More Cameras, But Still Not Quite in Focus

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

The New Mexico House on Friday adopted two committee reports just hours after their Rules and Order of Business Committee, above, passed changes supposedly deigned to create more transparency.

However, though a step in the right direction, it does little in bringing the legislature any closer to allowing the citizens of the State of New Mexico to look into the faces of law makers as they go about the people's business.

Republican Whip Rep. Keith Gardner, Chaves, Eddy, Lea, Roosevelt Counties introduced House Resolution 1, “Amending the House Rules to Expand the Live Streaming of House Proceedings to Include Video and Committee Meetings in the Chamber“;

The legislative council service is authorized to produce a live audio and video stream of the house floor proceedings that is accessible through the legislature's web site in a manner befitting the house of representatives, including an appropriate user interface. The stream shall begin as soon as practicable after the speaker has announced a quorum is present and shall terminate as soon as practicable after a motion to recess or adjourn has carried, or upon the order of the speaker. The live video stream shall be produced from cameras configured and operated in such a way that as much of the chamber is displayed as practicable but that no material on members' desks, computer monitors or similar devices can be read or viewed except as would otherwise be possible with an unaided eye. The live stream shall not be archived. The stream shall carry a notice to the effect that the stream is being produced for the benefit of the public and any political use is prohibited. The provisions of this rule shall apply when the house is meeting as the committee of the whole and when any standing substantive committee is meeting in the chamber.

“The passing of HR3 and HR1 reflects years of hard work on behalf of greater transparency,” said Republican Whip Keith Gardner (Chaves, Eddy, Lea, Roosevelt). “This is a victory for New Mexicans and the democratic process.” The quote came from a New Mexico House GOP Caucus press release issued Friday under the headline, “Transparency Victories for New Mexico Citizens.“

The staff of the New Mexico House GOP Caucus, above, has been using a small camera, held in the hand to webcast various House committees and floor activities.

So what’s wrong with this picture?

The pictures of the Rules committee were taken during the Friday meeting where the issues of webacsting and transparency were taken up after they had been tabled on Wednesday.

The twenty-member House Rules and Order of Business Committee amended the resolution, 18 – 0 with two Reps., John Heaton, D, Eddy County and Debbie Rodella, D, Rio Arriba, Sandoval & Taos Counties, excused.

The amendment included two phrases: "and that the stream is not an official record of the house's proceedings," and the webcasting “shall not be archived”.

Rep. Zachary Cook, R, Lincoln and Otero Counties, introduced House Resolution 3, “Amending the House Rules to Provide for Posting Roll Call Votes on the Internet”.

The vote on the passage of a bill, resolution or memorial shall be taken by yeas and nays, which shall be entered in the journal and, within one day of taking the question, be publicly available on the legislature's internet web site.

The amendment would have required the posting of all Representatives’ individual votes.

However, the Committee, by the same 18 - 0, with two excused, altered the meaning to apply only to “final” votes. The argument was that it was too much of a burden to “record” votes, which are preliminary or on amendments. Those votes are already recorded; it is only a matter of posting them on line.

The committee also amended the requirement to post the voting record on the internet within twenty-four hours.

Albuquerque Tea Party Board members Patricia Morlen, left, and Gayle Bacon attended the Rules Committee’s Wednesday session and were using a hand held camcorder to video parts of the proceedings. On Friday they were back.

Seated upper right, is Governor Bill Richardson's Speech Writer Allan Oliver.

Rep. Gail Chasey, D, Bernalillo County, approached Speaker of the House Rep. Ben Lujan, D, Santa Fe County, pointing out the two women.

Lujan, center, had challenged the two Tea Party member’s asking what party they represented and with what candidate they were associated, Morlen said in an interview.

Lujan demanded to know if the women had received permission to video the proceedings in accordance with House rules.

Photography, video or audio recording or transmission of committee proceedings may, upon request, be allowed with the permission of the chair.

The rule was written in response to Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones, R, Bernalillo County, bringing a webcam into her assigned committee meetings of Taxation and Revenue, and Voters and Elections Committees during the 2009 regular session.

