Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort, R-Sandia Park, has introduced 30 bills, memorials and joint memorials this legislative session.

One of her bills — SB 82, which would permit redispensation of unused prescriptions — passed in the Senate with a vote of 38 in favor and none opposed. The bill requires the state Corrections Department to accept and use the unused portions of prescription drugs for inmate care.

"I've been doing a lot of budget-type bills," she said. "This is one little way we can save a little bit of money."

She said the inmates' pills come individually bubble-wrapped, and by law the unused portions of a prescription had to be discarded.

Ethics bills

This year, Beffort and several other senators have introduced ethics bills, and some of them overlap.

For example, her bill limiting campaign contributions is being combined with two other bills addressing the same issue, she said.

Another bill, SB 261, would strip state employees convicted of a felony of retirement benefits.

She said Senate Republican Whip William Payne of Albuquerque, sponsored a similar the measure, SB 141.

Beffort said she felt her bill was more comprehensive, and said her bill took in salaried employees, held spouses harmless and addressed other issues that Payne's bill didn't.

Voting machines drain counties

Seventeen New Mexico counties owe the state more than $3.5 million for electronic voting machines that cannot be used in state elections.

But if House Bill 387 is signed into law, the state will forgive that debt.

According to the bill's fiscal impact report, the counties were given the go-ahead to enter into a lease-purchase agreement to buy the machines, with the state Department of Finance and Administration providing the counties loans. However, agreements were made prior to 2006, when the state went to paper ballots, making the electronic machines obsolete and leaving the counties having to pay for them.

The machines are currently in storage in Los Lunas.

The bill would forgive the debt and allow the counties to dispose of the machines through auction.

The bill got a "do pass" recommendation from the House Voters and Elections Committee.

Memorial for health

On Feb. 26, Beffort introduced SM 49 to recognize the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy at the University of New Mexico. The memorial states that the project, established in 2007, is "home to leading experts on health policy, nursing, economics, sociology, anthropology, psychology, political science and journalism."

It also states the project helped the Legislature in a statewide survey of adults that examined their attitudes regarding health care reform.

On Monday, she introduced SM 60, which requests that the New Mexico Environment Department look into the use of biodegradable wood chips for mulch, rather than have it go into a landfill.

It also requests the department and green-oriented organizations and businesses develop a plan to maximize use of wood chips in the state.