While there have been some lengthy debates on the House and Senate floors, lots of bills going through committees, a few controversies and tons of rumors, not much has been decided by the Legislature so far. And there's only 11 days left until the session's end.

Besides the "Feed Bill" to fund the session -- which passed both chambers and was signed into law in the first week -- the House and Senate each have passed only a handful of bills. However, nobody who has ever seen the Legislature in action seems very worried about what might appear to be a lack of progress.

"As I understand it, this is the way it goes," Gov. Susana Martinez told reporters late last week. "It's slow at the beginning, then it starts to move very quickly at the end. I'm optimistic that [legislators] are going to pay attention to what's going on out there outside of the Roundhouse ... what voters want them to do."

Here's where some of the most important and most controversial pieces of legislation stand.

Driver's licenses: It looks like a rerun of last year's battle over a bill that would, in effect, repeal a 2003 law that allows the state to issue driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. The House Judiciary Committee on Friday voted 9-6 to recommend passage of House Bill 103, sponsored by Rep. Andy Nuñez, I-Hatch, and to send it to the House floor for debate.

That came after two days of behind-closed-doors negotiations between Democrats and Republicans trying to hammer out a compromise on the bill. During that time, Martinez told a reporter she would not sign any compromise that allowed illegal immigrants to get licenses.

Two Democrats joined with Republicans in backing the bill. However, even some supporters of the bill say they expect the Senate to drastically change the bill, which is what happened last year.

The Senate is working on its own bill, which would make it harder for illegal immigrants to get licenses, but not completely prohibit the undocumented from driving.

Education reform: There was progress late last week for Martinez's priority bill to stop "social promotion" of students who can't read at the end of third grade. After a lengthy discussion Friday, the House Education Committee recommended passage of HB 69, sponsored by Rep. Mary Helen Garcia, D-Las Cruces. The bill goes on to the House Judiciary Committee.

The bill includes provisions for early reading assessments for kindergartners, the use of reading coaches and continual dialogue between teachers and parents regarding reading progress and intervention plans for students.

Taxes: Santa Fe Democratic Sen. Peter Wirth's perennial bill that would require out-of-state corporations to pay corporate income tax in New Mexico did something last week it has failed to do in the past: It actually made it out of a committee. His Senate Bill 9 cleared the Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee by a 5-to-4 vote.

The bill goes on to the Senate Finance Committee.

Martinez has vowed to veto the bill, saying it is, in effect, a tax increase. Wirth argues that this year's bill actually lowers the corporate tax rate.

Public Regulation Commission reform: The issue of overhauling the scandal-ridden regulatory agency is one that the House has dealt with relatively quickly. Last week, the House voted overwhelmingly to pass three proposed constitutional amendments that would make major changes in the commission.

The three amendments would require minimum professional and educational qualifications for elected commissioners (House Joint Resolution 11); remove the Insurance Division from the commission and create an independent insurance superintendent appointed by the governor (HJR 16); and move the registration and reporting requirements for corporations from the commission to the Secretary of State's Office (HJR 17).

The Senate must now consider these reforms, which were suggested by a Santa Fe think tank, Think New Mexico. If the Senate passes any the amendments, it will appear on the November general election ballot for voters to decide on.

Corruption: The anti-corruption bill that has received the most traction is House Bill 111, sponsored by Rep. Nate Gentry, R-Albuquerque. It would increase criminal penalties when a crime is committed by a public official. It would also mean that officials convicted of crimes such as embezzlement, bribery and making false vouchers would not be eligible for state pensions and would not be allowed to become lobbyists. The bill passed the House on Saturday and goes on to the Senate.

Voter identification: House Bill 113, sponsored by Rep. Cathrynn Brown, R-Hatch, has yet to be heard by the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee. The bill would require photo identification to vote at the polls.

Cabinet secretaries: Three of Martinez's Cabinet appointments were confirmed by the Senate last week. These were Tom Clifford of the Department of Finance and Administration, Gregg Marcantel of the Corrections Department and Reta Ward of the Aging and Long-Term Services Department.

Still awaiting confirmation are designates Hanna Skandera, Department of Public Education; Jon Barela, Economic Development; Arthur Allison, Department of Indian Affairs; and John Bemis, Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. Skandera and Barela have been awaiting hearings since last year's regular sessions. Last week, Senate Democratic Leader Michael Sanchez of Belen said he didn't know whether Skandera's nomination would be heard this session.

However, any secretary who is not outright rejected by the Senate can still continue to serve as a "secretary designate."

The budget: The state budget for the fiscal year beginning in July is the main reason for the 30-day session. It's still to be crafted in the House Appropriations and Finance Committee.

Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com. Read his political blog at roundhouseroundup.com.