FUNDING FOR NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS PROVIDED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

Gene: THIS WEEK ON NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS, A CHAOTIC END TO THE REGULAR SESSION AT THE ROUNDHOUSE.

WE'LL BREAK DOWN WHAT PASSED AND WHAT DIDN'T.

PLUS -- Chaffins: ALL YOU CAN DO IS HOPE BUT IT IS STILL A VERY FRIGHTENING SITUATION.

Gene: THE LEGACY OF URANIUM MINING AND CONTAMINATION IN NEW MEXICO FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF AN INDIGENOUS ARTIST.

NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS STARTS NOW.

THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS WEEK.

I AM YOUR HOST, GENE GRANT.

AFTER A MONTH OF WORK AT THE CAPITOL, THE REGULAR SESSION HAS COME TO AN END.

IT WAS A FRANTIC END, INCLUDING AN ALL-NIGHTER FOR THE HOUSE, AND ONE THAT RESULTED IN MANY OF THE GOVERNOR'S TOP PRIORITY ISSUES MAKING IT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.

NOW, WE ARE DEDICATING MUCH OF TODAY'S SHOW TO DISSECTING WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GOVERNOR'S KEY ITEMS.

LIKE THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT, HYDROGEN HUB DEVELOPMENT ACT AND PRE-TRIAL DETENTION.

THAT IS ALONG WITH SOME OF THE SUCCESSES OF THE SESSION, INCLUDING A HISTORIC BUDGET WITH PAY RAISES FOR TEACHERS AND OTHER PUBLIC EMPLOYEES.

WE'LL ALSO HEAR FROM CORRESPONDENT ANTONIA GONZALES LATER IN THE SHOW AS SHE EXPLORES THE DIFFICULT HISTORY OF INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS IN NEW MEXICO.

THAT IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HOUR.

BUT WE START WITH THE LINE OPINION PANEL AND THOSE DEVELOPMENTS IN SANTA FE.

WELCOME TO THE LINE PANELISTS THIS WEEK.

FIRST HELLO TO LAS CRUCES SUN NEWS REPORTER, ALGERNON D'AMMASSA.

YOU JOINED US AT THE START OF THE SESSION AS WELL.

WE WELCOME BACK TRIP JENNINGS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT NEW MEXICO IN DEPTH.

IT HAS BEEN A LITTLE BIT, TRIP.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

WELCOME BACK.

AND HELLO TO ANOTHER LONG LOST FACE, JULIA GOLDBERG OF THE SANTA FE REPORTER.

IT HAS BEEN A WHILE BUT GLAD TO HAVE YOU BACK.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, ROLLING WITH ALL OF THIS LAST MINUTE NEWS FROM THE CAPITOL.

WE START OFF BY TALKING ABOUT WHAT LAWMAKERS HAVE PASSED IN THE SESSION.

IT TOOK SOME PROCEDURAL WRANGLING IN BOTH CHAMBERS BUT THE GOVERNOR CAN CLAIM SEVERAL VICTORIES IN THE 30-DAY SESSION.

SOME OF HER OTHER TOP PRIORITIES WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL A FUTURE YEAR.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT ALL THAT IN A LITTLE OVER 20 MINUTES.

FOR NOW, LET'S FOCUS ON WHAT MADE IT TO MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM'S DESK.

THE BIGGEST HEADLINE BEING A NEARLY EIGHT-AND-A-HALF BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, DESPITE OTHER FAILURES, WASN'T THIS THE MAIN PRIORITY, TRIP, OF THE WHOLE THING.

GOT TO GET THE BUDGET PASSED.

WAS THERE SUPPOSED TO BE A BIGGER FIGHT ABOUT THIS, IN YOUR MIND.

Trip: NO.

SOME OF THE FIGHTS WERE -- OBVIOUSLY THIS IS THE BIGGEST BILL THEY HAVE TO PASS EVERY 30-DAY SESSION, BUT THE FIGHTS WERE IN SOME OF THE LANGUAGE, YOU KNOW, AROUND TRYING TO SNEAK HYDROGEN HUB ACT STUFF INTO THE BILL AND THAT WAS TAKEN AT THE LAST MINUTE.

THERE WERE LITTLE KIND OF LIKE WRANGLING IN THE BACK ROOM OVER THIS.

I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A HUGE FIGHT BECAUSE THEY PUT A LOT OF MONEY INTO RESERVES AND THEY HAD SO MUCH MONEY THIS YEAR THAT I THINK I DIDN'T SEE A REALLY HUGE FIGHT.

MAYBE PANELISTS WOULD DISAGREE.

Gene: JULIA, IT IS A BIG INCREASE FROM ANY BUDGET WE EVER HAD BUT ONE OF THE BIG TALKING POINTS IN THE BUDGET IS MORE MONEY FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES LIKE TEACHERS.

HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT FOR DEMOCRATS TO GET THIS PASSED BOTH FOR THE PEOPLE IT IMPACTS, CERTAINLY, BUT ALSO HEADING INTO MIDTERMS.

Julia: CERTAINLY I THINK THE LAST THING THEY WANTED WAS TO COME OUT OF THE SESSION LOOKING LIKE THEY COULDN'T GET ANYTHING DONE EVEN WHEN THEY ARE FLUSH WITH MONEY.

IF YOU CAN'T DO IT THEN, THEN WHEN CAN YOU DO IT?

THEN THE TEACHER VACANCY CRISIS I THINK GETTING THAT THROUGH WAS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR THE GOVERNOR TO BE ABLE TO SAY WAS ACCOMPLISHED.

I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE -- HOW THE ACTUAL BUDGET RECOMMENDATION FOR THE STATE EQUALIZATION GUARANTEE BECAUSE THERE SEEMED TO BE DIFFERENT NUMBERS ABOUT WHAT IS GOING TO COST TO IMPLEMENT THOSE RAISES, BUT I AM SURE THEY'LL FIGURE IT OUT AT SOME POINT.

Gene: INTERESTING POINT, AT SOME POINT.

ALGERNON, THE REVISED BUDGET PLAN INCLUDED 55 MILLION FOR BONUSES INTENDED TO HELP RECRUIT AND RETAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND INTERESTINGLY THAT IS A LOT HIGHER THAN THE 13 MILLION ORIGINALLY PROPOSED BY THE GOVERNOR.

WAS THAT INCREASE A MAKEUP OF SORTS AS IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THE OTHER ANTI-CRIME LEGISLATION WASN'T GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH?

Algernon: WELL, WE CAN'T FORGET THAT IT IS AN ELECTION YEAR AND CRIME HAS BEEN VERY MUCH PART OF THE AGENDA AS WELL AS TRYING TO SIGNAL STRONG SUPPORT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHO HAVE, IN SOME WAYS, BEEN CRYING FOUL AND CRYING FOR HELP FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW.

AND SO THAT INVESTMENT SEEMS VERY IMPORTANT AND I ALSO THINK ALONG SIDE THE BUDGET BILL, SOMETHING THAT HASN'T GOTTEN AS MUCH FANFARE BECAUSE OF ALL THE OTHER SORT OF BIG HEADLINES THAT HAVE COME OUT OF IT, IS THAT WE HAVE GOT A LARGER THAN USUAL CAPITAL OUTLAY THIS YEAR.

A LOT OF PROJECTS AND A LOT OF MONEY MOVED AROUND ESPECIALLY ONE THING TO NOTICE IS THAT A LOT OF MONEY THAT HAD BEEN DEVOTED TO PUBLIC SCHOOL OUTLAYS GOT TRANSFERRED TO THE MAINTENANCE FUND SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY CLEAN AND REPAIR AND MAINTAIN SOME OF THE BUILDINGS THAT WE RECENTLY BUILT AND THAT IS ANOTHER BIG INVESTMENT THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE SEEING.

I DIDN'T WANT TO JUST RUN AWAY FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT BUT BESIDES THE BUDGET BILL THAT WAS ALSO AN ACTUAL INCREASED INVESTMENT WE SAW OUT OF THIS SESSION.

Gene: TRIP, CAPPING INTEREST RATES ON STORE FRONT LOANS AT 36% WAS ANYTHING BUT A SLAM DUNK, BUT LAWMAKERS ENDED UP PASSING THAT LEGISLATION AFTER YEARS AND YEARS OF TRYING.

WERE YOU SURPRISED THAT IT GOT DONE THIS YEAR IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS OTHER STUFF?

Trip: YESTERDAY MY JAW WAS LIKE DROPPED WHEN I SAW THAT BECAUSE, AS I WAS TELLING YOU BEFORE, WHEN WE STARTED THIS, I REMEMBER WRITING ABOUT THIS IN 2007 AND, YOU KNOW, THINK NEW MEXICO POSTED ON TWITTER THAT THIS HAS BEEN AROUND FOR AT LEAST SINCE 1999 AND NEVER GOTTEN THROUGH.

THE LOBBY FOR THE INDUSTRY HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY POWERFUL.

SO, I SAW IT AS PART OF THE, YOU KNOW, MOVING THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE IT IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER YEAR WHERE IT MIGHT MAKE IT CLOSE BUT IS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH AND WHEN THEY PASSED IT, THAT IS A HUGE SURPRISE.

Gene: JULIA GOLDBERG, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE COMPROMISE TO MOVE THE IMPLEMENTATION BACK A YEAR?

Julia: I THINK IT IS JUST THAT.

