>>ANNOUNCER: REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NEW MEXICO, AN ORGANIZATION OF PROFESSIONALS WHO BELIEVE THAT INVESTING IN PUBLIC EDUCATION IS AN INVESTMENT IN OUR STATE'S ECONOMIC FUTURE, FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM >>LORENE: HELLO, I AM LORENE MILLS AND WELCOME TO REPORT FROM SANTA FE.

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A LOOK BACK AT THE RECENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION - NOT THE SPECIAL SESSION - BECAUSE THAT IS HAPPENING AS WE SPEAK.

BUT I AM DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCE OUR GUEST TODAY, FORMER SENATOR DEDE FELDMAN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, DEDE.

>>DEDE: THANKS FOR HAVING ME, LORENE.

>>LORENE: WELL, WE HAVE BEEN DOING SHOWS FOR YEARS BECAUSE YOU ARE A VERY ASTUTE OBSERVER OF WHAT IS GOING ON, BUT LET ME GIVE A LITTLE OF YOUR BACKGROUND.

YOU FOR 16 YEARS, YOU SERVED IN THE SENATE FROM 1997 TO 2012, YOU ARE A DEMOCRAT FROM BERNALILLO COUNTY, THE ALBUQUERQUE NORTH VALLEY, OLD TOWN, THAT AREA.

YOU WERE THE FIRST WOMAN ELECTED FROM YOUR DISTRICT, IS THAT RIGHT, FROM THAT DISTRICT.

AND YOU WERE CHAIR OF THE POWERFUL PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE DURING THE SESSIONS AND YOU WERE HEAD OF THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES INTERIM COMMITTEE FOR BOTH HOUSES.

SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>>DEDE: WELL THANK YOU MY PLEASURE.

>>LORENE: YES.

I WANT TO SAY YOU WEAR ANOTHER HAT WHICH IS, YOU ARE AN AUTHOR AND YOUR BOOKS HAVE BEEN SO HELPFUL FOR PEOPLE.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ONE YOU HAVE THERE, IT IS CALLED INSIDE THE NEW MEXICO SENATE: BOOTS, SUITS AND CITIZENS .

TELL US WHAT YOU DID IN THIS BOOK.

>>DEDE: WELL THIS IS A LOOK AT THE INSIDE OF HOW THE LEGISLATURE WORKS AND HOW IT DOESN'T WORK SOMETIMES.

LOOKING AT THE MAJOR PLAYERS THERE AND THE SUBTITLE OF THE BOOK IS: BOOTS, SUITS AND CITIZENS AND SO THIS LOOKS AT THE BOOTS, THE RURAL INTERESTS, THE SUITS, WHICH ARE THE LOBBYISTS AND THEN THE CITIZENS, WHO ARE BOTH THE LEGISLATORS BECAUSE WE HAVE A CITIZEN LEGISLATURE AND ALSO THE ADVOCATES WHO COME TO THE LEGISLATURE WITH A CAUSE OFTEN.

SOMETIMES THEY GO AWAY EMPTY HANDED AND SOMETIMES, IF THEY KNOW HOW TO WORK THE SYSTEM, THEY COME OUT AND ARE SURPRISINGLY SUCCESSFUL.

BECAUSE THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATURE WITH ALL IT'S WARTS, USUALLY IT IS A VERY ACCESSIBLE PLACE, THIS YEAR HAS BEEN OF COURSE, A NOTABLE EXCEPTION.

>>LORENE: YES, BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.

YOUR OTHER BOOK, WHICH WE CAN'T SHOW RIGHT NOW BUT I REALLY RECOMMEND, IT IS CALLED ANOTHER WAY FORWARD AND IT IS GRASSROOTS SOLUTIONS.

YOU WENT TO EVERYONE WHO IS DOING SOMETHING REALLY GOOD AROUND THE STATE AND YOU DID SEGMENTS ON THEM TO LET US KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON.

I LOVE THAT INSIDE THE NEW MEXICO SENATE WAS SORT OF FROM THE TOP DOWN AND GRASSROOTS SOLUTIONS, ANOTHER WAY FORWARD , WAS THE BOTTOM UP, THEY ARE GOING TO MEET IN THE MIDDLE AT SOME POINT.

BUT YOUR NEW BOOK, YOU ARE ALSO WORKING ON A BOOK THAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO, TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT IT NOW, I LOVE THE TITLE.

