Rarely has more uncertainty hung over New Mexico. Despite a special legislative session this past weekend that plugged a gaping budget hole, lawmakers still have many more questions than answers.

--What will the price of oil be--the primary budget determinant--when the legislator meets again in January?

--Will the historic jobless spike be largely temporary? How about the tourism crash and gross receipts revenue?

--Will the conservative coalition in the state Senate really be quashed by the Democratic primary election results or will a new coalition of R's and right-leaning Dems somehow emerge? Saturday the Senate took a half day to praise incumbents voters kicked out, causing progressives to wonder just where that body ultimately heads.

---Or will the R's lose key BernCo area senate seats in November making a more left leaning Senate unavoidable? GOP Sens. Rue and Gould have to be nervous, and Dems are hungrily eying the GOP NE Heights Senate seat being vacated by Bill Payne. Also, Valencia County GOP Sen. Greg Baca is well-advised to take no naps.

--Will MLG even be around for the January session? She has risen high on the Biden VP list of possibles. That rise could make her more likely for a cabinet position should Biden win. If so, she's gone in January and Lt. Gov. Howie Morales is Governor.

Big picture questions that are headed our way all at once.

As for the special, legislators cobbled together the expected budget package to get the state through the rest of the year without layoffs or tax hikes. Public schools were largely spared. Most departments took across the board cuts of about 4 percent. Higher education was again on the firing line as its popularity with the public continues to wane.

There was also a dust-up over election laws that was dramatic for insiders but which the public barely noticed.

The Senate has adjourned. The House will finish today and is will consider, among other things, mandatory body cameras for NM law enforcement. The Senate has approved them.

CASE DISMISSED

That high-profile domestic violence case against now former BernCo District Attorney spokesman Michael Patrick, husband of KOAT-TV news anchor Shelly Ribando, is no more. Case dismissed:

Patrick was charged with one count of battery on a household member for allegedly hitting and pushing his wife at their Albuquerque home in April. Patrick was later fired. Special prosecutor David Foster says the case was dismissed “based on the fact that the victim in the matter does not wish for a criminal case to proceed, as well as the fact that the deficiencies in the police investigation caused there to be insufficient evidence. . . “Unfortunately, it can be challenging to prosecute domestic dispute cases if family members decide not to press charges,” APD spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said. . .

One of the media mavens chimes in that "it will be difficult for KOAT and Shelly to paint her as they have in the past. The independent woman with the fairy tale family life. She could be pushed into the background for a while." We shall see. . .

CHOOSING A SUPREME

Justice Nakamura

There will be a very short campaign for a seat on the New Mexico Supreme Court. Republican Chief Justice Judy Nakamura says she will hang up her robes effective August 1. Because the vacancy is within 70 days of the Nov. 3 general election state law mandates that the seat go before voters at this November's election.

The Judicial Nominating Commission will recommend a replacement justice to Gov. Lujan Grisham. Her appointee will fill the position through December 31. The Central Committees of the major political parties--Republican, Democrat and Libertarian--can nominate candidates for the November election. Whoever wins will fill out the remainder of Nakamura's eight term that expires in 2024.

Nakamura is the only Republican on the five member court. Only two R's have been elected to the  court in the past 40 years. The 2018 GOP election wipeout made Nakamura the highest ranking NM elected Republican official. If the seat flips to the Dems, you would have to look to the Court of Appeals for any statewide elected GOP office holder. Talk about being in a deep hole. . .

PASSINGS

The last of the famous three political King brothers, 89 year old Don King, has passed away at Stanley, NM. He was a rancher, a former county commissioner, state rep and state senator. . . Notice also arrives of the passing of former two term BernCo Commissioner Barbara Seward. She served in the 90's and was 87. . .Charlie Zdravesky, 76, better known as Charlie Z, has died. He was a popular NM radio fixture who effectively used his perch to advocate for prison reform in the wake of the 1980 state pen riots.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2020