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LAS CRUCES - New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez said Friday that she expected to fill the two vacancies on the 3rd Judicial District bench next week.

In a wide-ranging discussion with the Sun-News editorial board, her first since taking over as governor, Martinez also explained her decision to remove the spaceport executive director and board, said she would oppose efforts by the Jemez Pueblo to build a casino in Anthony and discussed her budding relationship with the New Mexico Legislature, two weeks into her first session.

Martinez said Friday that she would conduct interviews on Saturday with the six candidates vying to replace judges Jerald Valentine and Stephen Bridgforth, and would likely make her decision next week.

The six nominees sent to Martinez by the judicial nominating committee are Susan Riedel, Marci Beyer, Keith Burn, Randy Castellano, Jacinto Palomino and Edith Reeves.

As for the New Mexico State Board of Regents, Martinez said she interviewed two candidates for student regent on Friday, and would also likely have an announcement on that next week.

Spaceport future

Martinez acknowledged that Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson called her to request that former spaceport Executive Director Rick Homans be retained, but said she needed to make a change, in part because her team has not been able to conduct a thorough review of spaceport operations. She removed both Homans and the spaceport board, and has yet to name replacements.

"What

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we want to do is get a hold of the contract (with Virgin Galactic) and make sure we know what the long-term commitment is financially," she said. "They have not been very willing to share the very hard data of what is the state's commitment long-term."

Martinez reiterated her support for the spaceport project, and said there would be a sense of urgency in filling the positions.

"We want to go forward, but we want to have a clear understanding of what we're going forward with," she said.

Anthony casino

The governor was clearly reluctant to take a stand on the proposed Anthony casino, but when pressed she said she would oppose it.

"I'm hoping they (federal government) decide," she said with a laugh. "We already have a casino there. Having Union Pacific as something that is going to develop, economically, that area ... You already have a casino there, so are you just going to split the pie two ways?

"I don't support it."

Getting along, so far

Two weeks into the 60-day legislative session, Martinez said her dealings with the Legislature thus far have been cooperative, and she believes she has changed a working relationship between lawmakers and the executive branch that had become strained during the final years of Bill Richardson's administration.

She said legislative leaders from both parties have been up to her office for discussions, and noted that the budget she submitted was not that far off from the one offered by the Legislative Finance Committee.

"They're seeing a difference in that we're wanting to find common ground," she said. "When before, they didn't appear to have that good working relationship.

"I really think there's a different atmosphere. I really, really do. Because we want to have that conversation and we're not so divisive."

State budget

As to the state's budget woes, she said the Legislature understands that "We can't Band-Aid this anymore" with temporary fixes such as one-time federal stimulus money.

She said her budget would protect education and add $10 million to Medicaid, but make permanent cuts in other areas of government. And, she said a five-year plan is needed, instead of spending based on revenue available that year.

Walter Rubel can be reached at (575) 541-5441.