TEMPORARY PROVISION: During any session of the forty-ninth legislature, the legislative council service is authorized, in consultation with the speaker, majority floor leader, minority floor leader and appropriate committee chairs, to produce live audio streams of committee proceedings. Any such live audio stream shall be accessible through the legislature's web site in a manner befitting the house of representatives, including an appropriate user interface, and shall begin as soon as practicable after the chair has called the meeting to order and shall terminate as soon as practicable after the committee has recessed or adjourned or upon order of the chair. Any such live audio stream shall carry a notice to the effect that the stream is being produced for the benefit of the public and any political use is prohibited.

Lujan left the committee room and Rep. Kathy McCoy, above, left, R, Bernalillo, Sandoval, and Santa Fe Counties, asked Chairman Rep. Nick Salazar, below, D, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Santa Fe, and Taos Counties, for permission to allow video to continue. Salazar granted permission.

Rep. Elias Barela, right, D, Valencia County, last year said. "I understand the frustration with some members, that we don't have this (webcasting), but just look at the havoc, if one member, of one party, with one ax to grind. And I'm not in any way insinuating that this particular member has that (pointing to Arnold-Jones, standing in the back of the room)." "But, what you're opening up is something that could be used as a partisan tool."

After Wednesday’s meeting, Barela called for an apology for Lujan's comments to citizens visiting the legislature.

The comments by Representatives espousing a fear that video webcasting, and in particular, archiving, might be used as a device to damage them politically, is a recurring theme.

“Almost any words can parsed and used in ways that would seem to be unfair,” Chasey was quoted as saying in an article, “Webcam measure tabled in the House,”
by the New Mexico Independent’s Larry Behrens.
_______

A third issue, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Steinborn, Left, D, Dona Ana County, House Joint Memorial 15, “Requesting The Legislative Council Service To Webcast and Archive Interim Committee Meetings,” was approved. The Legislative Council Service John Yeager, front, answered technical questions for the committee.

The memorial will work its way through the committee process with its next hearing before the House Appropriations and Finance Committee. If it passes the House floor it would go to the Senate for concurrence.

Rep. Arnold-Jones sponsored a resolution, “Amending the House Rules to Require Webcasting of Committee Meetings and to Authorize Video Webcasting of House Floor Proceedings.” The resolution expands coverage to committee meetings.

The matter is scheduled for a hearing before the House Rules and Order of Business Committee, this morning.

This is Arnold-Jones listening to Governor Bill Richardson’s state of the State address at the opening of the 30-day session. The camera, mounted on the wall, behind her was a remotely operated broadcast camera belonging to KNME TV which covered the speech live.

On the other side of the Capitol, Senate Floor Leader Sen. Michael Sanchez, above, D, Valencia County, has introduced Senate Resolution 1, “Amending The Senate Rules To Expand The Number Of Cameras Used To Webcast Senate Proceedings.”

The resolution, if passed, would add the use of additional cameras to cover Senate floor activities. The resolution removes the language limiting coverage to one stationary camera replacing it with:

…produced from cameras configured and operated in such a way that as much of the chamber is displayed as practicable but that no material on members' desks, computer monitors or similar devices can be read or viewed except as would otherwise be possible with an unaided eye;

There is no proposed change to the prohibition of archiving webcasting.

My Take

The citizens of the state are entitled to be intimately aware of how the business of spending their tax dollars is done. It starts with the legislature, but it also includes the executive branch.

The so-called move towards transparency is simply resulting in a less opaque view; it’s not clear yet.

Opening the legislative process to the prying eyes is only a scratch of the surface.

If one takes a look at the judicial system, it is obvious that every court proceeding takes place in public rooms; the result is such high public confidence that seldom do routine trials attract citizen’s attention. It is the knowledge that one can simply walk into a courtroom at any time and watch every aspect assuring that the system works.

There are rules requiring media access to the courts.

Such rules exist for access to all meetings of governmental bodies through the State Open Meetings Act.

Another aspect of public oversight comes from the State’s Inspection of Public Records Act. Of course when you have employees of the State refuse to comply with the requirements of the act and be either non-responsive or worse, deny access to the papers of the work of government, then transparency is replaced by corruption per-se.

Transparency is more than the public spectacle of covering the Governor's state of the State address, above, with live coverage from local television stations, below, and all the attendant media frenzy.

Currently, the Governor, through his Assistant Chief of Staff and Director of Communications has been stubborn in his refusal to identify 59 exempt employees that the Executive claims had their jobs eliminated to save millions of dollars during this depression by claiming it would be undignified to disclose who they are.

There are a number of exceptions to the IPRA, being "undignified" is not one of them.

I have not sought this information, as I leave it to others whose compulsion to find out the details is their desire, I know a couple of ways to seek the information to get around the stubbornness of Gov. Richardson and to establish those identities without having to resort to going to court.

One of the best way for the public to view the legislative process is through the governmentally staffed closed circuit remotely controlled triangulated camera webcasting.

Those who have expressed fear of being exposed for saying something foolish and don’t want to be held accountable and responsible for their actions and comments should not worry about a system of following the speakers during the legislative debate.

Here, three-fifth 's of New Mexico's Congressional delegation, US Sens. Tom Udall, Jeff Bingaman and 2nd Congressional District Rep Harry Teague listen to Richardson's speech. Udall and Teague were reading along with the speech; Bingaman rested his eyes momentarily. The federal lawmakers are on camera all the time while in session and you don't hear them complaining. The two Congressmen not present have specifically availed themselves of C-Span to get their faces and message out to the public.

The media may be battling for their continuation, but there are still those who will point their cameras, like the Santa Fe New Mexican's Director of photography Clyde Mueller, and ask questions like Albuquerque Journal's Sean Olson, center, speaking with Sen. Linda Lopez, left, D, Bernalillo County.

As long as there is a press box full of journalists from TV, print and the internet, and because of the ever improving and simplifying of new technology and ease in getting information to the masses via the web, I have no fear that the Government controlled webcasting will become a propaganda tool. There are just too many eyes watching; more would only make the discussion better.

Advocates for total transparency want to see everything and to have all the information archived, so that citizens who cannot watch government in person or because they work during sessions may stay informed. The archiving push is also for educational, research, and historic purposes. Legislators don’t want archiving for the very same reason; they don’t want to be held to public scrutiny, accountable for what they say.

If the dumbest thing Rep. Chasey, above, ever said was that she was afraid that some political opponent might parse her words to gain a campaign advantage, she hardly needs to worry. The fact that she has a penchant for playing solitaire on her computer during the session hasn’t gone unnoticed; however, I doubt that it will diminish her viability as a candidate for reelection.

Transparency will not be totally achieved by just being able to look at legislators while on the floor of their respective Houses, because so much of government is still done in the shadows and back rooms or under the guise of attending a caucus outside of the average person’s view.

Maybe It Is, Maybe It Isn’t

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

I was up in Santa Fe at the beginning of the month and stopped by the Senate chambers to assess possible camera locations for webcasting the 30-day session, which began January 19.

There, mounted on the front wall, were two of the remote-controlled video cameras. These cameras had been installed before last year’s session as a result of the year before, when the Senate approved live webcasting of their floor activities. Just days before the 2009, 60-day session, the Senate Committee on Committees voted to remove the cameras dashing the hopes of citizens of New Mexico from viewing their legislators in action.

State Senator Mark Boitano, left, R, Bernalillo County, has carried legislation to open the Senate to webcasting since, at least 2005.

In 2008, by way of a memorial, the Senate paved the way to webcast when it appropriated $75,000 to the broadcasting effort.

Remotely operated cameras and control equipment was purchased and installed in anticipation of the 60-day session.

The Senate Committee’s Committee blamed the economy for their decision not to use $30,000 of the $75,000 previously appropriated to the broadcasting effort according to the santafenewmexican.com, posting, "Budget crunch delays session webcasting," whose link has since been removed .

Sen. Mark Boitano’s 2009 bill, SB 401 and resolution, SR 3 addressed webcasting. The issue has been addressed since passage back in 2005, of a different measure sponsored by him.

Near the end of the 2009 Legislature, during an evening session Senate Resolution 3, “Senate Live Audio and Video Web Streaming,” came to the floor, Sen. John Sapien, left, D, Sandoval County was prepared to introduce three amendments.

After a short but intense procedural wrangle there was an agreement to allow one stationary camera to be placed at the back of the chambers that overlooked nine, mostly balding, Senators and the President of the Senate, Denish’s seat.

The Senate Rules Committee was an easy choice for aiming the camera for webcasting. Four of the eight members of the Senate Committee’s Committee who voted to remove the installed cameras from the chamber also sit on the Senate Rules Committee. They were Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D, Valencia County, Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle, R, Chaves, Curry, De Baca and Roosevelt Counties, President Pro Tem Timothy Jennings, D, Chaves, Eddy, Lincoln and Otero Counties, with Committee Chair Linda Lopez, D, Bernalillo County. The Rules Committee is the funnel for all Senate ethics bills.

On the House side, Representative Janice Arnold-Jones took her computer with a webcam to her committee meetings and set off a firestorm.

So what’s wrong with this picture?

Part of the online response to live webcasting idea is to allow citizens to watch the legislators live and to e-mail their lawmakers directly to add to the debate.

My first thought was hopefully, that if the cameras were up there might have been some change of heart and some backroom deal, similar to last year’s changing course again.

However, nothing has changed, the cameras were up so the Legislative Council Services technicians could do some testing, according to the LSC Communications Director John Yeager. LSC is just making sure that they are ready, if there should be any action to broadcast. The cameras were uninstalled before Tuesday's opening.

My Take

The new social media advocates suggest that instant communications with lawmakers during floor debates might add positively to the legislative process. However, it is questionable and problematic, at best.

Law making should be a deliberative process and citizens who want to participate should be well prepared about the issues and have communicated their concerns well before the final debate.

There are several reasons why this is not such a good idea.

This is the New Mexico Independent's Reporter Matthew Reichbach, above, holding a small webcam during a Senate Judiciary meeting Friday Jan. 22, 2010. He was also "live blogging," giving a running commentary on what bill was being discussed and who was talking. People viewing often engage in an open forum that often times has little to do with the issue at hand. Live blogging may be useful to those watching, just not helpful to legislators making a decision at the moment.

In his 1995, book, "The Electronic Republic: Reshaping Democracy in the Information Age," Lawrence K. Grossman explored the use of the then burgeoning internet and contemplated its use to flatten the representative form of government and have citizens communicate directly with their legislators. He noted the increased use of ballot initiatives and pondered whether to allow citizens the ability to vote directly on every piece of legislation.

Grossman wrote of several factors to take into consideration:

“The distorting influence of money and other concerns,”
“The professionalization of politics,”
“The rise of Interest politics,”
“’Dumbing down’ the quality of information.”

He also predicted that rise of information, but did not perceive the decline in newspapers. He acknowledged the small number of people who controlled the vast majority of “news” media outlets.
I threw down a gauntlet during last year's debate over turning on the Senate controlled cameras. My challenge was that if the Senate did not video cast the floor activities adequately, á la C-SPAN, I would webcast their activities.

My blogging buddy Ched Mac Quigg, Diogenes' Six, above left, and I have pointed our camera at the Senate floor several times and attended the senate Judiciary Committee to allow the public an open glimpse.

We experienced some major technical difficulties with the internet, but believe we have overcome them. We upgraded our equipment and tested it and will start webcasting today.

We will be covering the Senate floor activities. Though we can’t promise wall-to-wall coverage we will do the best we can.

We can be found by linking to NM Senate Live.

By some stretch of irony, we will be covering the House Rules and Order of Business Committee, which is taking up the issue of webcasting House activities.

This is the committee which, last year was the scene of the battle over letting Rep. Arnold-Jones continue to webcast her assigned Committee hearings.

Speaker of the House Ben Lujan, above, seems to be no fan of transparency despite his rhetoric, he attempted to run rough shod over citizens who dare to video House activities this week, according to the New Mexico Independent's Larry Behrens, posting, "Webcam measure tabled in the House."

Forgetting his basic civics lesson on the First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom… of the press…

The current House rules allow for videoing committee meetings with the permission of the chair.

Yet the First prohibits government from requiring the asking of citizens to watch, participate and to disseminate what they see and hear to their fellow citizens.

The commercial media don't ask, they're welcomed; no such thing as bad publicity.

I don't seek permission form government to exercise a Constitutional right.

If we get through that Constitutional test, then we will be back on the Senate side.

Watching the legislative process can be incredibly boring, Just ask KRQE's Anchor/Capitol Reporter Michael Herzenberg, sitting with the New Mexico Independent's Reporter Trip Jennings.

There still are some legislators, like Rep. Gail Chasey, D, Bernalillo County, who as a member of the House Rules Committee, told the hearing that she is afraid that images on webcasts will be used against law makers in negative campaign ads.

Chasey, left, was one of the House delegation sent to escort Governor Bill Richadson and his entourage, including his wife Barbara Richardson, and US Senator Jeff Bingaman, to the House chambers to give his state of the State address.

Chasey should not worry about webcasting under the control of the Legislative Council Services technicians; it's the average citizen or hired ad agency video crew of whom she needs to be wary.

The efforts of NM Senate Live are nothing more than a nudge to have both branches of the legislature broadcast their proceedings for the citizens of New Mexico to watch.

Capitol Report New Mexico dies again, or does it?

Another final issue of Capitol Report New Mexico was published just before the session. A Rio Grande Foundation grant funded the publication for just over a year. The Foundation chose to go another way.

Seeking future funding, Editor Harold Morgan, left, interviewing House Minority Leader Tom Taylor R McKinley County.

Though a niche product, specializing in the numbers of the State’s budgeting process, it has provided analytical viewpoints from well-regarded observers of the inner working of policy making. Regular contributors included: New Mexico State University History and Political Science Professor Dr. Jose Z. Garcia, who blogs, “La Politica: New Mexico! La Voz del Valle del Sur,“ University of New Mexico Department of Political Science Professor and Regents Lecturer Dr. Lonna Atkeson, President and Executive Director of the New Mexico Tax Research Institute Richard L. Anklam, New Mexico’s Rio Grande Foundation President Paul Gessing, and several guest writers.

I provided the photography and proofreading (any typographical errors are a testament to my lack of skills as a copy editor).

CRNM has had a life as a slick magazine, a newsprint product and has a web presence. I predict we will continue reviving again when some more funding comes along.

Junior; But Then What’s In a Name?

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

Having apparently left the political stage, retired six-term U.S. Senator Pete Domenici, once again stepped into the spotlight putting the family name into political play.

The 77-year old introduced his 50-year old lawyer son, Peter Jr. who announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor of New Mexico.

With no public elected experience, Domenici Jr. spoke to a wide array of journalists, from television, to weekly and daily newspapers and their photographers, a radio reporter and a handful of bloggers.

There seemed to be more journalists present than at other Republican candidate announcements. Also in attendance were a small number of family members, friends and campaign staff.

The very small room was crowded beyond capacity overflowing into the hallway.

Beyond capacity may be an odd turn of a phrase. With the need for some distance between the podium and the line of television cameras there is a large void in the middle of the room. Spectators lined the walls creating very limited space.

So what’s wrong with this picture?

Only a couple of years ago the state’s most experienced campaigner stood before a large crowd of supporters to announce his retirement for medical reasons.

Standing behind him was his bearded eldest son.

Now he sits behind his namesake. Despite what appears to be a halo, Junior is no Saint Pete.

Domenici joins four other Republicans who have thrown in their candidacy for the state’s top administrative job. State Representative Janice Arnold-Jones, left, Dona Ana County District Attorney Susana Martinez, whom I haven’t photographed, former GOP chairman Allen Weh, and advertising executive Doug Turner have already entered the race. Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, right, is the only declared Democratic candidate.

My Take

It’s about the name – Domenici – a name that denotes power and dominance in New Mexico politics.

Both Parties are sure to make noise about the progeny trying to follow the father.

However, don’t let the irony escape notice of the possibility of a Domenici squaring off against Denish, née Daniels. The Lt. Governor’s father, a former State Representative Jack Daniels, was the first of six Democratic victims defeated by the senior Domenici when he was first elected to the Senate in 1972.

The Senator Domenici’s first foray into State level politics, after having been a City Commissioner and the ad-hoc Mayor of Albuquerque, by virtue of being the Commissions’ president, was his 1970 run for Governor. He beat Lt. Gov. Ely Francis in the GOP primary then face and lost to another man – Bruce King – who would head his own dynasty.

Truner is the son of William Turner, who was recently a member of the Mid Rio Grande Conservancy District.

New Mexico politics is resplendent with nepotism in direct lineage and through extended families. Other family names like: Anaya, Aragon, Block, Lujan, Martinez, Montoya, Runnels, and Sanchez, among others, have graced the halls of power. Domenici may as well be another one. Nepotism doesn’t have to be a bad thing and often isn’t. It does however, conjure thoughts of one lacking in ability and trading on the family name. Sometimes it’s true.

