Senate panel not likely to hold confirmation hearings on UNM regents this session

A Senate committee leader says lawmakers may not hold confirmation hearings during the legislative session for regents at the University of New Mexico and the delay has upset Gov. Bill Richardson.

Sen. Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque, chairwoman of the Rules Committee, said Tuesday the confirmation hearings could be held later this year if a special session is called to deal with budget issues.

She said it's taken longer than expected to get background checks completed. The committee has been locked in a dispute with the Richardson administration because the Department of Public Safety will not conduct background checks for the panel on appointees to high-level positions. At the committee's request, the attorney general's office has agreed to conduct the reviews.

The legislative session ends Saturday, but Richardson's appointees can continue to serve if the Senate hasn't acted on their nominations.

"Unfortunately, the clock may run out before the committee can hold the UNM regents' confirmation hearings. In the long run this may prove to be for the best as the Legislature continues to monitor the regents' responses to extraordinary challenges unfolding on the campus," Lopez said in a statement.

Gilbert Gallegos, the governor's deputy chief of staff, criticized Lopez for the delay of confirmations. The administration conducts background checks on its nominees.

"Sen. Lopez's obsession for a second round of background checks, on top of the ... executive branch's thorough vetting process, is counterproductive and only serves to delay progress at our universities and on our boards and commissions," Gallegos said in a statement.

Pending before the committee is the reappointment of Jamie Koch of Santa Fe to a six-year term on the UNM board of regents and the governor's appointments of J.E. "Gene" Gallegos, a Santa Fe lawyer; and student regent Emily "Cate" Wisdom.

Last month, about 500 UNM faculty members approved no confidence votes against UNM's president, another top-ranking executive and Koch. Faculty complained about a topdown management style and a reduced commitment to teaching and research at the university. Richardson announced last week that Koch had agreed to step down as president of the regents but would continue to serve on the board.

Last year, the public safety agency did several background checks of nominees and shared them with the Senate committee. Gallegos said at the time that DPS had mistakenly released the information to the committee and the administration had never agreed to provide background checks to the panel.