Copyright © 2014 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE – As Gov. Susana Martinez readies for the start of her second term, 85 of her first-term appointees are still waiting to be confirmed by the state Senate.

The list includes Public Education secretary-designate Hanna Skandera, who has led the state’s public schools system since 2011 and says she plans “without a doubt” to continue in the job even after a Senate panel deadlocked earlier this year on a vote to advance her nomination to a vote by the full Senate.

The panel vote came after committee members spent 10 hours spread over three days during the 2013 legislative session hearing testimony and debating the merits of Skandera’s confirmation.

“To date, the process has been disappointing,” Skandera recently told the Journal. “I am hopeful that as we move forward we can focus on what’s most important – our kids and their success.”

Despite the backlog of nominations, Senate Rules Committee Chairwoman Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque, said she does not plan to alter the vetting procedure for Skandera and other gubernatorial appointees.

“It’s the same process,” Lopez said, referring to a formal application and background check, among other steps.

Read more here: http://www.abqjournal.com/503622/news/nm-senate-confirmation-backlog-is-growing.html