IT IS A COMPROMISE.

I MEAN, I THINK THE GOVERNOR CHOOSING TO MAKE THIS ONE OF HER AGENDA ITEMS HELPED MOVE THE NEEDLE ON THIS LONGSTANDING PROBLEM AND YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, TOO, THINK NEW MEXICO, WHICH WAS SUCH A FORCE BEHIND IT, THIS IS A PIECE OF A LARGER FRAMEWORK THAT HAS TO DO WITH RETIREMENT SECURITY IN NEW MEXICO.

WHEN I SPOKE WITH CRAIG MASON TWO YEARS AGO ON THIS, HE TOLD ME THAT 62% OF NEW MEXICANS DON'T HAVE ANYTHING SAVED FOR RETIREMENT AT ALL.

80% HAS $10,000 OR LESS.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE, I THINK PUSHING IT BACK FOR A YEAR DOESN'T MAKE THAT -- IT IS NOT THAT IMPACTFUL BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ONE PIECE OF TRYING TO LOOK AT A MUCH LARGER PROBLEM.

SO THIS IS A BIG VICTORY BUT I THINK IT IS SORT OF THE BEGINNING OF ADDRESSING A REALLY SYSTEMIC ISSUE.

Gene: YOU MENTIONED, I APPRECIATE YOU MENTIONING THIS, BECAUSE IT FITS IN WITH THE GOVERNOR ALSO GETTING HER WISH ELIMINATING THE TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY BUT ALSO AGAIN, SHE DID PUSH IT THROUGH THE GROSS RECEIPTS TAX CUT AS WELL.

DO THOSE ADD, JULIA, TO THE UNDERSTANDING THAT SHE REALLY GOT SOMETHING OF SUBSTANCE HERE IN THIS PACKAGE?

Julia: YEAH.

I MEAN, TAX REFORM ISN'T PROBABLY THE SEXIEST ISSUE DURING AN ELECTION YEAR WHEN YOU START GETTING INTO THE WEEDS OF IT AND CERTAINLY I THINK MORE THAN ONE LAWMAKER POINTED OUT THAT THIS WAS A KIND OF CONFUSING WAY TO DEAL WITH TAX POLICY, SORT OF PIECEMEAL, BUT BOTH THE PREDATORY LENDING PIECE AND THE SOCIAL SECURITY, THOSE ARE NOT BRAND NEW PROBLEMS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN STUDIED.

THE ANALYSIS WASN'T NEW.

THEY KNEW THESE WERE THE RIGHT PIECES.

CERTAINLY, I THINK SENIORS WHO VOTE, IT IS GOING TO BE A WELCOME DECISION.

Gene: WE GOT A NEW CHILD TAX CREDIT IN THERE, TOO.

AGAIN, WHEN YOU START TO LOOK AT THIS CLOSER, DOES THE PACKAGE LOOK A LITTLE BIT BETTER ON CLOSER INSPECTION?

Algernon: WELL, WE ARE GOING TO SEE.

TAX POLICY IS COMPLICATED.

AND IT INVOLVES IN THINGS LIKE A CHILD TAX CREDIT AND SOME OF THESE OTHER TAX INCENTIVES AND CREDITS THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED THIS SESSION, WE ARE REALLY GOING TO SEE.

WE ARE BASING IT ON PROJECTIONS OF WHAT THE STIMULUS VALUE WILL BE, HOW MUCH SPENDING MONEY, DISCRETIONARY MONEY WE ARE MOVING INTO PEOPLES' HANDS AND WHETHER THAT IS GOING INTO SAVINGS ACCOUNTS OR INTO THE ECONOMY.

IT IS INTERESTING AND I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY BE TALKING ABOUT IT QUITE A BIT.

THIS WAS A 30-DAY SESSION WHICH IN EVEN NUMBERED YEARS ARE THE SESSIONS THAT ARE SUPPOSEDLY DEVOTED TO BUDGETARY AND FINANCIAL POLICY, BUT TAX POLICY IS COMPLICATED AND TRYING TO JAM THAT AS WELL AS ALL OF THE HUNDREDS OF OTHERS PIECES OF LEGISLATION INTO A 30-DAY SESSION, I THINK IT IS HARD TO DO TAX POLICY REALLY WELL, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE THESE BILLS COMING LATE IN THE SESSION, WHEN THE NIGHTS GO LONGER AND LAWMAKERS ARE TRYING TO WORK THIS OUT ON SLEEP DEPRIVATION.

SO, WE'LL SEE.

I POURED THROUGH THE FISCAL ANALYSES OF THESE TAX CREDITS AND I AM NOT CONVINCED THAT THE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO ALIGN THE WAY THEY THINK IT DOES BECAUSE IT IS SO HARD TO PREDICT CONSUMER BEHAVIOR.

Gene: EXCELLENT POINT THERE.

TRIP, WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO CRIME, THERE IS NO DOUBT.

IT TOOK A REBIRTH OF SORTS FOR A PACKAGE OF BILLS, ADDED ON TO A RELATED BILL AS A 160-PAGE AMENDMENT, AS YOU KNOW.

BUT EARLIER THURSDAY MORNING, VERY EARLY THURSDAY MORNING, A DEAL WAS STRUCK.

INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE IS STRICTER PENALTIES FOR SOME CRIMES, POLICE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION BONUSES, NEW JUDGESHIPS, INCLUDING HERE IN ALBUQUERQUE, CREATION OF A CRIME FOR OPERATING A CHOP SHOP AND EXPANDED ACCESS TO ANKLE MONITORING FOR PRETRIAL DEFENDANTS.

IS THAT ENOUGH WHEN CRITICS SAID THAT THIS LEGISLATURE WERE DRAGGING THEIR HEELS ON CURBING CRIME UNTIL THE LAST SECOND HERE?

Trip: WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CRIME AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT IT WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF ELECTIONS, IT IS REALLY GOING TO DEPEND ON WHERE YOU COME DOWN.

I THINK THERE WILL BE CRITICS, LIKE, THIS IS NOT ENOUGH.

PEOPLE WHO WILL SAY, HEY, THEY GOT IT THROUGH.

SOME OF THIS OTHER STUFF WAS ONEROUS, ON ONE END AND OTHER PEOPLE SAY IT IS NOT ENOUGH.

THE GOVERNOR REALLY WANTED -- WANTED TO SHOW THAT SHE WAS TAKING CRIME SERIOUSLY BECAUSE IT IS BAD AND HAS BEEN A MAJOR ISSUE.

I THINK THAT HONESTLY IT IS LIKE TAX POLICY SOMETIMES IN ELECTIONS.

YOU DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW IT IS GOING TO BE RECEIVED AS IT GOES TO THE ELECTION YEAR, BUT I DO THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE WHERE SHE SAYS, IN ADS, I DID THIS, I DID THIS.

I ALSO DID RAISE TEACHERS' SALARIES.

IT IS GOING TO BE ABOUT MARKETING, SO IN SOME WAYS THIS IS ABOUT GETTING -- SHE HAS SOMETHING SHE CAN HANG HER HAT ON FOR REELECTION, FRANKLY.

Gene: JULIA, PICK UP ON THAT, IF YOU WOULD.

THIS IDEA THAT CRIME BILL HAS SO MUCH STUFF IN THE AIR GOING IN AND THEN COMING OUT ON THE BACK END OF THE 30 DAYS, AGAIN, IS IT ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO FEEL LIKE SOMETHING GOOD HAS HAPPENED HERE THAT MAKES PEOPLE FEEL SAFER, FRANKLY?

Julia: JUST TO REINFORCE WHAT TRIP WAS SAYING, JUST POINTED OUT, THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION JUST UNVEILED THIS SIX FIGURE AD CAMPAIGN SOLELY BASED ON THE GOVERNOR NOT BEING TOUGH ENOUGH ON CRIME, SO THIS GIVES HER SOMETHING.

DETAILS OF THIS BILL, I FIND VERY -- I DON'T KNOW HOW ANYONE COULD LOOK AT THIS AND ACTUALLY FEEL LIKE THIS IS HELPFUL TO ANYBODY.

ELECTRONIC MONITORING.

THERE IS ONLY ELECTRONIC MONITORING, CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG, SOMEONE, I THINK IT WORKS IN THE SECOND, FOURTH, SAN JUAN AND SANDOVAL.

THE BILL DOESN'T REQUIRE IT BE INCREASED ANYWHERE ELSE.

IT DOESN'T REALLY REQUIRE ANYTHING.

IT CREATES A GRANT PROGRAM FOR PRETRIAL SERVICES.

IT DIDN'T SAY WHEN THAT SHOULD HAPPEN OR EXACTLY SAY WHO IS PAYING FOR IT.

IT IS SORT OF, IN GENERAL, EVEN THE ANALYSIS FROM THE LEGISLATURE SAYS, YOU KNOW, THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH CRIME IS HAVE MORE TREATMENT, HAVE THIS OVERALL APPROACH, YOU KNOW.

THIS TO ME, THEY CHIPPED AWAY A COUPLE THINGS BUT I DON'T ACTUALLY SEE HOW THIS WAS PARTICULARLY HELPFUL.

SOME OF THE HIGHER PROFILE DETAILS STRIKE ME AS JUST THAT, HIGH PROFILE AND NOT NECESSARILY SUBSTANTIVE.

