Senators played hooky during session

SANTA FE (KRQE) - As lawmakers last month worked to solve the state's budget crisis in a special legislative session, two state senators skipped much of the work to go on separate hunting trips.

The session was extremely important, according to senators on both sides of the aisle. It was so important that Sen. Carlos Cisneros, D-Questa, missed his brother's funeral to be there.

Sen. David Ulibarri, D-Grants, meanwhile left the session after just three days, instead hunting elk in the Four Corners.

He refused News 13's requests for comment, so reporter Michael Herzenberg found him at a Veterans Day ceremony in Truth or Consequences.

"You know, we wasted so much time the first four days," he said.

Later, when asked about whether he felt he was protecting his constituents' interests, he said, "I think all the interests that I represent were protected."

Ulibarri missed every vote on budget cuts. Food for the elderly, education and Medicaid took a hit statewide.

Even a state park in Ulibarri's own district is shut down for now and the Department of Corrections says it may have to close the women's prison in the senator's hometown. That could mean 150 jobs gone and hundreds of inmates freed.

During the interview, Ulibarri said he didn't feel this was a story.

"I think this is a story that is worthy, these veterans that are here," he said.

But, when Herzenberg said the state's Department of Veterans Services was one of the departments cut during the session, Ulibarri said, "I think that is one of those that will be vetoed."

Also absent for part of the session was Sen. Phil Griego, D-San Jose, who spent the first three days of the session hunting elk.

He told News 13 he had finally won the lottery for an elk-hunting license and didn't want to miss the chance. He returned to the Roundhouse in time for all of the budget votes.