>>DEDE: OH THE TITLE OF MY NEW BOOK, WHICH SHOULD BE OUT MAYBE BY THE SUMMER OR THE FALL IS CALLED TEN MORE DOORS - POLITICS AND THE PATH TO CHANGE.

AND THIS IS MORE OF A MEMOIRE.

THE OTHER TWO BOOKS WERE KIND OF MORE JOURNALISTIC.

THIS IS MY ACTUAL STORY OF HOW I CAME TO THE LEGISLATURE AND HOW I WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WHATEVER IT WAS I WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH.

>>LORENE: WELL, LET'S TALK A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND.

YOU HAVE WORKED WITH A GROUP CALLED COMMON CAUSE, A NATIONAL GROUP WITH A VERY STRONG NEW MEXICO CHAPTER AND I HAVE WORKED WITH YOU ON THE ETHICS COMMISSION FOR, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS, 20 MAYBE, THE REDISTRICTING OUT THAT WE HAVE MADE A BIG STEP FOR IN THIS SESSION.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THOSE TWO ISSUES IN TERMS OF TRANSPARENCY AND THEN WE WILL GET ON TO THE MAIN HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS LAST SESSION AND WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW.

>>DEDE: WELL YOU KNOW COMMON CAUSE HAS BEEN ON THESE ISSUES FOR A LONG AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH YOUR VIEWERS AND LISTENERS KNOW ABOUT COMMON CAUSE BUT IT WAS STARTED IN THE 1970S.

IT IS A NONPARTISAN ORGANIZATION AND IT WAS STARTED BY A MAN BY THE NAME OF JOHN GARDNER, WHO WAS A VERY WELL RESPECTED REPUBLICAN MEMBER OF LYNDON JOHNSON'S ADMINISTRATION AND HIS THEORY WAS, YOU KNOW, LOBBYISTS REPRESENT ALL KINDS OF SPECIAL INTERESTS IN WASHINGTON AND IN SANTA FE AND THE PEOPLE REALLY HAVE NO LOBBYISTS, NO ONE TO REALLY REPRESENT THEM OTHER THAN THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS OF COURSE.

SO HE FELT THAT THE PEOPLE NEEDED A LOBBYIST AND THAT WAS WHY HE STARTED COMMON CAUSE.

AND COMMON CAUSE'S MISSION IS REALLY DEMOCRACY IN A BROAD SENSE AND DEMOCRACY REALLY RESTS ON THE VOTE, PEOPLE HAVING ACTUAL EQUAL ACCESS TO THE BALLOT.

AND FOR THAT REASON COMMON CAUSE IS INVOLVED IN COMBATING THE INFLUENCE OF SPECIAL INTERESTS, OF WHICH ARE TREMENDOUS, AND MAKING SURE THAT EACH PERSON'S VOTE COUNTS THE SAME AS ANOTHER PERSON'S VOTE, WHICH IS WHY COMMON CAUSE HAS ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN REDISTRICTING, BUT EVEN MORE THAN THAT, IN ACCESS TO THE POLLING PLACE.

SO THIS YEAR IN NEW MEXICO THIS IMPORTANT ELECTION YEAR DURING THE COVID, COMMON CAUSE WAS REALLY FOCUSED ON GETTING PEOPLE TO VOTE, ALLOWING PEOPLE TO VOTE AND SO ALONG WITH THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION AND OTHER GROUPS RAN A VOTER PROTECTION HOTLINE SO THAT ANYONE WHO WAS HAVING TROUBLE VOTING COULD CONTACT THAT HOTLINE AND GET ACCURATE INFORMATION, WHICH OF COURSE IS VERY IMPORTANT IN AN ELECTION.

SO THIS HAS BEEN A VERY BUSY YEAR FOR COMMON CAUSE IN THAT WAY AND COMMON CAUSE IS ALSO VERY INTERESTED IN ELECTION ADMINISTRATION, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT DENIED THE VOTE FOR SOME BUREAUCRATIC OR LEGAL REASON.

AND SO WE ARE LUCKY HERE IN NEW MEXICO, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR A LONG TIME.