Gene: GOOD POINT THERE.

Algernon: EVEN DURING THE COMMITTEE PROCESS, THE SENATE JUDICIARY CHAIRMAN, SENATOR CERVANTES FROM DOWN HERE IN LAS CRUCES, I MEAN, HE SUGGESTED HIMSELF THAT SENTENCE ENHANCEMENT, WHICH GOT A LOT OF PLAY IN THIS PACKAGE, HE SUGGESTED THAT SENTENCE ENHANCEMENTS DON'T REALLY HAVE MUCH DETERRENT VALUE AND ARE KIND OF A FEEL GOOD MEASURE.

THEY ALLOW LAWMAKERS TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE DONE SOMETHING WITHOUT ACTUALLY ADDRESSING THE ISSUE.

SENATOR CERVANTES IS CANDID ABOUT THESE THINGS AND HE SAID AT ONE POINT, THIS IS A NEAR QUOTE, HE SAID, I KNOW THIS IS AN ELECTION YEAR AND WE DO THINGS.

Trip: MAY I SAY, ALGERNON, WE ARE ALL TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING, BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS IN ELECTION YEARS OR EVEN OUT TWO YEARS, YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HOW THIS PLAYS IN THE ELECTION.

THAT IS KIND OF HOW THIS THING PROBABLY WAS PUT TOGETHER.

THAT IS PART OF IT, THE ANALYSIS BY FOLKS IS HOW DOES THIS PLAY IN JUNE AND NOVEMBER.

Gene: GOOD POINT THERE.

I WANT TO GET SOME FINAL THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT LAWMAKERS WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH DURING THIS REGULAR SESSION DURING THIS 30TH.

LET ME START WITH YOU, ALGERNON, ON THAT.

AGAIN, THIS IS OPINION BASED, TOUGH TO DO WITH REPORTERS, BUT OUT OF WHAT PASSED, SHOULD WE BE HAPPY WITH THE SESSION IN ITS TOTAL, ITS TOTALITY?

Algernon: I DON'T WANT TO ANNOY YOU, GENE, BUT I AM ACTUALLY GOING TO BRIDGE OUR SEGMENTS HERE AND I AM ACTUALLY GOING TO TALK ABOUT ALTHOUGH SOME THINGS DID NOT MAKE IT TO THE FINISH LINE, I THINK THAT LAWMAKERS AND ADVOCATES WERE ABLE TO REALLY ADVANCE SOME CONVERSATIONS THAT WILL RETURN.

I THINK THERE YOU'RE FEELING THE SHADOW OF THE ELECTION BILL AND SOME OF THE VOTING RIGHTS PROVISIONS AS WELL AS ELECTION SECURITY PROVISIONS THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT IN THE CLOSING MINUTES OF THE SESSION.

BUT, I THINK THAT IS COMING BACK AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THAT FAILURE, THERE IS GOING TO BE A LOT OF ENERGY AND PASSION AND PERHAPS SOME ORGANIZING AT THE STREET LEVEL TO TRY TO PUSH THAT THROUGH IN A FUTURE SESSION.

I DON'T MEAN, THAT IS NOT THE ONLY EXAMPLE, BUT I THINK THAT MIGHT BE THE LOUDEST EXAMPLE OF THAT.

SOMETIMES EVEN IF THE BILL DOESN'T MAKE IT TO THE GOVERNOR'S DESK, THE DEBATE AND THE POLITICS ACTUALLY DOES HAVE A POSITIVE WAY OF MOVING THE BALL FORWARD.

Gene: THAT IS A GOOD WAY TO PUT IT, ALGERNON.

JULIA, YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.

SHOULD WE CONSIDER THIS SESSION A SUCCESS FOR NEW MEXICO?

Julia: I THINK THE BILL UTILIZING FENTANYL STRIPS FOR DRUG CHECKING IS A REALLY IMPORTANT BILL AND I GUESS UNLIKE OTHER REPORTERS, I AM HAPPY TO HAVE AN OPINION.

I WAS PLEASED TO SEE THAT IT PASSED AND EASILY.

THAT HASN'T BEEN THE CASE IN OTHER STATES.

IT WAS SIMILAR KIND OF AMENDMENT TO HARM REDUCTION ACT IN PENNSYLVANIA FAILED.

OTHER STATES THEY ARE PUTTING IT OFF BECAUSE THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW IT WILL BE PERCEIVED BUT THERE IS JUST GROWING RESEARCH THAT THIS IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT DETERRENT AND A KIND OF MODERNIZED DETERRENT MOVING AWAY FROM SPEAKING OF THE DRUG PROBLEM AS BEING ONE THAT IS ENTIRELY AROUND INJECTABLE?

OR INJECTION.

SO, I WAS PLEASED TO SEE IT DIDN'T GET MIRED DOWN IN KIND OF A MORALISTIC FIGHT ABOUT DRUG USE BECAUSE I THINK, A LOT OF -- IT CONNECTS TO THE PROBLEMS OF VIOLENCE.

IT CONNECTS TO THE PROBLEMS WITH UNHOUSED PEOPLE.

THE OPIATE AND FENTANYL ISSUE SPREADS ALL ACROSS NEW MEXICO'S ISSUES, SO I THINK IT -- IT PROBABLY WON'T AFFECT EVERYDAY LIFE FOR YOU AND ME, BUT I THINK IT WAS AN IMPORTANT BILL.

Gene: I DON'T THINK FOLKS WOULD ARGUE THAT.

TRIP, YOUR THOUGHTS.

A SUCCESS, THIS 30?

Trip: I HAVE THREE.

ONE, IN THE LARGER EDUCATION K THROUGH 12 EDUCATION DEBATE THERE WAS A LOT OF BACK ROOM DEALING WITH NEW MEXICO'S 23 TRIBES HAVING MORE CONTROL OVER EDUCATING THEIR OWN CHILDREN AND ACTUALLY THEY GOT A LOT MORE MONEY IN THE INDIAN EDUCATION FUND THIS YEAR THAN THEY EVER HAVE.

THAT WAS A BIG WIN FOR ADVOCATES FROM THE TRIBAL COMMUNITIES.

ANOTHER ONE IS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WASN'T PAID ATTENTION TO GREATLY, BUT THERE IS A URANIUM CLEAN-UP BILL THAT PASSED TODAY WHICH IS A BIG DEAL UP AROUND THE TRIBAL AREAS IN THE NORTHWEST.

HUGE.

IT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES.

AND I SAID THREE AND IT JUST DROPPED OUT OF MY HEAD.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE THIRD ONE WAS.

MAYBE IT WILL COME BACK.

Gene: THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT DISCUSSION.

WE'LL CHECK BACK WITH YOU IN LESS THAN 15.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE LEGISLATION THAT DIDN'T PASS AND WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

BUT UP NEXT, ENVIRONMENT CORRESPONDENT LAURA PASKUS EXPLORES THE LEGACY OF URANIUM MINING IN OUR STATE, JUST MENTIONED, AND TALKS TO AN INDIGENOUS ARTIST WHO IS ALL TOO FAMILIAR WITH THE PAIN AND LOSS IT CAUSED THOSE WHO LIVED NEARBY THOSE MINES.

HERE IS LAURA WITH DE HAVEN SOLIMON CHAFFINS, DISCUSSING HER RADON DAUGHTER ON DISPLAY FOR ANOTHER WEEK AT THE INDIAN PUEBLO CULTURAL CENTER.

Laura: HI DE HAVEN; THANKS FOR BEING WITH ME HERE TODAY.

Chaffins: HELLO, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.

I APPRECIATE IT.

Laura: I AM EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT YOUR EXHIBIT RADON DAUGHTER THAT IS AT THE INDIAN PUEBLO CULTURAL CENTER RIGHT NOW.

I WANTED TO START WITH A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU.

Chaffins: OKAY.

WELL, I AM ORIGINALLY BORN -- WAS ORIGINALLY BORN IN PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA.

MY DAD WAS STATIONED OUT THERE IN THE MARINE CORPS.

THAT IS WHERE I WAS BORN AND THEN WE GRADUALLY MOVED BACK TO CALIFORNIA AGAIN.

THAT IS WHERE MY DAD WAS STATIONED IN CAMP PENDLETON BUT THEN PERIODICALLY WE WOULD GO BACK TO LAGUNA PUEBLO AND STAY WITH MY FAMILY OUT THERE, MY GRANDPARENTS AND MY UNCLE.

SO, I REALLY ENJOYED THAT PART BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU GET TO SEE THE DIFFERENT, I GUESS, ASPECTS OF HOW LIVING LIKE CULTURALLY AND THEN LIVING OFF AND ON THE RESERVATION, I GUESS, IT WOULD BE.

SO I REALLY ENJOYED IT BUT I ENJOYED BEING ON THE PUEBLO MORE SO BECAUSE I GOT TO SPEND TIME WITH MY, LIKE I SAID, MY GRANDPARENTS AND RELATIVES.

Laura: CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE LANDSCAPE AT PUEBLO LAGUNA MAYBE FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE LIKE WHAT THAT LANDSCAPE ESPECIALLY LOOKED LIKE TO YOU WHEN YOU WERE A KID OR GROWING UP.

Chaffins: WHAT I REMEMBER AND WHAT I SAW WAS JUST MESAS EVERYWHERE.

