NM lawmakers delay golden parachute bill

STATE LAWMAKERS DELAY ACTION ON A BILL THAT WOULD SLASH SO-CALLED GOLDEN PARACHUTES - THE SEVERANCE CHECKS THAT UNIVERSITIES PAY TO DEPARTING PRESIDENTS AND COACHES STUART DYSON IS LIVE AT THE STATE CAPITOL WITH THIS AFTERNOON S DEVELOPMENTS THE BILL ISN T DEAD - NOT BY ANY MEANS - BUT LAWYERS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WANT TO TUNE UP SOME TECHNICAL LANGUAGE THAT COULD AFFECT CONTRACTS FOR THESE HIGHLY PAID PEOPLE - YOU KNOW THE ONES WE RE TALKING ABOUT LET S MAKE ROCKY LONG THE POSTER BOY - THE UNM FOOTBALL COACH QUITS SOON AFTER SIGNING A NEW FIVE YEAR CONTRACT - HIS DECISION - BUT THE ROCK STILL WALKS AWAY WITH MORE THAN 677 THOUSAND DOLLARS UNM WAS ALSO GENEROUS WHEN THEY FIRED EX BASKETBALL COACH RITCHIE MCKAY BACK IN 2007 - HE LL COLLECT ALMOST 600 GRAND THROUGH NEXT YEAR LAWMAKERS IN THE HOUSE HEARD RETIRED COP BILL REHM ARGUE THAT IT S TIME TO OUTLAW THE PRACTICE You re allowing them to break the contract and then pay them a reward for breaking the contract - they should be paying us for breaking the contract BUT TOO MANY QUESTIONS - CONTRACTS ARE COMPLICATED I can see this having a wide range effect on other positions - do you think this - Mr Speaker - gentleman from Bernalillo - would impair our ability to recruit IT ISN T JUST AN ATHLETIC THING - FORMER UNM PRESIDENT LOUIS CALDERA AGREED TO RESIGJN IN 2003 WHEN THE SCHOOL OFFERED HIM 713 THOIUSAND DOLLARS FORMER STATE SENATE HEAVYWEIGHT MANNY ARAGON GOT 200 GRAND WHEN HE STEPPED DOWN AS PRESIDENT OF NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY AND EX A P S SUPERINTENDENT BRAD ALLISON - WHO QUIT UNDER A CLOUD OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT - PILL POPPING AND BOOZE ACCUSATIONS - HAULED IN A SWEET 350 GRAND - THAT WAS BACK IN OH- TWO MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE SAY THEY LL TRY TO FIX THE TECHNICAL LANGUAGE UP SWIFTLY - AND GET THE BILL BACK FOR A VOTE ON THE FLOOR AT THE CAPITOL STUART DYSON EYEWITNESS NEWS FOUR TODAY THE STATE