WE HAVE GREAT ACCESS TO THE BALLOT HERE, WE HAVE A GREAT SECRETARY OF THE STATE I BELIEVE AND WE HAVE EARLY VOTING, WE HAVE ONLINE REGISTRATION, WE SOON WILL HAVE SAME DAY REGISTRATION AND CONVENIENCE CENTERS ALL OVER SO YOU DON'T JUST HAVE TO GO TO ONE POLLING PLACE.

SO IT IS EASY TO VOTE, BUT THIS YEAR, OF COURSE, WAS EXTRAORDINARY BECAUSE OF THE RELIANCE AND THE NEED FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS.

SO THIS HAS BEEN THE CAUSE OF COMMON CAUSE THIS YEAR, BUT OVER THE YEARS IT HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN MANY DIFFERENT STRUGGLES INCLUDING THE ONE THAT YOU MENTIONED FOR AN ETHICS COMMISSION.

>>LORENE: YES, YES.

SO REDISTRICTING IS INTRIGUING, IT COMES OUT EVERY TEN YEARS AFTER THE CENSUS, THEN THEY DEPENDING ON WHERE POPULATION HAS GROWN OR DIMINISHED, THEN THEY DRAW THE LINES.

I KNOW THAT CALIFORNIA HAS BEEN WORKING WITH CITIZEN'S COMMISSION TO MAKE THE NEW LEGISLATIVE AND SCHOOL DISTRICT AND PUBLIC REGULATION BOUNDARIES, BUT I WAS LOOKING AT A BLOG OF YOURS FROM THE 1980S REDISTRICTING CHALLENGE AND IF YOU COULD GIVE US JUST A COUPLE MINUTES ABOUT HOW SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN MINISTERING, YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING THIS EVERY DECADE SINCE THE 80S, HOW HAVE THINGS GROWN AND WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR THAT REALLY MOVED US FORWARD TOWARD FAIRER REDISTRICTING?

>>DEDE: WELL THIS YEAR WAS A BIG STEP FORWARD IN THAT NEW MEXICO TOOK A STEP TOWARD AN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.

THIS IS MORE OF AN ADVISORY COMMISSION THAT WE HAVE NOW, BUT IT IS A GIANT STEP FORWARD IN TERMS OF GETTING DISTRICT LINES THAT ARE NOT BASED ON INCUMBENT PROTECTIONS SOLELY OR DO NOT INFRINGE ON THE RIGHTS OF DISTINCT COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST OR MINORITIES WHO OFTEN ARE SPLIT UP DURING A REDISTRICTING PROCESS OR COMPRESSED INTO ONE DISTRICT DURING A REDISTRICTING PROCESS AS WELL.

I HAVE BEEN THROUGH TWO REDISTRICTING SESSIONS AS A LEGISLATOR AND I COVERED ONE AS A JOURNALIST BEFORE I CAME TO THE LEGISLATURE IN THE 1990S AND I TELL YOU EACH ONE IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE THE POPULATION CHANGES IN THE STATE ARE DIFFERENT.

AND THIS YEAR THERE REALLY HASN'T BEEN TOO MUCH POPULATION CHANGE IN THE STATE.

SO THAT IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT FROM MY FIRST SESSION WHICH WAS IN 2000 WHERE THERE HAD BEEN A MARKED INCREASE IN POPULATION ON THE WEST SIDE OF ALBUQUERQUE AND MARKED DECLINE IN POPULATION ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE STATE BECAUSE AGRICULTURE WAS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS IT ONCE WAS AND THE WEST SIDE WAS BOOMING.

SO THAT CREATED THE NEED TO SHRINK CERTAIN DISTRICTS AND GROW AND CREATE NEW ONES.

SO WHERE THOSE WERE WAS, OF COURSE, A POINT OF CONTENTION BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES AND IT ALWAYS IS THAT DYNAMIC BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES AND ALSO BETWEEN THE INCUMBENTS.

SO SOMETIMES INCUMBENTS ARE PAIRED AGAINST ONE ANOTHER AND THAT IS ALWAYS REALLY SOMETHING THEY TRY TO AVOID BUT IT HAPPENS.

AND THEN EARLIER ALL THESE SESSION HAVE ONE COMMON DENOMINATOR AND THAT IS THEY ALMOST ALWAYS HAVE ENDED UP IN COURT AND OF COURSE COSTING MILLIONS OF MORE TAXPAYER DOLLARS BECAUSE REDISTRICTING IS ALWAYS DONE IN A SPECIAL SESSION IN THE FALL AFTER THE CENSUS DATA HAS COME OUT.