THEY LIVED IN THE VILLAGE OF PAGUATE LOCATED RIGHT IN LAGUNA PUEBLO AND WHAT I SAW WAS JUST VARIOUS SHAPES OF MESAS AND CEDAR TREES AND JUST REALLY PRETTY BUT WHEN I LOOKED MAYBE TO THE SOUTH, I SAW THE URANIUM MINE, WHICH I THOUGHT AT THE TIME, WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I THOUGHT IT WAS MORE OR LESS RESEMBLED A BIG ANT PILE, HOW IT JUST TIERED INTO ONE BIG GIANT THING.

AT THAT TIME, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS.

LATER ON CONSIDERED ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST OPEN PIT URANIUM MINES AND IT WAS LESS THAN 1000 FEET AWAY FROM WHERE MY GRANDPARENTS LIVED.

Laura: CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO HAVE THE MINE SO CLOSE?

Chaffins: IT FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW, JUST A MAN-MADE ANT HILL BASICALLY, A MAN-MADE ANT HILL OUT THERE BUT WHEN THE SIRENS WOULD GO OFF, THAT MEANT LIKE EVERYBODY WOULD CLOSE THEIR DOORS AND, YOU KNOW, SHUT EVERYTHING UP, BECAUSE DEPENDING ON HOW THE WIND WAS BLOWING, THE WIND WOULD COME FROM THE MINE AND, OF COURSE, ALL THE LITTLE PARTICULARS AND EVERYTHING WOULD FLOAT TOWARDS THE PUEBLO.

AND SO THAT IS BASICALLY HOW I JUST SAW EVERYTHING AND THEN WHEN THE CLOUD BLEW, THE DUST WOULD RISE UP AND IT JUST SEEMED TO ME LIKE A DRAGON, YOU KNOW, TURNING OVER IN HIS SLEEP AND LIKE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WHY AM I BEING WAKEN UP AND THE PLUMES COME UP JUST LIKE HOW THE DRAGONS WOULD HAVE THE FUMES COME UP.

SO IT WAS LIKE THAT.

IT WAS JUST KIND OF ALMOST A FAIRYTALE IN A SENSE BUT THEN ALSO THE REALITY OF LATER ON I WOULD KNOW THE REALITY OF WHAT IT REALLY WAS.

Laura: I WAS READING ABOUT THE MINE OPERATED FROM THE 1960'S TO THE 1980'S AND SO IT HAS BEEN CLOSED NOW FOR 40 YEARS BUT STILL HASN'T BEEN CLEANED UP.

CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE OTHER -- LIKE THE IMPACTS THAT THE MINE HAS HAD ON THE COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE'S HEALTH?

Chaffins: THE IMPACTS HAVE BEEN PROBABLY CANCER, THE MAIN ONE, AND A LOT OF ILLNESSES THAT MAYBE WE NEVER REALLY SAW OR THE PEOPLE NEVER SAW.

THAT WAS REALLY KIND OF JUST TRAUMATIZING.

JUST TAKING, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING, THE TREES DIEING, EVERYTHING BEING MONITORED, YOU KNOW, NOW, LIKE WITH THE EPA.

SO, IT BECAME VERY SCARY.

YOU KNOW.

LIKE I SAID, WHEN YOU ARE SMALL YOU DON'T REALLY SEE THOSE THINGS UNTIL YOU ARE OLDER AND I JUST REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE PASSING AWAY, YOU KNOW, INCLUDING FROM MY OWN FAMILY FROM THINGS WE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF.

IT WAS REALLY SAD AND STRANGE AT THE SAME TIME.

Laura: THROUGH YOUR PIECES THAT ARE ON EXHIBIT, WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AT THAT EXHIBIT, RADON DAUGHTER, AS A WHOLE, WHAT DO YOU HOPE THAT THEY TAKE AWAY FROM THAT?

Chaffins: I HOPE THEY TAKE AWAY, I GUESS, MAYBE IN A SENSE, IT IS A WARNING.

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IT IS A WARNING BECAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE THAT CONTACTED OTHER AREAS TO SEE IF THEY WERE INTERESTED IN DRILLING, AGAIN, SO I THINK THERE WERE BORE HOLES AND IT WAS LIKE, NO, WE ALREADY WENT THROUGH THAT PREVIOUSLY.

A LOT OF PEOPLE PASSED AWAY.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE DEALING WITH CANCER, CHILDREN WITH VARIOUS ILLNESSES, SO IT IS NOT -- I DON'T THINK IT IS A REALLY GOOD THING.

Laura: THIS PIECE IS CALLED RADON DAUGHTER, IS THAT RIGHT?

Chaffins: RIGHT.

Laura: CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS PIECE AND WHO IS HERE AND WHERE?

Chaffins: THIS IS ALL THE PIECES THAT I HAVE ARE REFLECTED AROUND THE LANDSCAPE, THE LANDSCAPE OF PAGUATE BECAUSE OF THE MAN-MADE MESAS.

SOME ARE THERE, YOU KNOW, JUST BY NATURE BUT SOME HAVE BEEN BUILT BECAUSE OF THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE LANDSCAPE.

BUT THIS ONE I HAD MY DAUGHTER IN THERE AND HOW SHE WAS LOOKING OUT OVER THE LANDSCAPE AND HOW WE HAVE THE CLOUDS, THE BLUE CLOUDS IN THE BACKGROUND COMING DOWN AND WITH THE RAIN AND THEN IT KIND OF DISSIPATES INTO, YOU KNOW, THE URANIUM COMING UP, THE YELLOW CAKE THAT IS THE PUREST FORM OF URANIUM.

YOU SEE THEM COLLIDE IN THE MIDDLE.

MY DAUGHTER I DID AN ABSTRACT IMAGE OF HER WITH THE RAIN COMING DOWN ON ONE SIDE.

SO, THAT IS LIKE SHE IS LOOKING OVER INTO THE LANDSCAPE, OR A PART OF THE LANDSCAPE ACTUALLY, SO THAT IS WHAT SHE IS DOING IN THIS PAINTING.

Laura: HUMMINGBIRDS MAKE A FREQUENT APPEARANCE IN YOUR PAINTINGS.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE HUMMINGBIRDS?

Chaffins: THE HUMMINGBIRD IN MOST CULTURES IS PERCEIVED AS A GOOD OMEN.

IT BRINGS A LOT OF MESSAGES OF HOPE AND HAPPINESS.

THAT IS WHAT I HAVE READ AND, OF COURSE, I UNDERSTAND BUT THIS ONE IS ON A PERSONAL LEVEL.

THIS WAS -- I THINK, HUMMINGBIRDS CAME INTO MY LIFE SOON AFTER THE PASSING OF MY TWO-YEAR OLD SON AND IT WAS AWFUL.

I MEAN, THE WHOLE ASPECT OF IT.

HE HAD BEEN FIGHTING A HORRIBLE ILLNESS AND LATER ON LIKE AT TWO YEARS OLD JUST SUCCUMBED TO IT.

AND MY MOM HAD TOLD ME THAT SHE, MAYBE TWO WEEKS OR MAYBE A COUPLE DAYS AFTER HE HAD PASSED AWAY, THAT THERE WAS A LITTLE TINY BIRD AT THE WINDOW AND HE WAS CLAWED ON AND SIGNING A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE SONG.

AND MY MOM TOLD ME, SHE SAID, I CALLED ALL YOUR FAMILY, THE REST OF THE FAMILY IN, AND THAT BIRD, FOR SOME REASON, JUST STAYED THERE AND HE KEPT SINGING AND SINGING.

SO MY MOM, IN OUR LANGUAGE, SHE SPOKE TO THE LITTLE BIRD AND SHE SAID THAT IT WAS LIKE AS IF THE BIRD WAS TELLING HER, TELL MY MOM AND MY SISTER, I AM OKAY.

SHE JUST BELIEVED IT WAS MY LITTLE BOY, SKY.

AND EVERYBODY CAME IN AND THEY LISTENED TO THAT LITTLE BIRD BEFORE HE DECIDED TO GO AND EVERYBODY IS IN TEARS AND JUST FELT LIKE, MAN, HOW AMAZING AND HOW BLESSED AND FORTUNATE THAT WE KNOW THAT HE IS OKAY.

SO FROM THEN ON THE HUMMINGBIRD JUST PLAYED INTO A MAJORITY OF MY WORK.

I JUST FELT LIKE HOW STRONG OF A PRESENCE HE IS.

SO WITH THIS IMAGE HERE IT IS, YOU FIND YOU KNOW WHAT THE URANIUM AND MINING GOING ON, THE HUMMINGBIRD KIND OF LIKE ALMOST BREAKS APART, BUT YET AGAIN, HE IS COMING TOGETHER BECAUSE OF THE RAIN.

THE RAIN SYMBOLISM ALWAYS RAINS LIKE HE IS WASHING AWAY ALL THE SADNESS AND HE WANTS EVERYTHING TO COME BACK TOGETHER WITH THE TERMS OF REVERSE, YOU KNOW, THE LANDSCAPE, ANIMALS, VEGETABLES, TREES, OTHER PLANT LIFE, THAT EVERYTHING COME BACK TOGETHER AND IS HEALED.

SO, I ALWAYS THINK OF THE HUMMINGBIRD IN THIS IMAGE, HE IS COMING BACK TOGETHER.

YOU KNOW.

HE IS GOING TO BE FORMED AS ONE AND GO DELIVER HIS MESSAGES OF HOPE AND WHATNOT.

