Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce Opposes Proposed Revision to State Education Funding Formula

One Week Left…..

Though 1,503 bills have been introduced, only 10 have passed both chambers of the Legislature leaving legislators with a great deal of work still ahead of them. Committees are meeting later into the evening than in the first few weeks of the session as more and more bills are passing their original chamber and coming over to the other chamber for consideration. We expect the Senate and House will start holding longer meetings on the floor or possibly going to two sessions a day as they make the effort to ensure that as many bills as possible have the opportunity to be heard.

Money Makes the World Go Round………..

After going back and forth between the Senate and House, HB 2, the budget bill, has been approved by the Legislature and will go upstairs to the Governor. While the budget for the state is approximately $6 billion this year, it should be noted that legislators had little leeway in what could be spent. After arrival in the Senate, a sign in Senate Finance stating, “What part of ‘there is no more money’ don’t you understand,” humorously pointed out the limitations for spending.  Since the bill was sent to the Governor prior to the last 72 hours of the session, he has three days to sign, veto or partially line item veto the bill.

Further Action on Health Care Bills

This afternoon, the House Judiciary Committee will again take up consideration of the committee substitute for HB 62, the Health Solutions Act. It should be noted that a committee substitute is moved forward by the committee, not by the sponsor of the bill. They will also consider HB 214, the Health Security Act, which is the single payer bill opposed by the Chamber. Several members of the Committee have been working steadily for several days with Secretary Pam Hyde and the Governor’s office to seek common ground for a House Judiciary committee substitute bill for CS/HB  62. We too have been conferring with the Governor’s office throughout this process. It is our understanding that recommendations coming forward this afternoon may include our requested changes in the section of the bill related to the business contributions to the Healthy Workforce Fund.

Frankly, the Chamber has been concerned with the significant amount of inaccurate misinformation about the employer contribution component of CS/HB 62 that has been disseminated by some organizations in a scare tactic effort to kill this bill. For this reason, we asked the Governor to scale back this component of the bill so that our members and all businesses would have an opportunity to become accurately informed about any employer role in reducing the high number of uninsured. This also allows the bill to go forward giving us a first real step toward addressing the rising costs of health care that each of us is facing. 

As we have stated so many times, the Chamber believes that it is crucial to take a leadership and visionary role in addressing this critical issue. Our participation in seeking a solution has provided us the opportunity to be at the table and ensure that the final decisions made around this bill will benefit our members and the business community as whole. 

Business Incentives and Economic Development

The Chamber has supported the SunCal development because we believe it will stimulate job creation, economic growth and community development in the Central New Mexico region. The legislation authorizing the bonds for the development, HB 276, sponsored by Rep. Dan Silva, has passed the full House on a 44-23 vote after being reported out Do Pass in the House Business and Industry, and House Taxation and Revenue committees. The companion bill, SB 398, introduced by Sen. Linda Lopez, was reported as a Do Pass by the Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee yesterday.

Two important bills that would extend the lives of the research and development small business tax credit and the high-wage jobs tax credit, HB 325 and HB 326, sponsored by Rep. John Heaton, received Do Pass recommendations from the House Business and Industry Committee. The bills still have to make it out of the House Taxation and Revenue Committee where they will be heard today.  

In fact, the House Taxation and Revenue Committee has a whole slate of bills still waiting for attention from the committee. One of the reasons is that the budget has come in and it is very tight, so every bill is being scrutinized. Taking a look at the glass half full, HB 51 introduced by Rep. Peter Wirth, which the Chamber strongly opposes because, if passed, it would discourage business relocations to our state and existing businesses to reconsider New Mexico as a good location, is stalled in the same committee.  

HB 448, sponsored by Rep. Edward Sandoval, would grant a deduction for receipts from services to construct, supply or operate a high-tech, electronic communication center called a cyberspace command at a military base in New Mexico. The Chamber supports this bill because a cyberspace command would bring several hundred high-tech, high-wages jobs to New Mexico. HB 448 was reported Do Pass by the House Business and Industry Committee and will be heard today in the House Tax and Revenue Committee.

Energy Bill Shines in House Vote…and in Senate Committee

HB 305, Energy Efficiency and Load Management for Public Utility Customers, sponsored by Speaker Ben Lujan, was approved by the House on a vote of 63-0. This legislation will promote energy efficiency programs which promise to lower utility bills for customers and provide the state’s electric utilities with a less expensive and environmentally sustainable resource option to meet the growing demand for electricity. The bill has been heard and passed in the Senate Conservation Committee and will be heard today in the Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee. 

Two companion bills that would provide tax credits to purchase energy efficient products have also won committee approval. SB 35, a bill sponsored by Sen. Dede Feldman, was reported Do Pass by the Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee and awaits action from the Senate Finance Committee. The companion bill, HB 216, introduced by Rep. Roberto J. Gonzales was sent to the House Taxation and Revenue Committee after being reported Do Pass by the House Business and Industry Committee.

Mortgage Lending Issues

After being reported Do Pass by the Senate Public Affairs Committee, Sen. Cisco McSorley put his bill, SB 192, the Home Buyer Education Program, on before the Senate Finance Committee in order to provide an opportunity for Chamber President & CEO Terri L. Cole to be heard on this issue. After significant discussion, the bill, which provides $1 million to the Department of Finance and Administration to create and implement a home buyer education program, and is supported by the Chamber, was tabled due to a lack of funding.

A Task Force on Mortgage Lending found that some brokers with little training or experience were providing borrowers with inadequate information relative to product features, material loan terms and product risks, and the borrower’s obligation to pay property taxes and insurance. Because of this lack of consumer protection, the Chamber supports SB 445, Mortgage Loan Originator Licensing Act, introduced by Sen. Phil Griego, which requires licensure of all New Mexicans engaged in mortgage loan origination.  Yesterday, SB 445 was reported out with a Do Pass recommendation from the Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee.

Getting Tougher on Criminal Offenders 

The House on a vote of 61-0 approved HB 100, which would toughen penalties for DWI offenders who drive vehicles without an ignition interlock or if they have tampered with it. HB 100, introduced by Rep. Ken Martinez has passed over to the Senate, where it received a Do Pass in Senate Public Affairs.

Another important piece of crime legislation supported by the Chamber is also moving across the aisle. SB 68, introduced by Sen. Rod Adair, was approved by the Senate on a 32-5 vote. The bill increases the penalty from a misdemeanor to a fourth degree felony upon conviction of a third offense of battery on a household member, or conviction of a third offense of aggravated battery on a household member. The bill has now passed out of the House Labor and Human Resources Committee and will be heard in House Judiciary this afternoon.

Roundhouse Highlight of the Week 

New Mexico’s longest-serving senator, Sen. Pete Domenici left the Legislature an important message in his last official speech to them: learn to get along and learn to work together for best interest of the state. 

“Let me leave you with this warning. American democracy is in trouble unless we put aside political extremes and work toward our common goals. It is tragic when ideological politics block progress,” Sen. Domenici said. “As I have legislated this past 36 years, my goal has been to move New Mexico and this nation forward.” 

Just the kind of sage advice you’d expect from one of New Mexico’s true statesmen and political giants. Sen. Domenici, thank you for all you have done for the state’s business community and the people of New Mexico. 

Read the entire speech