the floor of the House of Representatives after making his "State of the State" speech as an unidentified assistant looks on.

ACROSS THE AISLE: Despite their differeces in poliical party, Rep. Tom Swisstack, D-Sandoval, and Rep. Jane Powdrell-Culbert, R-Sandoval, often work together on projects for Rio Rancho. As expeced, they had different reactions to Gov. Bill Richardson's "State of the State" address at the beginning  of the 2008 New Mexico Legislature on Tuesday in Santa Fe.

Health care to dominate '08 session

By Eric Maddy
The SCORE

SANTA FE - Gov. Bill Richardson called on legislators to approve his "Health Solutions New Mexico" universal care plan and outlined his other interests in the annual "State of the State" address on Tuesday.

"Some may say we cannot afford to take on this task in a 30-day session," Richardson said. "I ask - how can we afford not to? It makes coverage more affordable, care more accessible and the system more accountable."

Richardson, who gave up his  presidential campaign just last week, also said he would push initiatives for energy, drunk drivings, domestic violence, ethics reform, and domestic partnership rights in addition to the state budget. In a 30-day session, only items on the governor's "call," financial matters and legislation introduced previously can be considered.

"In this budget session, my agenda is focused and bold," Richardson said. "In the last 30-day session the House and Senate proposed more than 1,600 bills This session my agenda is limited to less than 60."

But it was health care that took up the majority of the governor's speech.

"Like many other states, we struggle with th skyrocketing price of health care and health insurance premiums," he said. "We've worked hard to cover more people, helping insure children under the age of 12, doubling the number of school-based health clinics as well as the number of trauma centers, ad offering more affordable options to small employers.

"But the cost of health care continues to increase and becomes further and further out of reach of average New Mexicans. The most expensive choice is doing nothing. I believe that's not a choice this legislature will make. It's not a choice this Governor will accept. And it's not a choice our people can afford."

Reaction to Richardson's proposal from Sandoval County legislators varied, largely along part lines.

"I think in 30 days what we can get done is addressing what we need to do for each division (in the budget)," said Rep. Jane Powdrell-Culbert, R-Sandoval. "I'm concerned in regards to so much expansion.

in lieu of the shortfall that we had. In committees all summer we got some dire (budget) information about different areas of our state government.

"It's always my goal to work with my colleagues on the other side to make sure we meet what we have in place. I'm really supportive of a lot of the things he's asking for. I just don't know if we can do it that big at this time. But it doesn't make a lot of sense to keep expanding when you can't cover what you already have. We need to focus on strenghing and improving what we already have in place before we take on any major changes."

This a budget year, and I'm hoping and praying that we do focus on strictly the budget."

Sen. Steve Komadina, R-Sandoval, was more critical,.

"Last year was the year of water, and nothing happened," he said. "This is the governor's fifth state of the state address, and never have we done what he said in the state of the state address in the past.

I'm not likely to think that this is going to be any different. Since he's never done anything that he talked about in a state of the state address in the past four years, why should the fifth year be any different?"

Komadina, who served on the interim committee that studied health care, doesn't believe the governor's plan is the right fix.

"Programs exist right now to cover every single uninsured person in the state. But some of those programs that were put into effect by the Legislature have never been implemented by state government because they wanted, I guess, the crisis to continue so they'd have a reason to have universal health care.

The underfunding of the retireed health plan, the retirees of state and city governments, is in critical shape. It's been created through mismanagement of the board of the retirees health plans. One would almost wonder whether that hasn't occurred to create a crisis that would then create a need for there to be government control of health care.

"It is a very fragile system now. I worry that we're going to spend money - in fact we've already spent millions of dollars of studying this - and the federal government is going to do something probably within 24 to 48 months. Every single candidate for the presidency says they will do health care reform on a national basis.

"So why should the state, when we need half a billion dollars to repair roads and bridges, when we've got perhaps as much as 80 percent of the schools with leaking roofs, when we have flood problems throughout the state and particularly in Rio Rancho which could benefit greatly by money, why then are we going to waste millions of dollars doing a health plan that will probably be overridden by a federal plan. It makes no sense.

"Every single uninsured person in New Mexico currently qualifies to be insured under some program that already exists. The state says they can't sign up people for Medicade because they don't have enough people to do it or the money to do it. So let's give them the money and the people. The small business program that was put together -- you can't even apply for it, because even though it's been in existence for several years, the forms don't exist to apply.

"There is a program for medically-fragile people, that anyone who is uninsurable can be covered under that plan.

"As always, the governor delivered his speech well. He is a master politician. There's a little something in the speech for everybody. And now we as a Legislature, following the Constitution, have the task of developing a budget for 12 months. That's our mandate. Anything else is just kind of frosting on the cake.

"The first thing is to do no harm."

State Rep. Tom Swisstack, D-Sandoval, said, "I don't think there were any surprises. The governor has been consistent with our military people serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and trying to enhance their benefits, in trying to talk about health care. What our challenge is going to be is how to make it affordable so that we can insure New Mexicans. We need to look at who is not registered for Medicade and see if we can start chipping away at that to reduce some of these counts.

"The economic opportunities that continue - we all are going to try to ensure that is there. With the announcements of 1,500 jobs - that was a nice boost for us in light of the slow economy. We haven't felt the pinch as much as surrounding states.

"What was really good ws the stability of our permanent fund" which Richardson said has grown from $9 billion to $15 billion while another $3 billion has been invested in schools. He talked about how we are trying to be mindful for our reserves."

But as always with this session, the issue comes back to health care.

"New Mexico, as well as this country, has a serious health care problem. It's not just a local or state issue. It's a national issue, a federal issues. I think the feds are going to have to be part of the solution, and we'll see what happens in November with the national election. But I think this issue has to be addressed."

OVERTIME ALREADY: Two hours after his colleagues had adjourned on the first day of the Legislature, Sen. Steve Komadina, R-Sandoval, was working at his seat in the Senate Chambers.