THIS IS ANOTHER FAVORITE OF MINE.

Laura: THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR ART WITH EVERYONE AND THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR TIME WITH ME TODAY.

Chaffins: THANK YOU.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT TOO.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

Jojola: IF THESE WERE CHILDREN THAT WERE BURIED FROM THE WHITE POPULATION, THEY WOULD HAVE A MUCH DIFFERENT REACTION THAN THE CHILDREN THAT ARE THERE.

AND LARGELY IT KIND OF IS PROBABLY INVESTED IN JUST SOME OF THE RACISM.

Gene: GOVERNOR MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM HAS A TOUGH DECISION AHEAD AS SHE LOOKS DOWN THE LIST OF LEGISLATION THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT THROUGH THE REGULAR SESSION.

WELCOME BACK TO OUR LINE OPINION PANELISTS TO DIG THROUGH IT ALL AND THE IMPACT THIS WILL HAVE MOVING DEEPER INTO THIS ELECTION YEAR.

LET'S START WITH THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT WHICH RAN OUT OF TIME WHEN FARMINGTON SENATOR BILL SCHERRER FILIBUSTERED THE LAST TWO HOURS OF THE SESSION AND THE HOUSE APPROVED A NEW VERSION OF THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL AS PART OF AN AMENDMENT ON A RELATED BILL, BUT IN THE END IT WASN'T ENOUGH TIME.

COULD SUPPORTERS HAVE DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENT, ALGERNON, TO GET THIS DONE?

WAS THERE SOMETHING IN HINDSIGHT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT HERE?

Algernon: I AM NOT SURE.

AGAIN, NOT TO BE A BROKEN RECORD BUT I THINK ONE THING YOU ARE UP AGAINST IS THE LIMITS OF TIME AND LIMITS OF TIME CAN BE WEAPONIZED BY EITHER OF THE PARTIES, MAJORITY OR THE MINORITY.

SO, THAT IS THE THING.

THAT IS THE WALL THAT ADVOCATES FIND THEMSELVES HAMMERING THEIR HEADS AGAINST OVER AND OVER, SO, I AM NOT REALLY SURE.

THE ONLY THING ALSO IS JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, ON THE THEME OF TIME IS JUST TO REALLY TRY TO GET THE BILLS SOLIDLY WRITTEN BECAUSE SOME OF OUR COMMITTEE CHAIRS DO LIKE TO WORK ON LEGISLATION AND REALLY TRY TO GET INTO THE WEEDS AND THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF IT AND THAT CAN ADD TIME TO THE COMMITTEE PROCESS AND SO IF THERE IS A WAY TO REALLY GET SOME BROOKLYN BRIDGE SIZE BOLTS INTO YOUR LEGISLATION SO THAT IT DOESN'T GET WEIGHED DOWN BY TECHNICALITIES, THAT IS ONE THING, BUT THE POLITICS ARE HARD TO MOVE ON THIS, JUST BECAUSE OF STRUCTURE OF THE PROCESS.

Gene: TRIP, ON THIS VOTING RIGHTS ACT, MAGGIE TOULOUSE OLIVER COMES OUT WITH A VICTORY FOR THE GOVERNOR.

HOW BIG OF A DEAL FOR PROGRESSIVE VOTERS MIGHT THIS BE?

Trip: YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY KIND OF LARGER ISSUE TO ALGERNON'S POINT, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY SMART IN THE INTERIM TO REALLY BUILD A CONSENSUS ON THIS THING AND GET A BILL THAT WOULD HAVE COME OUT IN THE FIRST OR SECOND WEEK AND PUSH IT THROUGH, IF THEY WANTED TO DO THIS.

THEY DID WANT IT.

GENERALLY, EXPANDING ACCESS TO VOTING WHICH IS WHAT THIS BILL WOULD HAVE DONE AT LARGE, GENERALLY HELPS DEMOCRATS.

AND THAT IS WHY REPUBLICANS WERE USING THE PROCEDURAL MOVES, FRANKLY, AND CRAIG BRANDT IN RIO RANCHO USED THAT EFFECTIVELY IN THE SENATE TO BOTTLE UP VOTING RIGHTS LEGISLATION BECAUSE ACCESS TO VOTING HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BIG DEAL BETWEEN THE PARTIES.

AND SO I THINK THAT IN NEW MEXICO THIS IS NOT LIKE ANOTHER STATE WHERE -- I MEAN IT IS GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO WATCH THE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS AND SOME OF THE OTHER ELECTIONS BUT, YOU KNOW, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WILL DEEPLY AFFECT THE ELECTIONS AND HOW THE DEMOCRATS DO VERSUS THE REPUBLICANS, I DON'T KNOW.

BUT IT IS NOT LIKE WE ARE LIVING IN GEORGIA OR KANSAS OR SOME PLACE LIKE THAT.

SO, IT IS VERY INTERESTING.

Gene: WHAT I AM ACTUALLY MEANING, TO BE MORE CLEAR, I MENTIONED IT IS A VICTORY FOR MAGGIE TOULOUSE OLIVER, JUST GETTING IT TO A CERTAIN PLACE, IF NOT OVER THE FINISH LINE, JUST GETTING IT TO A CERTAIN PLACE COULD BE CONSIDERED A VICTORY.

BUT DO YOU EXPECT IT TO COME UP AGAIN IN THE NEXT 60-DAY SESSION?

IS THIS GOING TO BE A BIG PUSH FOR THESE FOLKS WHO REALLY WANT TO SEE THIS HAPPEN?

Julia: I CAN ONLY VIEW THIS BILL IN THE SHADOW OF THE 2020 ELECTION AND WITH THE 2024 ELECTION, I THINK VOTER RIGHTS IS SO POLITICIZED AND IT IS ALMOST A CODE FOR TALKING ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED ON THE NATIONAL STAGE.

I DON'T THINK THIS IS EVER GOING TO GET THROUGH.

IT COULD HAVE SAID NOTHING OTHER THAN WE NEED TO ADJUST THE VOTING MACHINES ON A REGULAR BASIS AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELD UP SIMPLY FOR THE FACT OF IT BEING A VOTER RIGHTS BILLED BEING PROPOSED BY DEMOCRATS IN THIS LARGER CONTEXT.

Gene: IN TERMS OF PRIORITIES FOR THE GOVERNOR, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THIS.

HYDROGEN AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.

VERY NOISY, VERY LOUD.

WE SAW SEVERAL SIMILAR PIECES OF LEGISLATION SURFACE BEFORE BEING STRUCK DOWN, ONE AFTER THE OTHER.

WILL THE GOVERNOR CALL A SPECIAL SITUATION ON THIS?

START WITH ALGERNON.

AND SECOND, WILL THE OUTCOME BE ANY DIFFERENT IN YOUR VIEW?

Algernon: IT IS A FAIR QUESTION.

I MEAN, IT IS THE DAY OF THE -- THE SESSION JUST ENDED AND THERE ARE CALLS TO START A SPECIAL SESSION.

AND THE GOVERNOR DID DO THAT TO GET CANNABIS OVER THE FINISH LINE LAST YEAR.

I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS GOING TO RISE TO A LEVEL.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE ISSUED A STATEMENT THAT DIDN'T SOUND LIKE SHE WAS ANTICIPATING THE GOVERNOR MIGHT DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

WE WILL SEE IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT RISES TO WHERE WE NEED TO GET A SPECIAL SESSION TO GET AT LEAST SOME OF THIS DONE.

MAYBE SOME OF THE PROTECTIONS FOR ELECTION WORKERS.

MAYBE SOME OF THE ELECTION SECURITY CHANGES THAT THEY THINK THAT THEY CAN GET ENOUGH VOTES ON BOARD.

BUT, IT IS GOING TO BE HARD AND AS JULIA SAYS, I THINK THAT THERE IS PROBABLY SORT OF A BAKED-IN RESISTANCE THAT WOULD NOT PREVENT REPUBLICANS FROM USING PROCEDURAL MOVES TO DELAY ITS PROGRESS.

Gene: THIS HYDROGEN ISSUE I HAVE TO STAY WITH THIS THING.

IS IT EXPOSING A RIFT BETWEEN DEMOCRATS HERE?

IT IS AN OVERWHELMINGLY DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY HERE.

IT HAS BEEN A WEDGE ISSUE WITHIN THE PARTY ITSELF AND NOT ONLY -- NOT THE ONLY ONE.

HOW COULD SO MANY BILLS FAIL WITH SUCH AN OVERWHELMINGLY DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY HERE?

Trip: IT DOES EXPOSE THIS RIFT OVER FOLKS WHO WANT CLEANER KIND OF HYDROGEN VERSUS USING THE NATURAL GAS AND HOLDING UP -- NOT HOLDING UP, BUT BENEFITING THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY IN NEW MEXICO.

THERE IS A REAL DEEP CONVERSATION HERE.

TO THE POINT OF A SPECIAL SESSION THAT MIGHT INVOLVE HYDROGEN HUB ACT, THEY HAVEN'T BUILT A CONSENSUS ON THIS.

IN 2021 THEY WERE NOT TALKING ABOUT HYDROGEN.

THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE BUT NOT THE HYDROGEN HUB ACT.

