House of Representatives welcomes new members

Dec. 5—Shortly before she began an orientation session that would prove as challenging as it was invigorating, incoming legislator Tara Jaramillo sounded exactly like the freshman she is.

"I feel like it's finals weeks, and I haven't been to class all semester," said the Democrat from Socorro, a speech and language pathologist who will soon represent the south-central District 38 in the House of Representatives.

Jaramillo is one of 16 new legislators who will take their oaths of office on the first day of the session — Jan. 17. Most got their first taste of what life in the Roundhouse will look like late last week during a two-day basic training course that included sessions on analyzing budget bills and financial spreadsheets, debating legislation and even a shortened mock session.

Aides with the Legislative Council Service, the office that oversees the legislative process and procedures, ran the training at the Roundhouse. The training did not include strategizing on ways to get bills passed or negotiation with the other side. Those events will begin in caucus trainings later this month and into January.

But learning the basics was the critical first step. Toward that end, the first-year legislators were guided by none other than outgoing House Speaker Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, who offered instruction on what it's like to introduce and debate bills, plus thoughts on chamber decorum.

One training template offered to the incoming class of new legislators included a mock bill that — based on a real bill from a previous session — would create the role of a special ombudsman for special education children and their parents.

Jaramillo was chosen to introduce the first bill, and her professional background clearly helped her debate its merits on the floor. She pointed out how the legislation would support special education students and family members as they try to navigate the sometimes complex and challenging system within their world.

When it came time for closing arguments, Egolf gave the trainees a tip.

"More bills have been lost on long closing speeches," he said. "Brevity is always best when you are closing."

Egolf recalled a colleague who gave a 40-minute closing speech on a memorial and garnered only about 12 votes — a failure likely based on the lawmaker's verbosity.

Jaramillo got the hint: Her closing argument lasted about 30 seconds and her bill passed swiftly.

No one made any notable goofs during the mock session. Nor was there any partisan wrangling as one is likely to see between the two parties in real debates, particularly over controversial issues.

The 16 new legislators look to be evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, though two House seats are still up for a recount. In one of those two races, Rep. Candie Sweetser, D-Deming, has publicly conceded her District 32 seat to Republican contender Jenifer Jones.

As is common with freshmen, idealism reigned supreme, even in a place where brass-knuckles politics often carries the day.

Several of the budding lawmakers said in interviews before this week's training they have every intention of working collaboratively with members of the other party to find common ground on issues New Mexicans care about — with crime being a top concern for both parties.

Janelle Anyanonu, a Democrat who will represent District 18 in Albuquerque, said, "I'm a big believer is the best idea wins. I look forward to reaching out across the aisle and communicating and collaborating with Republicans when and where I can. I'm very open to that. That can only be beneficial."

Alan Martinez, a Republican who will represent District 23 in the Bernalillo area, said in an interview following Friday's training session, "As a large freshman class, we all want to do what is right for New Mexico. It's not going to be, 'I'm going to die on every hill [for every bill].' It's going to be a collaborative energy."

For his part, Martinez said he found the training "very informative."

Jeret Fleetwood, a researcher with the Legislative Council Service, said the training program, which began 12 years ago, is designed to help the newcomers navigate "a legislative landscape that is vast and endlessly complicated."

Fleetwood said if incoming lawmakers do not have at least a basic grasp of how to draft and read bills and budgets, "it will be a recipe for frustration, and not a good environment for lawmaking."

During breaks in last week's training, several of the trainees expressed praise for the process, noting it opened the door to the inside workings of the Legislature. That also was true even for one incoming legislator who'd had some experience in the process.

John Block, a Republican from Alamogordo who will soon represent District 51 in the southern part of the state, said that having worked as a page, intern and legislative committee attendant in past years, he believed he felt he had a good handle on the process before he took the training.

"I've analyzed a lot of pieces of legislation, so I know what a bill looks like and what the characteristics are of a bill that gets over the finish line," said Block, who grew up in the Santa Fe area.

But before the training was over, he was willing to alter that tune a bit.

Flashing a smile, Block allowed, "I'm learning quite a bit — and I thought I knew everything already."