OF COURSE, THIS YEAR, IT IS GOING TO BE EVEN LATER BECAUSE WE HAD SUCH A HUBBUB ABOUT THE CENSUS.

SO WE RELY ON GOOD CENSUS FIGURES AND UNFORTUNATELY NEW MEXICO HAS ALWAYS BEEN UNDERCOUNTED ANYWAY, CERTAIN POPULATIONS IN NEW MEXICO BECAUSE IT IS RURAL, BECAUSE OF THE NAVAJO RESERVATION AND OTHER REASONS, WE OFTEN REALLY DON'T SHOW THE AMOUNT OF POPULATION THAT WE REALLY HAVE AND THAT ALL DIMINISHES REPRESENTATION.

SO ANYWAY, SO THOSE ARE ALL SOME OF THE INGREDIENTS THAT GO INTO THE REDISTRICTING.

>>LORENE: WELL I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT SPECIAL SESSION ON REDISTRICTING.

IT ALWAYS USED TO BE THAT THE OLD SAYING WAS THAT THE, "POLITICIANS CHOSE THEIR VOTERS IF THEY HAD CONTROL OF REDISTRICTING," AND THE WAY THAT DEMOCRACY WOULD LIKE IT TO WORK IS THAT THE VOTERS CHOOSE THEIR POLITICIANS, WELL I THINK WE HAVE MADE GREAT STRIDES FORWARD.

AND A COUPLE OF OTHER TRANSPARENCY ISSUES AND THEN I WOULD LOVE TO TALK ABOUT, HAS THERE BEEN A SEA CHANGE IN THE LEGISLATURE, WHAT BILLS WERE PASSED BUT BACK TO JUST TRANSPARENCY AND BY THE WAY, WE ARE SPEAKING TODAY WITH FORMER SENATOR, DEDE FELDMAN, AN ASTUTE POLITICAL OBSERVER TALKING ABOUT THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

SO THERE HAVE BEEN SOME MOVES TOWARD TRANSPARENCY, A LITTLE MORE LIGHT ON CAPITAL OUTLAY, BUT WE ALSO FAILED WITH SOME THINGS LIKE LOBBYISTS REFORM, THAT DIDN'T REALLY MOVE FORWARD IN TERMS OF LOBBYISTS REFORM OR EVEN PRIVATE PRISON REFORM.

SO THERE IS ALWAYS PLENTY OF WORK TO DO, BUT LET'S LOOK AT WHAT WE DID DO AND WHAT KIND OF CHANGE THAT REPRESENTS.

>>DEDE: WELL THIS WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY PROGRESSIVE SESSION BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE NEW MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE, ESPECIALLY IN THE SENATE WHERE A NUMBER OF CONSERVATIVE SENATORS WERE REPLACED BY VERY PROGRESSIVE WOMEN TO BE FRANK AND ALSO NOW IN THE HOUSE THERE IS A MAJORITY OF WOMEN BOTH DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN, SO THAT IS ONE DIFFERENCE.

BUT I THINK THE IDEA OF HAVING SO MANY NEW MEMBERS REALLY ALWAYS PRESENTS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR REFORM AND MODERNIZATION BECAUSE YOU KNOW THE NEW MEMBERS, THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHY THERE WAS SUCH A RELUCTANCE TO HIDE WHO WAS SPONSORING WHAT CAPITAL OUTLAY BILL IN THE FIRST PLACE AND SAME WITH THE OPERATION OF COMMITTEES AND OTHER TRADITIONAL WAYS THAT THE LEGISLATURE HAS OPERATED.

SO I FEEL SORRY FOR THE NEW MEMBERS IN SOME WAYS BECAUSE THEY CAME IN DURING SUCH A STRANGE TIME WHERE THEY DON'T GET THE COMRADERY AND THE CONVIVIALITY OF OPENING DAY.

AND THEY HAVE THEIR, MOST THINGS ARE DONE REMOTELY, ESPECIALLY THE COMMITTEES, WHICH IS REALLY, AS MEMBER YOU MAKE FRIENDS AND GET TO KNOW PEOPLE AND GET TO KNOW THE ISSUES.

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, THEY ARE NOT STUCK IN A CERTAIN WAY OF DOING THINGS.

THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATURE, THIS IS ONE OF THE THEMES OF INSIDE THE NEW MEXICO SENATE IS, IT WAS SET UP IN 1912 MOSTLY FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF FARMERS AND RANCHERS TO BE A 30-DAY SESSION ONE YEAR, A 60-DAY SESSION ANOTHER VERY SHORT.

THESE ARE CITIZENS THAT KEPT THEIR DAY JOBS, THEY WERE UNPAID, THE STAFF WAS VERY LIMITED AND ALL THESE THINGS TO SOMEBODY NEW COMING IN, YOU WONDER WHY IT HAS BEEN THIS WAY FOR SO, SO LONG, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE CRISES LIKE A CORONA VIRUS OR WILDFIRES.

>>LORENE: YES.

>>DEDE: WE REALLY, YOU KNOW IF THE LEGISLATURE WAS MORE FULL TIME, IF IT MET MORE OFTEN, THERE WOULD BE MORE OF A ROLE FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO PAY, NOT PAY, PLAY, I'M SORRY.

>>LORENE: LET'S TALK ABOUT PAY, NO, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT PAY.

UNDER THE EFFECT OF THE COVID PROTOCOLS THAT THE PUBLIC HEALTH PROTOCOLS THAT WE HAD TO DO, IT SEEMS LIKE A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A LOT OF CHANGES.

AND ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT HAS COME UP A LOT OR WE COULD EVEN CALL THEM MODERNIZATIONS, I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF PAST EFFORTS TRYING TO MODERNIZE THE SYSTEM, BUT ONE THING THAT COMES UP ALL THE TIME AND I REALLY UNDERSTAND IT, IS TO PAY THE LAWMAKERS FOR THEIR WORK AND THEIR TIME AND TO GIVE THEM STAFF TO DO THEIR CONSTITUENT SERVICES AND THEIR OUTREACH.

SO IT BECOMES RATHER BARE, NAKED INFLUENCE SOMETIMES WITH THE LOBBYISTS AND THE LAWMAKERS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT BEING PAID, THE LOBBYISTS HELP THEM OUT A LITTLE WITH SOMETHING, SO HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PAYING OUR LAWMAKERS?

>>DEDE: WELL THERE HAS BEEN A SEA CHANGE IN PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT PAYING NEW MEXICO LEGISLATURES ALSO.

COMMON CAUSE EVERY YEAR TAKES A POLL ON VARIOUS ISSUES AND THE PAST, I WOULD SAY THREE OR FOUR YEARS, THE PUBLIC NOW FAVORS PAYING LEGISLATORS.

IT DIDN'T USED TO BE THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, IT USED TO BE THAT THERE WAS A SORT OF A DISTASTE FOR PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS, BUT NOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED AND I THINK THAT THE PUBLIC RECOGNIZES THAT EVERY YEAR THERE IS A SCANDAL OR MORE CONFLICT OF INTEREST, PUBLICITY ABOUT ONE LEGISLATOR OR ANOTHER LEGISLATOR, MORE PUBLICITY ABOUT LOBBYISTS AND THE UNDUE INFLUENCE THAT THEY HAVE ON OUR CITIZEN UNPAID LEGISLATURE AND SO THEY ARE MORE IN FAVOR OF IT.

LEGISLATORS, THEMSELVES, HAVE BEEN RELUCTANT TO ACT ON THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT SEEMS SELF-SERVING AND THEY ARE AFRAID THAT IF THEY VOTE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS, EVEN TO PUT IT ON THE BALLOT AND IT WOULD REQUIRE A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT, WHICH REQUIRES IT TO BE VOTED ON BY THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE IT IS IN THIS 1912 CONSTITUTIONAL SETUP OF THE LEGISLATURE.

SO THE LEGISLATORS IN THE PAST HAVE BEEN AFRAID TO SAY, YES, I AM IN FAVOR OF INCREASING, NOT INCREASING, OF GIVING LEGISLATORS PAY BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A BROCHURE USED AGAINST THEM AT THE NEXT ELECTION, SAYING, "SEE HOW SO AND SO WANTS TO YOU KNOW FEATHER HIS OWN NEST OR HER OWN NEST AND GET PAID THE BIG BUCKS."

SO NOW THOUGH, I THINK THAT THERE IS A LITTLE MORE INTEREST IN IT.

BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, REMEMBER, WHEN YOU DON'T PAY LEGISLATORS, THIS SOUNDS REALLY NICE, THE CITIZENS' LEGISLATURE, EVERY MAN GETS HIS SAY, EVERY WOMEN GETS HER SAY.

BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS IT IS MOST PEOPLE, IT'S SELF-SELECTING.

THERE ARE RETIRED PEOPLE, THERE ARE PEOPLE IN SMALL BUSINESSES THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO TAKE OFF FOR A MONTH OR TWO MONTHS.

LAWYERS OR REAL ESTATE AGENTS AND NOT TOO MANY ORDINARY JOES OR YOUNG PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO SERVE IN A LEGISLATURE AND THAT IS NOT EVEN COUNTING RUNNING FOR OFFICE.

>>LORENE: WELL, OTHER CHANGES THAT WERE SUGGESTED AND MODESTLY PUT IN EFFECT, I KNOW THAT THE PRESIDENT PRO TEM, STUART, CREATED ANOTHER COMMITTEE IN THE SENATE, THE SENATE COMMITTEES THIS SESSION HAVE BEEN BACKED UP, JAMMED UP, A LOT OF BILLS JUST DIED IN COMMITTEE NEVER EVEN MADE IT TO THE FLOOR.

ALSO, I THINK THE HOUSE HAD PUT IN A LIMIT ON HOW MANY BILLS A LAWMAKER COULD INTRODUCE, SO WHAT ARE OTHER STATES DOING AND WE ONLY HAVE A FEW MINUTES LEFT, JUST TELL US A FEW OF YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.

>>DEDE: WELL, OTHER STATES ARRANGED THEIR SESSIONS COMPLETELY DIFFERENTLY.

AND YOU NEED ONLY TO GO TO THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES TO SEE THAT SOMETIMES LEGISLATURES HAVE ONE WEEK FOR COMMITTEE MEETINGS ONLY, THEN ANOTHER WEEK FOR FLOOR SESSIONS ONLY, THEN THEY GO HOME FOR A BREAK, THEN THEY COME BACK WHERE THE SENATE WILL CONSIDER HOUSE BILLS ONLY AND THE HOUSE WILL CONSIDER SENATE BILLS ONLY.

THINGS ARE LESS CONFLICTED THAT WAY, THERE IS LESS CONFUSION, THERE IS LESS OPPORTUNITY FOR, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSE VERSUS THE SENATE GAMES AND LEVERAGING ONE BILL AGAINST ANOTHER RATHER THAN ON ITS MERIT.

AND, YOU KNOW COVID HAS GIVEN US THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET MORE PUBLIC INPUT, TOO.

THE ZOOM SITUATION WAS LIMITING IN SOME WAYS BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, GAVE PEOPLE IN JAL THE OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY BEFORE A COMMITTEE THAT THEY WOULD NEVER HAVE HAD BEFORE, SO THAT'S ANOTHER KIND OF MODERNIZATION EFFORT THAT COULD BE LOOKED INTO.

>>LORENE: WELL, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO TOUCH UPON THE MOOD AND THE DEMEANOR IN THE LEGISLATURE.

THERE IS SO MUCH NATIONAL TOXIC PARTISANSHIP WHERE ONE PARTY AND THE OTHER PARTY, THEY ABSOLUTELY NEVER MEET AT THE MIDDLE AND THEY CONDEMN AND WE HAVE SEEN A SLIGHT NOTICEABLE INCREASE IN WHAT COULD BE CALLED "BULLYING" AND EVEN "MISOGYNY" I THINK PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE STRANGE CIRCUMSTANCES WE ARE IN AND THE MASKING AND THE FACT THAT NO ONE IS EVER REALLY TOGETHER TO BUILD THOSE BONDS OF FRIENDSHIP.

AND I AM AFRAID THAT THE UNEASE THAT THE PUBLIC HAS WITH THE NATIONAL SCENE ALTHOUGH THAT'S CHANGING, THEY MIGHT PROJECT THAT ALSO ON WHAT THEY SEE OF OUR STATEWIDE SCENE.

BUT IF YOU CAN TELL ME, COMMENT ON THAT, BUT ALSO I LOVE TO CALL OUT FOR PEOPLE TO GET MORE INVOLVED AND HOW THEY CAN GET INVOLVED, I WILL TELL YOU ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF THE ZOOM CONFERENCING HAS BEEN THAT MORE PEOPLE FROM OUTLYING AREAS OF THE STATE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CALL IN.