THIS COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND A WAY OF NEW MEXICO TRYING TO GET SOMETHING IN LAW THAT MIGHT COMPETE FOR FEDERAL DOLLARS IS HOW I AM UNDERSTANDING IT, AND IT IS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME FOR THEM TO REALLY WORK WITH A LOT OF CRITICS WHO ARE COMING FROM THE LEFT SIDE ON THIS STUFF.

I MEAN, IT WAS AMAZING HOW MANY FOLKS TURNED OUT TO SAY, THIS IS NOT A GOOD BILL.

WE DO NOT LIKE THIS.

THERE IS A LOT OF BACK ROOM NEGOTIATING AND I DON'T THINK THEY BROUGHT THE CRITICS AROUND, YOU KNOW, THE LEFT OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

I SAY LEFT, LEFT OF MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM.

Gene: JULIA, SPEAKER EGOLF TABLED IT THREE TIMES.

I MEAN, SOMETHING SEEMS DISCONNECTED HERE WITH THIS BILL.

Julia: TRIP IS RIGHT, IT IS A FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE BILL I BELIEVE THAT HAS THIS BUILT-IN GRANT MONEY THAT IT CAN APPLY FOR SO CLEARLY THIS WAS A MEDIA ATTEMPT TO SET UP THIS FRAMEWORK SO WE CAN GET THIS MONEY.

BUT, THE PROBLEM IS, AS TRIP SAID, ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE STATE AND THE COUNTRY HAVE COME OUT WITH STRONG ARGUMENTS AGAINST THIS AS A FORM OF ENERGY AND THESE ARE NORMALLY PEOPLE WHO I THINK THE GOVERNOR IS USED TO HAVING IN HER CAMP.

AND SO I THINK IT WAS A NONSTARTER.

UNLIKE WITH CANNABIS WHERE SO MUCH OF THE GROUNDWORK HAS BEEN LAID AND OBJECTIONS THAT REMAINED WERE NOT BASED ON MUCH.

AND SO THEY WERE ABLE TO PUSH IT THROUGH.

THIS IS ONE WHERE THE OBJECTIONS ARE PRETTY SUBSTANTIVE AND I DON'T THINK THE ARGUMENT OF, WELL, LET'S JUST GET THE FRAMEWORK SO WE CAN GET THE MONEY IS GOING TO BE VERY COMPELLING TO CRITICS.

Gene: SORT OF AN OLD NEW MEXICO WAY OF DOING THINGS, GET THE FED MONEY FIRST AND FIGURE IT OUT.

INTERESTING.

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE DO THESE THINGS AND DUMMY BILLS AND THE MACHINATIONS OF CHANGING PRETRIAL DETENTION STANDARDS, MAKING IT OFFICIAL.

SHOULD LEGISLATORS HAVE SEEN THE POTENTIAL CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES EARLIER ON SOME OF THESE THINGS?

SOMETHING DOESN'T SEEM CONNECTED HERE.

TRIP, LET ME START WITH YOU ON THIS ONE.

HOW WE ARE DOING THIS, BASICALLY.

THIS IS A GREAT FRUSTRATION I GET FROM PEOPLE ALL THE TIME.

THEY LOOK AT A 30 AND THEY SAY, THERE IS NO WAY WE ARE GOING TO GET ALL THESE THINGS IN HERE.

NO WONDER WE ARE PLAYING ALL THESE GAMES THAT MAKES PUBLIC SORT OF LOSE FAITH.

IS THAT PART OF THE PROBLEM?

ALL THE MACHINATIONS THAT THE PUBLIC IS FINDING OUT ABOUT SOMETIMES?

Trip: YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, THESE GAMES AND MANEUVERS ARE IN EVERY LEGISLATURE ACROSS THE NATION AND IN CONGRESS.

THERE IS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PERCEIVED MOVES AND INTRICACIES THAT ONE CAN USE.

OLD ADAGE, WHOEVER UNDERSTANDS THE PROCESS IS GOING TO HAVE THE POWER IN THE LEGISLATURE AND THAT IS TRUE.

AS FAR AS THE DUMMY BILLS, NOT SURPRISED AT ALL EVEN THOUGH THE SENATE SEVERAL YEARS AGO CAME OUT AND SAID, WE ARE NOT GOING TO USE THESE LIKE WE USED TO ANYMORE.

WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO USE THEM IN EMERGENCIES.

THE QUESTION AROUND SOME OF THESE DUMMY BILLS, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE HYDROGEN HUB ACT, WAS AN EMERGENCY.

SO, I MEAN, THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THERE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE CONVERSATIONS IN THE BACK ROOM AND PEOPLE HAVING TO COMPROMISE ON SOMETHING THAT THEIR CONSTITUENTS MIGHT NOT LIKE.

AT THE SAME TIME, THIS MIGHT START -- MIGHT BOLSTER THE CONVERSATION ABOUT A PAID LEGISLATURE.

THAT IS ALSO PART -- A LARGER PART OF THE CONVERSATION.

Gene: THAT IS RIGHT.

LET'S TALK ABOUT BRIAN EGOLF, CAN'T HOLD OFF ANY LONGER.

THE NEWS CAME OUT THURSDAY THAT HE IS RESIGNING FROM HIS POSITION AS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.

ALGERNON, LET ME TALK WITH YOU.

FIRST OF ALL, THE OBVIOUS QUESTION IS WAS THIS A BIG SURPRISE, LET'S GET PAST THAT.

WHY?

WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE HAPPENED HERE?

Algernon: IT DOES SEEM TO HAVE BEEN A SURPRISE TO MANY MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE, AT THE VERY LEAST, AND CERTAINLY TO A LOT OF PEOPLE SERVING IT.

SPEAKER EGOLF SEEMED TO BE IN A VERY POWERFUL POSITION BUT ALSO THERE IS A LOT OF POLITICAL PRESSURE ON HIM.

ETHICS COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE REPEATEDLY BEEN FILED AGAINST HIM TO TRY TO UNDERMINE HIS LEADERSHIP, TO DISLODGE HIM FROM OFFICE.

HE MADE THE SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT AS THE CLOSING MINUTES WERE UNDERWAY THAT HE WAS GOING TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIS FAMILY.

WHICH UNFORTUNATELY MIRRORS THE KIND OF JOKE THAT PEOPLE SAY WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE IN A CLOUD OF TROUBLE.

YOU KNOW.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SPEAKER HAS IN MIND OR WHAT IS NEXT FOR HIM BUT IT CERTAINLY CAME AS A SURPRISE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE TODAY.

Gene: TRIP, WERE YOU SURPRISED?

Trip: TOTALLY.

I WAS SITTING HERE WORKING OUT OF MY HOUSE AND I TEXTED MY COLLEAGUE.

AND HER REACTION, I CAN'T SAY IT ON A FAMILY FRIENDLY SHOW, YOU KNOW.

MY KIND OF REACTION TOO.

I WILL SAY THIS, IF THIS WERE A REGULAR SESSION AND NOT A PANDEMIC SESSION, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HARDER PROBABLY TO KEEP THE SECRET BECAUSE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PEOPLE IN THE HALLWAYS MILLING AROUND AND SECRETS DON'T STAY.

IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE THERE PROBABLY WEREN'T A LOT OF PEOPLE.

TO ALGERNON'S POINT, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.

MY HEAD GOES, WHAT IS THE PRECIPITATING FACTOR OR FACTORS.

Gene: A FAVOR BEFORE I GET TO MOVING ON ABOUT BRIAN EGOLF.

WE HAD AN ARREST OF GEORGENE LOUIS, DRUNK DRIVING ARREST, AS WE KNOW.

HOW DID THAT IMPACT THE CALCULUS IN SANTA FE?

DID IT COME SO LATE IN THE PROCESS IT DIDN'T MATTER?

WHAT HAPPENED THERE IN YOUR MIND, IF ANYTHING?

Trip: THERE IS THE PUBLIC CONVERSATION ABOUT WHETHER SHE SHOULD RESIGN OR NOT BECAUSE SHE HAD OTHER SITUATIONS WITH VICTOR MARTINEZ AND MONICA YOUNGBLOOD IN THE PAST.

SHE HAD TO CANCEL ONE OF HER COMMITTEE HEARINGS IN A 30-DAY SESSION AND THIS IS IN THE LAST HALF OF THE SESSION.

I AM NOT SAYING THAT IS HUGE BUT EVERY COMMITTEE HEARING COUNTS IN A 30-DAY SESSION.

SO, AS FAR AS PROCEDURALLY, I AM NOT SURE BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A PUBLIC CONVERSATION AROUND -- YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT I THINK ABOUT IS, IT IS UNFORTUNATE THIS HAPPENED, BUT IN THE ROUNDHOUSE OR ANY STATE HOUSE, THERE IS A CULTURE -- THIS IS NOT ABOUT ANY ONE PERSON -- THERE IS WHINING AND DINING OF LAWMAKERS.

ALL THIS KIND OF STUFF.

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THAT KIND OF STUFF?

I DON'T KNOW.

Gene: BACK TO THE POINT HERE, SORRY ABOUT THAT, SPEAKER EGOLF YOU COVERED THEM SINCE DAY ONE.

WERE YOU SURPRISED?

Julia: I WAS SURPRISED.

I WAS SURPRISED MYSELF IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS MY CYNICISM GUARD SEEMS TO BE DOWN A LITTLE BIT.

