Th
e regular session of the NM state legislature adjourned at noon on Saturday. As usual, the session ended with a flur
ry of activity. HB2, the bill that outlines the
state budget, is on the governor's desk for signature. Gov. Martinez has said that she will veto HB2 along with
HB202 which would enact a number of revenue proposals to balance the state budget. That action would mean that a special session would be needed.
A number of bills on which LAM-NM worked are also headed to the governor for signature.
Bills that LAM-NM supported are "
green" and
bills we opposed are "
red."
Affordable Housing & Homelessness
Funding for programs that serve people experiencing homelessness must be protected from cuts and expanded.
HB2 does not include any cuts to current funding for programs that serve people experiencing homelessness but also does not include any increases in funding for these programs.
Family-Sustaining Income
Early Childhood Education:
HJR1
(Rep. Antonio Maestas & Rep. Javier Martinez) proposed a constitutional amendment which would ask voters to authorize that an additional 1% of the income from the Land Grant Permanent Fund be used for quality early childhood education programs.
HJR1
passed the
House (37-32) but died in the Senate Rules Committee.
Curbing storefront loans:
HB26 & HB480
(Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero) &
SB15
(Sen. Bill Soules) would have placed a cap of 36% on interest charge for storefront loans.
All of these bills died in committee.
HB347
(Rep. Patty Lundstrom) did pass the legislature and will be on the governor's desk. This bill enacts a 175% interest cap on small loans, requires stronger reporting by lenders and restricts excessive fees. While certainly not the 36% cap that LAM-NM supported, this bill aims to eliminate the very high interest storefront loans.
Minimum wage:
Bills to increase the state minimum wage from its current level of $7.50 per hour have been introduced:
HB27 (
Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero) would have raised the minimum wage to $15. HB67
(Rep. Miguel Garcia) would have phases-in increases to a total $10.10 by 2020. HB27 & HB67 died in committee.
HB442
(Reps. Rodella, Egolf, Carl Trujillo, Ruiloba & Miguel Garcia)would raise the minimum wage to $9.25, would increase the tip wage to 40% of the minimum wage, and has been amended to only preempt local governments from enacting ordinances regarding advance scheduling. HB442
has passed the House and the Senate and heads to the governor's desk.
SB36
(Sen. Bill Soules) would have raised the minimum wage to $8.45 with cost of living increases. SB36 died on the Senate Floor.
.
SB386 (Sen. Clemente Sanchez) would phase in an increase in the minimum wage to $9,
passed the Senate and House and heads to the governor's desk.
SB78 (Sen. Bill O'Neill & Rep. Alonzo Baldonado) would prohibit private employers from asking about felony convictions on initial job applications. Such information could be sought after the initial application is considered.
passed the Senate and the House and is going to the governor.
Health Care
Dental Therapy:
HB264
(Rep. Dennis Roch & Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto)
would create the mid-level profession of dental therapist to help meet the dental needs of low-income New Mexicans.
HB264
passed the House(60-5) but died in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Medicaid:
LAM-NM is advocating that the state Medicaid program be fully funded.
Medicaid is underfunded in HB2.
The legislature's recommended budget eliminated $1.2 million needed to fund the State SNAP Supplement program which serves about 12,000 seniors and increases their minimum federal benefit of $16 to $25 per month.
The needed
$1.2
million is now included in HB2 as it passed the House and Senate and went to the governor.
It is very important that New Mexico have tax policy that is fair and provides stable, sustainable & adequate revenue to meet the needs of our state, particularly the most vulnerable.
HB175
(Rep. Antonio Maestas & Rep. Patty Lundstrom) and
SB185 (Sen. Mary Kay Papen)
would prohibit solitary confinement for juveniles, pregnant women and people with a serious mental illness and would require prisons, jails and detention centers to report information about who is held in solitary confinement.
HB 175
passed the House and the Senate and is going to the governor.
HB72 (Rep. Monica Youngblood) would reinstate the death penalty in New Mexico.
HB72
was tabled in the House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee on Sunday afternoon.
