The New Mexico Roundhouse. Post file photo
By BONNIE J. GORDON
Los Alamos Daily Post
bjgordon@ladailypost.com
The three legislators who represent Los Alamos at the Roundhouse took part in the Legislative Preview hosted by the Los Alamos chapters of American Association of University Women (AAUW) and League of Women Voters.
The Preview was conducted via Zoom Thursday and moderated by Helena Whyte, representing AAUW.
Rep. Christine Chandler (Dist. 43) joined State Senators Leo Jaramillo (Dist. 5) and Roberto (Bobby) Gonzales (Dist. 6). Los Alamos is split between the two Senate Districts. Gonzales represents White Rock and Jaramillo, the townsite.
New Mexico Secretary of Education Kurt Steinhaus also spoke, addressing the plan to address the District Court’s ruling in the landmark Yazzie/Martinez lawsuit. That part of the Preview will be discussed in a separate story.
Chandler kicked of the preview by going over the changes in Roundhouse protocol, including a ban on firearms and the installment of metal detectors to help with enforcement. COVID-related rules include requiring masks and proof of vaccination. The capacity of committee rooms will be monitored for social distancing, however the House will continue to offer committee virtual participation.
Chandler will chair the Taxation and Revenue Committee in the upcoming session, which opens Jan. 18.
The agenda for the 30-day session, known as a short session, is limited to budget and revenue questions, constitutional questions and items “messaged” by the Governor.
A top priority for Chandler is House Joint Resolution 1, a holdover from the last session, which she sponsored with Rep. Anthony Allison (Dist. 4-D). Adoption would require a change to the “anti-donation clause” of the State Constitution to be able to use state funds for infrastructure that allows essential household services to be connected to a domicile, she explained.
“It got tangled up in the Senate,” Chandler said. “I’m hopeful we can get it through now. It appears to be gaining traction.”
A tax deduction for energy storage and addressing gaps in collective bargaining agreements are two of the bills expected to be messaged by the Governor, she said.
“We have 1.6 billion more money than last year, not counting federal money we will receive,” Chandler said. “It’s a blessing and a curse because we will not be able to sustain this amount of money.”
Gonzales was a representative from 1995-2019 and has been a senator since 2019. He serves on the Legislative Finance Committee and is vice chair of the Investment And Pensions Oversite Committee.
“We’ve never had a year like this for revenue,” Gonzales said. “We are the second largest oil producer after Texas … we produce 1.4 million barrels a day. One-third of the budget is ore revenues.”
Like Chandler, Gonzales stressed that this year’s windfall is unlikely to be repeated in future years.
Gonzales said there is “no excuse” not to have the best early childhood education in the country with federal and state dollars earmarked for it. He also remarked that due to increased revenues, “we’re finally seeing momentum on highway projects.”
Gonzales said he has long believed that legislators should receive compensation.
“We are the only state that doesn’t provide compensation and it discriminates against those who need the funds to serve,” he said. “It makes the legislature less diverse.”
Although education funding is increasing, one issue that hasn’t been addressed is adequate housing for teachers, especially in rural and expensive urban areas, Gonzales said, adding that doctors are another group that needs incentives to come to the state, perhaps in the form of debt forgiveness.
Jaramillo began his remarks by wishing New Mexico a happy 110th birthday.
He has been appointed vice chair of the Senate Rules Committee, he said. Like his colleagues, Jaramillo sees a window of opportunity in the state’s financial windfall.
“I have the opportunity to advance the investment that will improve birth to career education and food and housing security,” Jaramillo said.
Healthcare and the environment remain priorities for him.
Jaramillo is a cosponsor of SB213, which prohibits the “Gay or Trans Panic Defense” in criminal proceeding. The defense avers that defendants can use the revelation of the victim’s sexual orientation or gender as a defense. The bill stalled in the last session. He plans to continue advocating for it.
Increased access to propane is an important issue because many New Mexicans rely on it for fuel, Jaramillo said.
Many of the items brought up during the question and answer period at Thursday’s Legislative Preview are still under study by the legislators.
Redistricting was a hot topic for many of those asking questions. All of the legislators said they were happy with the new map and the process. On the question about an independent redistricting commission, Chandler was blunt.
“There’s politics everywhere—including the appointment of commissioners,” she said.
All three agreed that the current process should be allowed to succeed before being replaced.
The Health Security Act received the full support of Gonzales, who is one of the sponsors. Jaramillo also supports it. Chandler was more cautious, citing concerns about how Medicare would be affected by the Act.
In their closing remarks, the three praised each other and expressed their pleasure in working together.