I DON'T FIND IT IMPOSSIBLE TO BELIEVE THAT BRIAN EGOLF WANTS TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIS FAMILY.

JUST HAVING SEEN HIM OVER THE YEARS, HE IS DEVOTED TO HIS DAUGHTERS AND HIS WIFE.

PRETTY BUSY WITH HER BUSINESS.

SO I DON'T FIND IT IMPOSSIBLE TO BELIEVE.

I COULD BE PROVEN WRONG BY SOME HORRENDOUS SCANDAL ANY MINUTE, BUT I AM GOING TO BELIEVE HIM FOR NOW.

Gene: ANY PREDICTIONS IN THE LAST FEW SECONDS ABOUT WHO THE NEXT SPEAKER MIGHT BE?

JULIA?

Julia: HMMM, I MEAN, NOT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

Trip: MARTINEZ WAS JUST ELECTED MAJORITY LEADER.

I DON'T KNOW.

THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF JOCKEYING.

I DON'T KNOW HE HAS THE POWER BASE YET.

PATRICIA LUNDSTROM?

I DON'T KNOW.

Gene: WE SHALL SEE.

THANKS AGAIN TO OUR LINE PANEL THIS WEEK.

NOW, BE SURE TO LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT ANY TOPICS THE LINE COVERED ON OUR FACEBOOK, TWITTER OR INSTAGRAM PAGES.

THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE IS REACHING OUT TO THE PUBLIC FOR STORIES AND IDEAS ON HOW TO HANDLE THE DIFFICULT HISTORY OF INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS.

THIS AFTER THE DISCOVERY OF MASS UNMARKED GRAVES AT AN INDIAN SCHOOL SITE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA LAST YEAR, BUT WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THIS HISTORY HERE AT HOME?

ACTUALLY QUITE A BIT AS ANTONIA GONZALES LEARNED WHEN SHE SAT DOWN WITH UNM PROFESSOR THEODORE JOJOLA.

Antonia: DR. JOJOLA, WELCOME TO NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS.

Jojola: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR INVITING ME.

Antonia: YOU HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS HERE IN NEW MEXICO.

CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE PURPOSE WAS FOR THE ALBUQUERQUE INDIAN SCHOOL?

Jojola: IT REALLY BEGAN WHEN I WAS LOOKING THROUGH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE PASSED DOWN TO ME BY MY FAMILY AND IN PARTICULAR THIS LITTLE COLLECTION OF BOXES THAT HAS THESE LITTLE STRAY PHOTOS AND NEGATIVES.

AS I WAS GOING THROUGH THERE, THERE WAS A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE TAKEN IN 1937 OF MY MOM WHO GRADUATED FROM THE ALBUQUERQUE INDIAN SCHOOL.

AND SHE WAS WITH MY AUNT AND WITH MY GRANDMOTHER.

SO, IT WAS REALLY AT THAT POINT THAT I KIND OF SAID TO MYSELF, GEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?

WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THINGS BEFORE BUT I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW THE DEPTH OF WHAT THE HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL WAS.

AND CONSEQUENTLY I WAS ACTUALLY GIVEN THE CONTRACT TO PUT AN EXHIBIT TOGETHER BY THE MUSEUM OF ALBUQUERQUE AND IN THAT I WAS ABLE TO CONDUCT A SERIES OF INTERVIEWS WITH ALUMNI FROM THE SCHOOL, ALL OF WHOM HAD PASSED AWAY NOW.

SO, I HAD THAT AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO PEOPLE FIRSTHAND ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES THERE.

Antonia: WHAT WERE SOME OF YOUR FINDINGS FROM SOME OF THE FORMER STUDENTS THERE?

Jojola: THE FINDINGS WERE PRETTY MUCH CONSISTENT ALONG THE SENSE THAT IT REALLY WAS A PLACE THAT PEOPLE REALLY VALUED AND IN A WAY IT KIND OF TOOK ME A LITTLE OFF, FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE FACT THAT MOST OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HEAR ABOUT THE INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL EXPERIENCES HAVE BEEN HORRENDOUS AND WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND EMBRACE THAT, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND THE ALBUQUERQUE INDIAN SCHOOL EXPERIENCE WAS MUCH DIFFERENT FOR A WHOLE BUNCH OF HISTORICAL REASONS BUT LARGELY ATTUNE TO THE FACT THAT THEY DID HAVE A DIRECT CONNECTION WITH MANY OF THE TRIBES WHOSE CHILDREN ACTUALLY WENT THERE.

Antonia: THERE ARE CHILDREN FROM PUEBLOS, FROM OTHER TRIBES HERE IN THE STATE BUT ALSO THE FOUR CORNERS REGION.

WERE THERE STUDENTS FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE U.S. THAT ATTENDED THE ALBUQUERQUE INDIAN SCHOOL.

Jojola: IT WAS LARGELY PUEBLO BUT THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE KIND OF REGIONAL INFLUENCE OF THE SCHOOL ITSELF IN TERMS OF BEING SITUATED AND LOCATED HERE, BUT THEY RECRUITED IN OKLAHOMA, IN ARIZONA.

THERE WERE MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF TRIBES, ESPECIALLY AT ITS EARLIEST ORIGINS.

BUT BY AND LARGE IT REALLY WAS SERVING MAINLY THE PUEBLOS AND THEN BEGINNING IN THE 60'S, LARGELY, AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT OF JOHNSON O'MALLEY THERE WAS A NAVAJO COMPONENT THAT WAS ATTACHED TO IT.

SO, IN THAT CASE A LOT OF THE NAVAJO CHILDREN THAT WERE BROUGHT INTO THE CITY WERE ACTUALLY GOING TO THE ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SYSTEM BUT THEY WERE BOARDED THERE AT THE ALBUQUERQUE INDIAN SCHOOL AND THEY ACTUALLY MAINTAINED KIND OF LIKE TWO CAMPUSES SIDE-BY-SIDE.

Antonia: CURRENTLY THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE IS WORKING WITH THE NATIVE COMMUNITY AND TRIBES IN FOUR CORNERS ON THE BURIAL SITE WHICH IS LOCATED AT 4H PARK NEAR THE INDIAN PUEBLO CULTURAL CENTER.

WHAT HAS YOUR RESEARCH FOUND ABOUT THE BURIAL SITE?

Jojola: SOME TIME IN THE 1970'S FOR SOME REASON THAT HAS STILL REALLY TO BE CLARIFIED, A PARCEL OF THE CAMPUS WAS ACTUALLY GIVEN OVER TO THE CITY, ABOUT SEVEN ACRES, AND I THINK BY AND LARGE A LOT OF THAT WAS USED TO REENGINEER THE STREETS THERE AT 12TH AND INDIAN SCHOOL.

AND AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THAT, THERE WAS THIS LITTLE TRIANGLE PARK THAT WAS CREATED WHICH IS ABOUT TWO-AND-A-HALF ACRES.

IT WAS WITHIN THAT WHERE THESE EARLY INDIAN BURIAL SITES ARE LOCATED.

Antonia: THE RESEARCH THAT THE CITY IS LOOKING FOR IS GOING TO INCLUDE AND MAKE SURE THAT THE NATIVE COMMUNITY IS PART OF THAT.

WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT TO HAVE TRIBES AND NATIVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS INVOLVED?

Jojola: THE BIGGEST THING, OF COURSE, IS JUST THE FACT THEY NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE NATIVE CHILDREN THAT ARE BURIED THERE AND RIGHT AT THE POINT NOBODY KNOWS WHO EXACTLY WAS BURIED THERE.

THERE WAS DOCUMENTATION THAT EXISTED AT ONE POINT BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE THINK THAT THAT LEDGER THAT EXISTED OF THESE BURIALS AND INFORMATION THERE BURNED AS PART OF THE CATASTROPHES THAT OCCURRED IN THE CAMPUS WHEN THE BUILDINGS WERE BURNING DOWN THERE AS WELL TOO.

SO, NOBODY IS QUITE SURE WHO IT IS THAT WAS BURIED THERE.

BUT, FROM WHAT WE CAN FIND IN TERMS OF JUST GENERAL EVIDENCE, A LOT OF THOSE BURIALS OCCURRED RIGHT AROUND THE 1930'S.

Antonia: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE RAISING ESPECIALLY TO CARE FOR IT IN A PROPER CULTURAL WAY?

Jojola: RIGHT.

SO, OF COURSE, IT IS NOW THE CITY PROPERTY AND I THINK THAT THIS IN A WAY IS RAISING AWARENESS IN THE GENERAL URBAN INDIAN POPULATION ABOUT HOW THIS IN A WAY REPRESENTS SOME OF THE KIND OF UNTOLD LEGACY OF THE IMPACT OF THE INDIAN BOARDING SYSTEM.

AND, IN PARTICULAR, IT HAS BEEN VERY DIFFERENT BY THE KIND OF INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL IN THE REGION FROM WHERE THOSE BOARDING SCHOOLS WERE SITUATED.

I THINK THE MOST ATROCIOUS EXAMPLES OF THIS EXISTED IN CANADA WHERE RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS IN PARTICULAR HAVE JUST SHOWN THIS HORRENDOUS KIND OF SITUATION WHERE MANY OF THE CHILDREN WERE BURIED AS A RESULT OF ABUSE.

AND IN THE CASE OF THE INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS, HOWEVER, MANY OF THOSE CHILDREN PROBABLY PASSED AWAY AS A RESULT OF DISEASES THAT THEY CAUGHT FROM WHAT WE CAN RECONSTRUCT.

MANY OF THESE WERE REALLY AT THE TIME WHEN THERE WAS A LOT OF EPIDEMICS LIKE INFLUENZA, SPANISH FLU, NUMBERS OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.

IT SHOULD BE ALSO ADDED THAT THIS IS NOT THE ONLY SITE WHERE INDIAN BURIALS EXIST FOR THESE CHILDREN.

THE ALBUQUERQUE INDIAN SCHOOL VERY EARLY IN ITS INCEPTION, WAY BACK IN THE 1890'S, CONTRACTED THE FAIRVIEW CEMETERY WHERE THEY LAID OUT 73 PLOTS.

AND IN THOSE THERE ARE SOME EARLY RECORDS.

THEY ARE NOT COMPLETE BUT IT DID SHOW EVIDENCE OF THE FACT THAT CHILDREN PASSED AWAY THERE AS A RESULT OF DISEASES AND THAT MANY OF THEM CAME FROM PLACES LIKE NAVAJO, UTE, OTHER LONG -- WELL, AT THAT TIME PLACES THAT WERE RELATIVELY ISOLATED AND THE CONSEQUENCE OF THAT, THE PEOPLE AT THAT TIME WERE NOT ABLE TO ACTUALLY TRANSPORT THE CHILDREN BACK TO THEIR HOME COMMUNITIES.

Antonia: WHAT DO YOU SEE NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THAT AREA OR SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU WOULD OFFER NEED TO HAPPEN AT THE 4H SITE.

Jojola: THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS HOW HAS THIS AREA BEEN RECOGNIZED AND, IN PARTICULAR, HOW TO BRING THE SENSE OF THE SACRED BACK INTO THAT LANDSCAPE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, OF COURSE, IT IS JUST SOWN WITH GRASS.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS A POINT OF HURT IS THE FACT THAT WHEN THE CITY PUT THE PARK IN THERE AND THEN THEY BEGAN TO DO THE EXCAVATION FOR THE SPRINKLER SYSTEM, THEY BASICALLY DESECRATED MANY OF THE GRAVES WITHOUT ANY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND ATTENDANCE TO BEING ABLE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND PROTECT THE GRAVE SITES THAT WERE THERE.

AND THEN TO THIS DAY IT IS BASICALLY CARPETED OVER SO NOBODY KNOWS THE EXTENT OF WHAT THE BURIAL SITE IS AND HOW MANY CHILDREN ARE ACTUALLY BURIED THERE.

BY SOME ESTIMATES, PEOPLE THINK IT IS AROUND 30 OR 40.

BUT NOBODY REALLY KNOWS FOR SURE.

Antonia: IN GENERAL, WHEN IT COMES TO SURVEYING A SITE, ZONING, PLANNING, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INDIAN BURIAL SITES OR EVEN JUST ARTIFACTS OR ANYTHING OF THAT SORT, HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT OR HANDLED DIFFERENTLY BY CITIES AND SHOULD THEY BE CONSULTING WITH TRIBES, ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE IN AN AREA WHERE THERE IS A KNOWN CULTURAL SITE AMONG THE TRIBAL NATIONS?

Jojola: ABSOLUTELY.

YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT IT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF IF THESE WERE CHILDREN THAT WERE BURIED FROM THE WHITE POPULATION, THEY WOULD HAVE A MUCH DIFFERENT REACTION THAN THE CHILDREN THAT ARE THERE.

AND LARGELY IT KIND OF IS PROBABLY INVESTED IN JUST SOME OF THE RACISM AND ALSO THE NOTION THAT INDIAN PEOPLE SOMEHOW WERE ARTIFACTS IN ORDER TO BE STUDIED AND THAT, IN ITSELF, IS DEMEANING FROM THE STANDPOINT OF WHY IT IS THAT THIS SITE IS NEITHER ACKNOWLEDGED NOR PROTECTED.

REALLY THE ONLY THING THAT SIGNIFIES THE SITE IS A VERY SMALL PLAQUE THAT EXISTS THERE AND THAT WAS DONE, I BELIEVE, RIGHT AT THE TIME WHEN THE PARK ITSELF WAS ISSUED AND THERE IS REALLY NOT EVEN DEMARCATION OF THAT PARTICULAR AREA.

SO PEOPLE ARE WONDERING WHY IS IT THAT PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO WALK ON IT?

IS THERE SOME SOLUTION THAT ESSENTIALLY WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AND KEEP IT SEPARATED AS HALLOWED GROUND?

IS THAT THE SORT OF RIGHT WAY IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE HOW IT IS THAT PEOPLE WOULD BUILD A RESPECT AROUND IT, BUT IN A WAY IT IS PROBABLY LESS ABOUT THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ACTUALLY BURIED THERE, BUT THE FACT THAT THIS REALLY, IN A SENSE, IS SOMETHING THAT IDENTIFIES NATIVE PEOPLE, IN GENERAL, AND IN A SENSE ACKNOWLEDGES THE KIND OF LEGACY OF WHAT THE INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL ITSELF EARLY FORMULATED IN TERMS OF REALLY COMMITTING AND CHANGING OUR PEOPLE INTO WHAT WAS CALLED, BY THE OUTSIDE, AS THE OTHER.

SO, FROM THAT PARTICULAR STANDPOINT, THEN, IN A WAY, THE BURIALS ARE IMPORTANT AND NEED TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED BUT ALSO THE HISTORY NEEDS TO BE LEARNED BY EVERYBODY SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND WHAT HAS OCCURRED IN TERMS OF SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS IN TERMS OF THIS IMPACT OF THE POST -- I GUESS YOU WANT TO CALL IT -- TERRITORIALISM OF WHEN THIS KIND OF EDUCATION REALLY IMPACTED OUR COMMUNITIES.

Antonia: WHAT IS NEXT WITH THE CITY AND GETTING THE PUBLIC INVOLVED AND RECOMMENDATIONS?

WHAT IS NEXT FOR THE BURIAL SITE?

Jojola: THEY HAVE HAD A SERIES OF LISTENING SESSIONS AND THEY FORMED A COMMISSION WITHIN THE CITY IN ORDER TO KIND OF OVERSEE AND BEGIN TO SOLICIT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT WHAT MIGHT BE SOLUTIONS OR WHAT MIGHT BE WAYS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO BRING THAT STORY TO BEAR.

RIGHT NOW IT IS STILL IN THE PROCESS OF DISCUSSION.

I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE ALSO REACHED OUT TO VARIOUS TRIBES, PROBABLY THE ONES WHOSE CHILDREN ARE ACTUALLY BURIED THERE.

IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT CONSULTATION GOING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO EITHER DO THEIR OWN CEREMONY OR PAY RESPECTS TO THAT PARTICULAR AREA AS WELL AS GET INPUT ON WHAT THIS PLACE MIGHT BE TRANSFORMED INTO.

Antonia: DR. JOJOLA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

Jojola: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Gene: THANKS AGAIN TO OUR PANELISTS FOR THE SOLID REPORTING OF WHAT TRANSPIRED DURING THE SESSION.

NOW COMES THE INTERESTING STUFF AS THE CAMPAIGN FOR MANY LEGISLATIVE SEATS AND GOVERNOR'S DESK ARE ON THE CLOCK FOR THE FALL ELECTION.

HOW IMPACTFUL THIS SESSION IS IN THE LONG POLITICAL MEMORY, REMAINS TO BE SEEN BUT THERE IS SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.

I AM STARTING TO WONDER IF THIS NEXT ELECTION CYCLE TURNS OUT TO BE A CLASSIC THROW-THE-BUMS-OUT CYCLE, WHERE INCUMBENTS, NO MATTER THEIR STRIPES, ARE IN FOR A CHALLENGE AND A STIFF ONE.

BECAUSE THERE IS A HARDENED ENOUGH-IS-ENOUGH STATE-WIDE HEADWIND OUT THERE.

THINK OF IT THIS WAY, ARE THERE TRULY ANY LEGISLATORS WITHOUT A LAW ENFORCEMENT BACKGROUND WHO HAS MADE A NAME FOR THEMSELVES ON FIGHTING CRIME?

MORE THAN THAT, DOES EITHER PARTY HAVE AN APPRECIABLE RECORD ON CRIME TO CREDIBLY GAP THE OTHER PARTY.

AS YOU HEARD DURING OUR PANEL DISCUSSION, THE CRIME OMNIBUS BILL HAS PASSED BUT IT IS FAR FROM SATISFACTORY, GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE CRIME PROBLEM HERE.

NOW, WATCH FOR THE SIGNS.

ABOUT ONCE A GENERATION, VOTERS JUST PLAIN WANT TO GO IN ANOTHER DIRECTION AND USUALLY PILOTS A BLAZE AS A RESULT OF INACTION OR NOT ENOUGH ACTION ON KEY ISSUES.

AND THIS TIME, PARTICULARLY, CRIME.

THIS CYCLE IT IS STARTING TO HAVE THAT FEELING.

HOW THAT SHAPES UP STATEWIDE IN THE FINAL RESULT IS ANYONE'S GUESS, BUT WE'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.

THANKS AGAIN FOR JOINING US AND FOR STAYING INFORMED AND ENGAGED.

SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT WEEK, INFOCUS.