The session, which lasted until Saturday, may balance the 2009 fiscal year budget and give officials a head start on additional cuts when the regular session starts in early 2010. Estimates have the budget shortfall ranging from $600 million to one billion dollars.

All bills are pending a signature from Gov. Bill Richardson.

Last week, Richardson froze all future capital outlay projects without a contract until at least the next legislative session in January, or until revenues increase and the entire budget is balanced, said Gerald Gonzalez, a spokesman for the State Senate Majority.

Gonzalez said those projects could be put on hold for two to three years if state revenue doesn't see significant increases.

State Sen. Michael Sanchez (D-Valencia County) said the session was successful in terms of chopping millions from the state budget, and said tax increases on items such as cigarettes and liquor are on the horizon for the regular session.

"We did the best we could under the circumstances," Sanchez said. "We will still be in the hole come January. But revenues aren't as good as they were in the past."

Public schools across the state will suffer a 2 percent cut on the surface, but that cut could turn out to be about 1 percent with additional money being pumped into public schools from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Almost $46 million will be distributed to school districts and charter schools through the state equalization guarantee distribution.

Representative Elias Barela, who is up for re-election, said he fought for the working class by voting against the budget bill.

"I didn't want to balance the budget on the backs of working New Mexicans," Barela said. "These folks are hard working and focused on tasks they are given. They are not the ones that got us into this position."

Barela said he doesn't agree with educational building projects that could go more toward student's needs.

"We need to support our schools," Barela said. "They need our help. They don't need to suffer more cuts. If we are going to cut educational budgets, it ought to be on the capital ― the buildings. I mean you can learn in a wood shed if you have a good teachers and good employees. The key is that workforce, that is the most important to me."

The representative said he introduced a bill that would have shifted those cuts to the governor's office. The bill called for a reduction in force of 180 of Richardson's exempt employees. Those employees, who are appointed by the governor, currently have annual salaries of more than $50,000 each.

Sanchez, who said state legislators learned the full extent of the state's problems, and he thinks the economy is starting to pick up. He listed an increase in natural gas revenues as one of the keys to building toward a stable economy.

"I have always been the eternal optimist," Sanchez said. "But I think the economy is coming around. The wide recession just took a little longer to hit us."

Barela said Valencia County dodged a bullet with almost $6 million on the chopping block for the Signet Solar and North Belen Interchange Project.

Construction of the interchange is the first step in bringing a $840 million expansion of Signet Solar Inc., a company that is expected to bring 600 jobs to the area.

The state Legislative Finance Committee listed the project as part of millions that would go back into the state general fund.

"I fought this extremely hard with Andrew Barerras," Barela said. "The best social program is a job. I believe very strongly that people in Valencia County are looking for economic development."

With January's regular session looming, Sanchez thinks there is some light at the end of the tunnel. He said the special session helped give officials an idea of what they must do in 2010.

"We worked as hard as we could to come up with a solution," Sanchez said. "We took a step forward."