BUT AGAIN, WHETHER THEY WERE HEARD OR NOT WAS COMPLETELY AT THE DISCRETION OF THE COMMITTEE CHAIRS, SO IT WASN'T REALLY, THERE WASN'T EQUAL REPRESENTATIVE OF COMPONENTS AND APPOINTMENTS OF THE BILL, BUT I WILL SAY NO MORE.

YOU TAKE IT.

>>DEDE: WELL YOU KNOW WE HAVE A SYSTEM THAT IS EXTRAORDINARY BECAUSE WE HAVE CAMPAIGNS IN WHICH PARTICIPANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO DRAW A SHARP DISTINCTION BETWEEN THEM AND THEIR OPPONENTS, IN SOME CASES TO VILIFY THEM AND YOU KNOW MISREPRESENT THEIR POSITIONS.

AND THEN WE GET INTO A LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND WE EXPECT THE SAME LEGISLATORS WHO HAVE JUST BEEN ENGAGED IN THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR TO COMPROMISE AND WORK TOGETHER, IT IS A CONTRADICTION AND SO I AM ALWAYS A BELIEVER THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE OUR STYLE OF ELECTIONS AND WE NEED TO SORT OF DIFFUSE SOME OF THE VENOM THAT EXISTS IN OUR ELECTORAL PROCESS AND THERE ARE WAYS TO DO THAT WITH RANK-CHOICE, VOTING.

STRUCTURAL CHANGES WITH PUBLIC FINANCES SO THAT THERE IS LESS DEPENDENCE ON DARK MONEY AND SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS WHO FEEL MUCH FREER TO NATIONALIZE AN ELECTION ISSUE, TO INTRODUCE WEDGE ISSUES AND SO ON.

AND ONCE WE KIND OF REFORM OUR CAMPAIGNS THEN MAYBE WE CAN HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE A LITTLE MORE CONVIVIALITY WITHIN OUR GOVERNING BODIES.

SO THAT WOULD BE ONE THING I WOULD SAY TO TAME THE PARTISAN BEAST.

BULLYING IS, OF COURSE, AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER, IT IS NOT REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT OR MALE OR FEMALE, BUT IT IS BRED OF THE SYSTEM WHERE YOU HAVE TO WIN, YOU HAVE TO WIN.

REMEMBER, THESE ARE TYPE-A PERSONALITIES THAT ARE UP HERE IN OUR LEGISLATURE, IT IS SORT OF A SELF-SELECTING GROUP, BUT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO BE A BULLY, YOU DON'T NEED TO WIN EVERY TIME IN ORDER TO BE A PUBLIC SERVANT, BECAUSE WE NEED TO REMEMBER AS LEGISLATORS, THE FIRST JOB IS TO BE A PUBLIC SERVANT AND TO HELP YOUR CONSTITUENTS TO REPRESENT YOUR CONSTITUENTS, THIS IS A NONPARTISAN THING.

>>LORENE: WELL, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE ON THAT NOTE, BUT I JUST WANT TO CALL OUT TO OUR AUDIENCE IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE INTRICATE BEHIND THE SCENES WORKINGS OF THE NEW MEXICO SENATE, I RECOMMEND DEDE FELDMAN'S BOOK, INSIDE THE NEW MEXICO SENATE: BOOT, SUITS AND CITIZENS .

I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR NEW BOOK, TEN MORE DOORS , BUT I AM REALLY GRATEFUL TO YOU TO BRING YOUR EXPERIENCE AND PERSPECTIVE AND WISDOM TO LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED THIS LAST SESSION AND I HOPE WE MEET AGAIN SOON.

I WANT TO THANK OUR GUEST TODAY, FORMER SENATOR DEDE FELDMAN, THANK YOU.

>>DEDE: THANK YOU, LORENE.

>>LORENE: AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU OUR AUDIENCE FOR BEING WITH US TODAY ON REPORT FROM SANTA FE.

>>ANNOUNCER: REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NEW MEXICO, AN ORGANIZATION OF PROFESSIONALS WHO BELIEVE THAT INVESTING IN PUBLIC EDUCATION IS AN INVESTMENT IN OUR STATE'S ECONOMIC FUTURE, FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM