I'd like to recount for everyone here a true story about another governor who once faced a very difficult policy decision of his own, and I think you'd all appreciate how he resolved his own personal moral dilemma in order to act in what he saw as the greater public good.

In 1970, Hawaii became the first state in the country to legalize a woman's right to abortion. The bill was the very first measure to pass the state legislature that year, and on February 19 it was delivered to the office of Gov. John Anthony Burns, a quietly devout and practicing Roman Catholic who for years had attended daily 6:00 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, before heading to work at the State Capitol.

Statutorily, once the bill appeared on his desk, Gov. Burns had ten days to notify both House Speaker Tadao Beppu and Senate President Dave McClung in writing of any intent on his part to veto the bill. As the March 1, 1970 deadline approached, there developed enormous pressure on him from the Bishop of the Diocese of Honolulu on down, to pull out his pen and eighty-six the measure. Indeed, most legislators and citizens expected him to do exactly that.

One can only imagine everyone's astonishment when, as the March 1 deadline dawned, Gov. Burns instead issued a public statement announcing that while he could not in good conscience approve the legalization of abortion, he would allow the measure to become law without his signature:

"House Bill 61, relating to Hawaii's century-old abortion law, is now Act 1 of the Session Laws of Hawaii for 1970. The measure became law without my signature.

"My personal views regarding the subject of abortion are well-known, and need not be recounted here. While my faith precludes my personal approval of this measure, I am fully cognizant from my days as a police captain that there is ample evidence that the traffic in illegal abortions is considerable in Hawaii, as well as in other jurisdictions. The legislature has therefore determined that our law should be amended to reflect changed community standards, rather than allow women to continue violating an outmoded law at the risk of their own lives.

"I have made my decision. I stand by it. It is the decision of the governor of Hawaii, not the private and personal whim of John A. Burns. It reflects my best judgment as governor, made after consultation with the best minds in the state, in regard to what is best for all the people of Hawaii."

While it's always easy to act out politically in accordance with one's perception of current public opinion, such fickle sentiment provides a dubious rationale for a governor to base such a profound and important policy decision.

Therefore, mindful that this is one of those instances when it's neither easy nor necessarily popular to do what is ultimately best for the people of New Mexico, I must surmise that were he alive today o offer counsel, John Burns would no doubt advise Bill Richardson to forgo townhall meetings, instead keep his own counsel and deliberate in private, and then act decisively in accordance with his own personal convictions.