Legislative roundup — Feb. 1

Days remaining in session: 19

Here’s to you, Mr. and Mrs. Robinson: Nike founder and owner Phil Knight visited the New Mexico House of Representatives on Friday to honor Charles and Mara Robinson of Santa Fe.

A memorial in the House sponsored by Speaker Kenny Martinez, D-Grants, recognized the Robinsons “as New Mexico living treasures” for their contributions to the state, particularly their support for arts and education.

Knight met Charles Robinson, 94, in the early days of Nike — long before it sold $23 billion worth of merchandise in a year and catapulted Knight’s net worth past $16 billion. Charles Robinson served on the Nike board of directors for 33 years.

After serving in World War II, Charles Robinson launched a career in international business, including founding Marcona Corp., a mining company in Peru, and later became an investment banker. He was appointed undersecretary for economic affairs by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger during President Gerald Ford’s administration.

Mara Robinson, 84, is a former opera singer. She founded the Opera-West company in San Francisco in the 1950s and was a talent scout for The Santa Fe Opera and a founding member of the New Mexico School for the Arts.

The Robinsons have lived in Santa Fe since 1978. They have three daughters.

Does Moe know football?

State Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas, the son of a sports writer, stood on the House floor Friday and guaranteed that the Seattle Seahawks will win Sunday’s Super Bowl against Denver.

Maestas, D-Albuquerque, has an obvious bias for Seattle. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington.

Maestas’ last prediction was that the House of Representatives would win the annual basketball game against the state Senate. He was nothin’ but net on that one.

Push for emergency medication at schools: Children have died unnecessarily in New Mexico because emergency medications were not readily accessible at their schools, according to supporters of a bill that would make the medications more easily available.

Backers of Senate Bill 75 testified Thursday, when the measure cleared its first legislative hurdle with a pass in the Senate Public Affairs Committee. Next it moves to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The legislation sponsored by Sen. Mark Moores, R-Albuquerque, would allow schools to stock and provide emergency medications, such as EpiPens for allergic reactions to insect and food allergies, and inhalers for apparent respiratory distress. Under current law, schools cannot stock these medications, and they can only be administered if students provide them.

Moores’ bill would permit short-term emergency care in schools for students suffering from certain medical conditions until emergency medical technicians arrive.

“Most children have their first allergic reaction at school,” Moores said in a written statement. “Many parents don’t even know their child is allergic until there is a reaction at school.”

The proposal in New Mexico follows a growing trend to allow schools to stock and administer emergency medications. Twenty-six states have similar laws, and 15 states joined those ranks in 2013, according to The Associated Press.

Looking ahead: Monday is School Nutrition Day at the Legislature. The organization Farm to Table and The New Mexico Food and Agricultural Policy Council will be promoting two bills, SB 143 and HB 81, both of which would appropriate $1.44 million to purchase New Mexico produce for school meals.

Quote of the day: “I log about 60,000 miles a year on New Mexico highways, and New Mexico State Police know me well.” — Rep. Eliseo Alcon, D-Milan, telling the New Mexico Press Association about lawmakers’ year-round work.