Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 14

B4 THE SUNDAY JOURNAL ALBUQUERQUE, JANUARY 13, 2008 Here's a quick look at some of the top issues expected to come before the 30-day session of the New Mexico Legislature, starting Tuesday: 1 1 1111 1.. IEL 7.4..?., cv t-, rl.P 4- i. i i -0114 111 qv i 'Ilk sr-Net, 4de t' sN, HEALTH CARE REFORM A plan by Gov. Bill Richardson would dramatically alter how health care is delivered in New Mexico. His proposal would require every New Mexican to have some sort of health coverage; establish a powerful new authority to control health care costs and improve efficiency; and prevent insurance companies from rejecting anyone for medical reasons.

Legislators Brace for Governor's Big Agenda RETIREE HEALTH CARE The state health care plan for about 42,000 retirees is projected to hit red ink in the next decade, even with a 9 percent premium increase taking effect in January. In addition to the premium increase, retirees also will see higher co-payments for some medical benefits and prescription drugs ordered through the mail. Lawmakers are expected to discuss what's needed to shore up the system's finances. calls for adjusting the way New Mexico parcels out money to local school districts. It also recommends raising the amount of money earmarked for public education by more than $320 million, said Stewart, the Albuquerque Democrat who co-chaired a task force studying the state's school funding formula.

Regulatory reform There also might be a bi-partisan movement among state lawmakers to address "regulatory reform" because of new state regulations on the disposal of waste produced during oil and gas drilling to prevent ground water contamination. The regulation concerns pits holes dug in the ground to hold the wastewater produced during drilling. State regulators say the tougher rule is needed to protect ground water from potential contamination. Some lawmakers say the Richardson administration has overstepped its powers with the regulations. "That's making law without being legislators," Jennings said.

Added Foley, the House from PAGE BI health care," Richardson said Friday in Santa Fe. "I don't want any divergence." Further complicating matters are the 2008 elections. All 42 members of the Senate and all 70 House members are up for election this year. Some of them already are worrying about being summoned back to Santa Fe for a special session to mop up any unfinished business when they think they need to be out campaigning. "It's pretty ambitious," said Sen.

Timothy Jennings, DRoswell expected to be the Senate's new president pro tem sizing up this year's agenda. "I don't know if we can get it all done," said House Minority Whip Dan Foley, R-Roswell, "I just hope we can agree on certaM things and do those first, and not start off fighting." On the budget, Richardson and legislators generally see eye to eye on the big picture. Both Richardson and the Legislative Finance Committee have recommended a 6 percent increase in spending, or around 8360 million, above this year's 85.7 billion budget. Sondra Isaminger EDUCATION A task force is recommending an overhaul of the formula used to distribute state financing to school districts. Some lawmakers say changes must be made or the state risks being sued for not providing equal and adequate funding for schools.

However, the state will need to increase spending by several hundred million dollars to implement the school finance changes over three years. Education always is a top budget issue. Part of the debate is how much to boost salaries for teachers and school workers and increase spending on programs such as prekindergarten for 4-year-olds. cates. Campaign, ethics issues Richardson also wants the Legislature to take up several campaign finance and ethics measures that failed last year because of resistance from legislators.

One proposal would cap monetary contributions to elected officials and political candidates. New Mexico remains one of a handful of states with no contribution limits. Another would expand the public financing of elections to candidates and elected officials seeking statewide offices such as governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state and land commissioner. Public education Beyond Richardson's agenda, some state lawmakers want to alter the way New Mexico funds public education. At $2.5 billion, public education is New Mexico's single largest expenditure.

A proposal, developed last year following a lengthy review of the state's funding formula, Nudicart, rorpra Poc iCatbalo; -ALBUQUERQUE200 Tramway Blvd SE 296-1544 111 Coors Blvd NW 831-5545 2620 Carlisle Blvd SE 884-0125 320 Yale Blvd SE 266-0201 3701 Constitution Ave NE 256-5386 in step i VW 0.1010A100,05. TITE A 1Atle Help' oet; a Way moicart, rovyant Nto Pacc lp oolt GENTLE 1 Is rovi, 1,7 .4, Participating ETHICS REFORM The fight for ethics reform will pick up where the Legislature left off last year. Richardson plans to ask lawmakers to cap monetary contributions to elected officials and political candidates and to create a first-ever state ethics commission. Both proposals were defeated last year. The governor also will ask legislators to consider expansion of public financing of elections to candidates for statewide office.

SOURCE: Journal staff report and The Associated Press minority whip: "The distance is widening between us and oversight" of the executive branch. Other issues Beyond these issues, state lawmakers will be pulled in several directions to fix problems that some believe are just as pressing as the high-profile issues. They include: Address the state's retiree health care system, which is underfunded. Deciding where to find extra money to go toward the state's highway system, also underfunded. Debating whether to fix the state's new minimum wage law.

Because of what some call a glitch in the new minimum wage law, state and local governments could spend millions of dollars a year more in overtime for firefighters, police, corrections officers and emergency medical personnel. The law, which took effect Jan. 1, lacks a standard federal provision that exempts firefighters and others from being paid overtime if they work more than the standard 40-hour work week within a seven-day period. 8040 Academy Rd NE 823-9500 8100 Wyoming Blvd NE 857-9728 8301 Golf Course Rd. NW 897-3411 -RIO RANCHO1000 Rio Rancho Blvd SE 892-1866 NEW STORE LOCATION! 4800 McMahon Blvd NW 922-4300 Valid January 13 February 24, 2008 BUDGET Richardson and the Legislative Finance Committee generally agree on increasing the $5.7 billion state budget by roughly 6 percent, or around $360 million in general fund spending.

The governor and the committee also want to increase funding for public education by around $120 million, to $2.6 billion. There already are budget disagreements, such as how much to increase spending for the governmental low-income health insurance program known as Medicaid. Richardson has proposed increasing Medicaid by $100 million compared to the $84 million proposed by the Legislative Finance Committee. done first. Health care reform is a huge issue." Others, however, said the Legislature could vet and pass the proposal, provided certain conditions are met.

"If all the ducks are in line, we know where the cost and money is coming from, that will make a big difference," said House Speaker Ben Lujan, D-Santa Fe, a Richardson ally. "If information is lacking, that will slow things up." Jennings said that lawmakers had not yet seen the governor's health care bill drafts by the middle of last week. Domestic partnership A domestic partnership bill that the state Senate killed last year also will be high on Richardson's agenda, his staff said. That legislation would give unmarried couples homosexual and heterosexual the same rights and benefits as married couples provided they are in intimate and committed relationship, share a home and are not related by blood. It would allow eligible couples to register with county clerks, who would issue them certifi About 12 classes were graduated from the program.

It was considered a huge part of Isaminger's legacy. Cecilia Olmstead, a friend, said the program made the women "feel special and respected, like they were somebody." Isaminger was the perfect person to do such work, as "people were just drawn to her," Olmstead said. "She just had a heart for reaching people, wanting to tell them the way and not wanting anyone to be lost," she said. Sanchez met Isaminger about 12 years ago when Isaminger was organizing a fashion show as part of the women's ministry at Calvary Chapel. A daughter of the Isamingers, Michelle, was ill with cancer at the time and died just before the event took place.

"A few days later (Sondra) attended this event and MCed the whole thing," Sanchez remembered. "Her strength was absolutely unbelievable." Under the Influence last played in September, at the State Fair. Sondra's health began declining not long after, her husband said. But those who knew her said she was not one to feel sorry for herself or give up. "Never once did she say 'woe is Sanchez said.

"She never dwelled on all the surgeries, the chemo, whatever the procedure they wanted to put her through. She never, ever brought it up and complained about it." During a benefit concert for Sondra Isaminger in summer 2005, nine bands played all day long one Sunday at Los Altos Park to help raise money for her medical-related expenses. "She fought the good fight," John Isaminger said. "She dealt with this disease with courage and dignity." Along with her husband of 25 years, Sondra Isaminger is survived by her daughter Victoria. TRANSPORTATION Expect discussions on where to come up with extra money for New Mexico's underfunded highway system.

With no money to pay for them, the New Mexico Transportation Commission postponed indefinitely $500 million worth of high-priority road projects. That amounted to 29 projects around the state. New Mexico, like many states, is struggling with a shortage of transportation money because of skyrocketing inflation in the price of construction materials and less money than expected from the federal government. Differences are found on the finer points, such as how much to raise spending on the government's Medicaid health insurance program for low and middle-income people. But even more difficult debate might well come on other issues.

Among those is Richardson's health care plan. 'A huge issue' The governor's administration has proposed that every New Mexican have some sort of health coverage; that the state establish a powerful new authority to control health care costs and improve efficiency; and that insurance companies be prevented from rejecting anyone for medical reasons. "I intend to put my full efforts behind our No. 1 priority: health care reform," the governor said last week. Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle, a Porta les Republican, said health care deserves its own session, not a portion of a 30-day session.

"There are some things a 30- day session are meant to handle," Ingle said. "We need to make sure we get the basics COURTESY OF JOHN ISAMINGER Sondra Isaminger was a singer for the Christian 1181B funk-soul band Under the Influence for the last 10 years. life to Christian ministry. "Really, the band that she loved and she worked with for the last 10 years was called Under the Influence," he said. "We put this band together back in 1997 with the idea of using it as a means of sharing Christ, as well as getting involved in causes we believed in." Those causes included performing at benefits for homeless service providers, Habitat for Humanity and Relay for Life, he said.

The group has also appeared in adult and youth prisons throughout the state. It has also performed at many events and festivals, locally and regionally. As part of her outreach, Sondra Isaminger started My New Attitude, a ministry mentorship program for women aimed largely at women leaving prison or jail to better themselves. The 12-week course included writing and computer classes and supplying the women with a wardrobe so they could enter the workforce. "The reason why we started it is when we would go to some of the women's facilities, they noticed that a lot of women, as soon as they get out, they'd go right back," John Isaminger said.

"It was a revolving door. "So Sondra decided we needed to get involved with some aftercare." ce 6 Singer Was Dedicated To Helping Those in Need EXCLUSIVELY AT Smiths. 000 DRUG STORES 0, is grancl ,.) tiOvv I T3 Lei Is It The Sunday Bittl'esin? Journ al pk, only 990 KN IG III With Your ,....,4,: You Save 51 0-- ralt Iowa Or Bost 111 Races? A 1., With Your GEM You Save 510 BY LLOYD IMOLA Journal Staff Writer With a dynamic voice, incredible presence and wit, Sondra Isaminger was a great front woman, a singer who for the last decade took the stage with Christian MB-funk-soul band Under the Influence. "She was a person who loved to entertain an audience," said her husband, John Isaminger, also a band member. "She was able to share her faith in Jesus Christ through many of her performances." Sondra Isaminger reached out to help many people as part of her Christian ministry work, those who knew her said.

"Whenever you met with Sondra, you saw her strength and her faith in God," said Carol Sanchez, a friend who met her years ago when Isaminger was organizing a women's ministry function. "She was constantly looking for different ways to reach those in need, whether it was in the women's prison in Grants or the women's jail here in Albuquerque or through her and John's ministry with their band in the park." Sondra Isaminger, who fought cancer for several years, died Jan. 8. She was 51. A celebration of life will take place at 2 p.m.

today at Calvary Chapel of Albuquerque, 4001 Osuna NE. Burial will take place at 11 a.m. Monday at Sunset Memorial Park. The child of a father who was in the military, Sondra Isaminger was born in England. She moved to Albuquerque in the 1960s and graduated from Manzano High School, her husband said.

"She did a lot of theater work locally as well as modeling, modeling for different fashion shows and things like that," John Isaminger said. Sondra Isaminger sang professionally with various local groups over a 35-year span, her husband said. She devoted much of the latter part of her Smith's Locations 4016 Louisiana Blvd NE 884-1860 4700 Tramway Blvd NE 292-5485 5850 Eubank Blvd NE 299-0848 6001 Lomas Blvd NE 266-7401 6125 4th St NW 344-2363 THE SUNDAY JOURNAL Smiths stwil' FOOD DRUG STORES FOOD DRUG STORES.