One of the more surprising sights was the presence of some of the heavy weights in the journalistic sphere; there was a real live public sighting of political blogger Joe Monahan. He is seldom seen at such events. Though he has been spotted as a regular at events involving the senior Domenici; it might be that his neighbor, one of the Domenici sister’s influences his attendance through one of her gracious invitation.

Monahan’s alligators’ seemed to be the insider prognosticators trying to kill off the competition with the weight of the heavy name.

Media executive, KOAT 7’s President/General Manager Mary Lynn Roper, was in the room.

I had to agree with Monahan about the size of the room and the timing, and the limited number of questions allowed of the press.

I’ll take it one step further; it was a ham-fisted attempt to manipulate the media.

Works for some, because the TV guys are limited to looking for some cutting sound bite. Domenici delivered a couple, especially when talking about State employees having to take furlough days, and suggested that the current administration and likely Democratic candidate should take a permanent furlough.

Cute, but it was only a throw way line without any actual substance on how he was going to fix the fiscal crisis. TV will eat that stuff all day. However it doesn’t add to the political discourse.

Monahan has worked a campaign or two and seemed to think this event was well handled for what Campaign Manager had to work with.

My read is you won’t see Domenici stepping up to too many inter-Party debates or joint appearances. His father mastered the dodge and dismissed his political opponents. The elder Domenici’s advice may not play so well.

I stood close to the Senator because he has been the subject of a multi decades long personal project. His son’s announcement is a sub-story in my documentation of the senior statesman. The Senator appeared anxious and to be praying, he whispered emphatically, “one question,” when KOAT’s Ilana Gold, below, asked a follow up question.

It was an indication that junior is, as he stated, “his own man.” It also indicates that his father’s instructions to him on how to handle the press went awry. Monahan got it right that it was no career changer when he wrote, “Pete Jr. plowed--and sometimes plodded through--a 15 minute speech.”

A byproduct of Monahan’s appearance was his request to pose senior and junior. Father and son included wife and mother Nancy. Photojournalistically, such a request to pose is a hot topic of debate with some suggesting that it is a manipulation of an event by the photographer. Of course one can ask what the difference is when covering a press conference where the subject of the press conference manipulates their event. Note: Journal photographer Adolphe Pierre-Louis, left, did not join in the feeding frenzy.

Afterthought

I was so busy readying myself for the start of the 30-day session that I failed to post.

The Democratic Party of New Mexico tapped into my archives to select some portraits of current lawmakers for a video tribute at their 20th Annual legislative Dinner.

Top row: Reps. Thomas Garcia, Edward Sandoval, Sen. John Pinto, and Rep. Elias Barela.
Second row: Sens. Carlos R. Cisneros, Cynthia Nava, George Munoz, and Rep. Jim R. Trujillo
Third row: Rep. Roberto "Bobby" J. Gonzales, Sen. David Ulibarri, Rep. Nick Salazar, and Sen. Tim Eichenberg.
Fourth row: Sens. Lynda Lovejoy, Pete Campos, Richard Martinez, and Rodolpho "Rudy" Martinez.

Geusts at the reception included Governor Bill Richardson, left, who stayed only through the preliminary event and New Mexico State University's newly appointed President Barbara Couture, right.

Who should I bump into, but Monahan, above, talking with Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins. Two sightings in a week, makes talking about his reporting style of not showing up at events hard to prove.

Monahan got news about Denish coming out swinging at Domenici Jr.

Congressman Harry Teague, right, told the pre-dinner reception how he had met Denish, left, as a fifth grader in Hobbs, N.M. She was always telling her classmates’ to line up on the playground before returning to the schoolroom, gesturing with a backward sweeping motion saying, “behind me, behind me.” Even back then, Teague said, she was trying to lead, and he had been following her ever since.

Denish was the dinner's keynote speaker.

Two Governor Bruce King Awards were presented: the former governor's niece, Representative Rhonda King, above, Bernalillo, Santa Fe and Torrance Counties, accepted her recognition from her cousin, Attorney General Gary King, above right, in his father's name; Senator Howie Morales, Catron, Grant and Socorro Counties was also given an award by State Democratic Party Chairman Javier Gonzales, below right.