Table of Contents
Introduction and Acknowledgments vii
Part I La Vida Politico, in the New Mexico Senate
Chapter 1 Cue the Mariachis and Put On Your Cowboy Hat: The New Mexico Legislature Is in Session 3
Chapter 2 Campaigning and Getting Elected: Vámonos a la Matanza 17
Part II Boots, Suits, Leaders, and Lobbyists
Chapter 3 Leadership Styles in the Senate: Caution: Gusty Winds May Exist 37
Chapter 4 Special Interests, Lobbyists, and Citizen Legislators: "You've Got to Dance with Them What Brung Ya" 61
Part III Dances with Wolves: New Mexico Advocates Take On the Big Boys
Chapter 5 Burn Marks from the Fireworks Industry 93
Chapter 6 A New Mexico Two-Step with the Lobbyists from Big Pharma 104
Chapter 7 Holding Our Own in the Face of Big Tobacco 116
Chapter 8 Taking a Bullet for the NRA 132
Part IV Patients and Patience: Turning Around the Battleship
Chapter 9 The Rocky Road to Health Care Reform: Warning: Travelers May Experience Detours, Speed Traps, and Road Rage 147
Chapter 10 Patients, Mavericks, and Heroes: Behind the Smokescreen in the Legislative Drug Wars 166
Part V By Grit and Grace
Chapter 11 Courageous Senator Closes Chapter on New Mexico's Dirty-Little Secret: Cockfighting 193
Chapter 12 Citizen Legislators Grapple with the Ultimate Issue: The Death Penalty 202
Part VI Good People Trapped in a Flawed System: Ethics, Campaign Finance, and Transparency
Chapter 13 Ethics: Can Citizen Legislators Draw Bright Lines in a Gray Area? 217
Chapter 14 Transparency: Zero Visibility Possible 228
Chapter 15 Campaign Finance Reform: Navigating the Endless Minefield 239
Conclusion: Tackling the Unfinished Agenda: A Handbook 251
Notes 265
Glossary 277
Index 283
