Legislative Roundup
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Budget changes: An amended $8.4 billion state spending plan for fiscal year 2023 includes additional funding for law enforcement retention and recruitment stipends, road projects, housing for the homeless and various hunger initiatives.
The revised budget proposal also calls for $20 million for a new school of public health.
The spending plan represents a nearly 14 percent increase over the current fiscal year.
In all, the proposed amendments would increase the budget, the largest one New Mexico has ever seen, by nearly $142 million in nonrecurring expenses compared with the spending plan approved by the House a week ago.
The Senate Finance Committee, which heard the proposed changes Saturday, is scheduled to meet at 8 a.m. Sunday to vote on the spending plan before sending it to the full Senate for consideration.
Don’t threaten the judge: New Mexico currently does not have a provision in its criminal code to punish people who threaten a judge or his or her family members. Late Friday night, lawmakers in the House of Representatives voted 59-7 to make it a fourth-degree felony to make such threats.
House Bill 99 also makes it a misdemeanor to “maliciously” share personal information — known as doxxing — about a judge.
Lawmakers debating the bill on the House floor seemed surprised that such a law did not already exist. Several asked about creating a law to protect state lawmakers, who, some said, also receive threats based on votes they cast on controversial issues.
The Associated Press reported Saturday the state judiciary documented five threats against courthouses and 10 threats to judges in 2021, according to Chief Justice Michael Vigil.
House Bill 99 now goes to the Senate for consideration.
A future for clean future: Members of the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee voted 6-3 Saturday to move the Clean Future Act to the House floor for consideration.
Among other provisions, House Bill 6 calls for the state to reduce direct emissions of greenhouse gas by 50 percent of 2005 levels by 2030, and by 90 percent of 2005 levels by 2050.
Rep. Nathan Small (D-Las Cruces) said the legislation, which he co-sponsors, will lay out “what direct emissions reductions means” to attract business and investment opportunities.
Republicans on the committee objected to ending the debate before they could ask more questions about the bill. But Chairwoman Georgene Louis (D-Albuquerque) pointed out the committee spent two days of hearings on the bill.
Later, on the House floor, Rep. Greg Nibert (R-Roswell), said committee hearings should not be cut short because of time constraints.
Louis defended her decision, saying Republicans were asking the same type of questions over and over again.
Quotes of the day:
“Rep. [Jason] Harper and I hosted an all-night party on the House floor last night.” — Rep. Javier Martinez (D-Albuquerque) to members of the House Taxation and Revenue Committee. He was referring to the fact that House members stayed on the floor debating bills from 8:30 p.m. Friday until about 6 a.m. Saturday.
“Going home at 6:30 in the morning is not a usual thing for me.” —Rep. Greg Nibert, R-Roswell, during a House Government, Election and Indian Affairs Committee hearing Saturday.