BUOYED BY SURPLUS, GOVERNOR CONVENES LAWMAKERS

Money-wise, the state of Gov. Gary Johnson's state is fine. When it comes
to the health, education and welfare of his 1.8 million fellow New
Mexicans, however, the state is still a mess; statistically at the bottom
of most categories that count, New Mexico is the scene of family tragedies
in all three areas.

At noon today, Johnson will open his last 60-day Legislature. Between now
and the time the session ends on St. Patrick's Day is the governor's best
opportunity for achievements historians will chalk up to his eight years in
office. There could be a frenzy of accomplishments in next year's 30-day
session, on the order of the full-day kindergarten miracle that emerged
from last year's budget-oriented short session - but the next two months
are the time frame for real deliberation over our state and what the
governor and the Legislature can do for its future.

The Republican Johnson will pitch his vision in today's state-of-the-state
speech. There are high hopes that he'll sound more conciliatory than he has
in his six previous addresses. Yet the iron fist of our state's firm veto
power will be bursting the seams of the governor's gloves, velvet or otherwise.

The 45th New Mexico Legislature opens with projections of a $400 million
budget surplus - so much money that Democrats and Republicans alike are in
the mood for spending. Johnson seems game to increase state outlays by just
less than nine per cent; legislative leaders say let's spend a bit more
than nine per cent.

Can compromise be far behind? If the executive and the lawmaking branches
do reach an agreement on percentage, that will be the easy compromise;
after that come arguments on how much money goes where. Even in that
often-rocky ground, there's some agreement this year: Schools and Medicaid
are among the priorities of a governor whose earlier focus was on
privatized prisons and roads. There, too, the devil will be in the details.

Then come the noisy issues: drug laws, drunken-driving laws and electricity.

Johnson has gained national notoriety with his calls to decriminalize
narcotics. The Legislature's top leaders are opposed to decriminalization,
but some influential senators and representatives say they're willing to
listen.

Tougher penalties for felony-level drunken driving failed to make it
through last year's short session. This time, those penalties should wind
up in state statute.

Electric-power deregulation, originally to have taken effect this year,
already has been put off until 2002. Now its legislative promoters are
talking about another five-year delay. They should wait at least that long
- - but the free-marketeering governor, unpersuaded even by fellow
businessmen, and undissuaded by the deregulation mess in California, would
turn the power companies into unregulated monopolies and let New Mexico
ratepayers fend for themselves.

In this "long session," of course, any of our state's 70 representatives
and 42 senators may introduce whatever bills or memorials come to mind.
There's boundless potential for mischief - and for the occasional act of
goodness. The New Mexican, among others, will keep an eye out for both.