House Passes Oil & Gas Stabilization Reserve Bill
This chart, prepared by the Legislative Finance Committee, shows the oil and gas revenue that would have been saved under this plan going back to 1986 had this rainy day fund been in place. Courtesy image
STATE News:
SANTA FE – The New Mexico House of Representatives overwhelmingly endorsed a proposal Tuesday night to establish a “rainy day” fund for surplus oil and gas revenue.
House Bill 191, sponsored by Rep. Larry Larrañaga (R-Bernalillo), would create an oil and gas stabilization reserve to save excess oil and gas revenues during boom years to cover revenue shortfalls during Read More
Heinrich, Heller Introduce Legislation To Safeguard Jewish And Other Faith-Based Community Centers
U.S. SENATE News:CVNM: Community Solar Gardens Act Puts Community In Charge Of Energy Choices
CVNM News:House Committee Approves ‘Right To Try’ Legislation
STATE News:Committee Passes Increased Transparency Resolution
STATE News:Heinrich Joined By UNM Interim President Chaouki Abdallah For Trump’s Joint Session Speech Tonight
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, left, in his Washington, D.C. office meets with UNM Interim President Chaouki Abdallah. Courtesy photo
From the Office of U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) has announced that at President Trump’s speech tonight to a Joint Session of Congress, he will bring as his guest the acting president of The University of New Mexico (UNM), Chaouki Abdallah.
Abdallah, who was named provost and executive vice president of academic affairs in 2011, also has served as head of the electrical engineering department and a member Read More
NM Delegation Introduces Bill To Expand Research On Rare Genetic Disease Prevalent Among Hispanics
CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION News:
Los Alamos County Recreation Bond Election Website Updated With Latest Renderings And Costs
COUNTY News:
To provide voters information, Los Alamos County has updated the recreation bond website (losalamosbondprojects2017.com) with project information, project costs, a calculator to figure out homeowner’s property tax increase, and renderings of the proposed projects.
Los Alamos County voters will have the opportunity to vote on the $20 million general obligation bond, to be repaid from property taxes for the purpose of designing, acquiring, constructing, purchasing and improving recreation facilities including a multi-generational pool, splash pad and a recreation Read More
Letter To The Editor: Need For Freedom Of The Press
By KELLY DOLEJSI I had zero training — WNMU didn’t offer journalism classes — but at 22, I became editor-in-chief of the university’s newspaper. The university president had just received a 20-percent raise, so my two-person staff and I decided that would be our top-of-the-fold, front-page news. We put some sports and departmental news in the middle, and then on the back, a picture of our crowded parking lots and a wry Read More
Lottery Scholarship Bill Clears Final Committee
STATE News:
- House Bill 250 now heads to the House floor
SANTA FE – A bill to improve New Mexico’s lottery scholarship program was unanimously passed by the House Business and Industry Committee Monday. House Bill 250 is sponsored by Rep. Jason Harper (R-Sandoval) and Rep. Javier Martinez (D-Bernalillo), and it now heads to the House floor for a vote by the full House of Representatives.
House Bill 250 would amend the New Mexico Lottery Act to require that all unclaimed lottery prizes be directed to the lottery tuition fund used to pay for student scholarships. The bill would also tie bonuses for Read More
Minimum Wage Bill Clears Judiciary Committee
STATE News:
SANTA FE – New Mexico House Democrats’ bill to improve the lives of working families by raising the state minimum wage cleared the House Judiciary Committee.
HB 442 proposes to raise the state’s minimum wage to $9.25 an hour, a $1.75 increase over the state’s current minimum wage of $7.50 per hour. The increase will put an extra $3,000 annually into the pockets of New Mexicans working full-time without burdening small businesses or rural municipalities.
“This an example of really good communication between all groups involved. I’m optimistic that the people of New Mexico are going Read More
HB 261 – Additional Funding For Courts Becomes Law
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez
STATE News:
SANTA FE — New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has announced that the following legislation has been signed into law:
Signed House Bill 261 – Additional Funding for Courts [MESSAGE]
“I spent most of my career in courtrooms as a prosecutor,” Martinez said. “I’ve seen firsthand just how important it is to fund our courts. I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made with this legislation. It’s always important – and even more so during a budget crisis – that every dollar of government spending be accounted for.”
House Bill 261 funds the courts to address their budget Read More
Los Alamos County Judge Alan Kirk And Rep.Stephanie Garcia Richard Team Up To Pass Courts Bill
Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard of Los Alamos speaks on the House floor last week in santa Fe as Los Alamos Municipal Court Judge Alan Kirk looks on. Courtesy photo
STATE News:
House Bill 110, sponsored by Los Alamos legislator, Stephanie Garcia Richard, successfully passed the House floor in a unanimous vote last week.
A bill developed by the Association of Municipal Judges, HB 110, seeks to allow municipal bench warrants to be served in adjacent counties. Los Alamos Municipal Judge Alan Kirk, current president of the Association was the expert witness on the bill for Rep. Garcia Richard. He testified Read More
Independent Electoral Redistricting Commission … Down But Not Out
At a hearing Thursday of the House Local Government, Elections, Land Grants and Cultural Affairs Committee, Rep. Carl Trujillo and Heather Ferguson of Common Cause propose a constitutional amendment to reform a beleaguered legislative redistricting process in New Mexico. Photo by Roger Snodgrass/ladailypost.com
SANTA FE — Electoral redistricting has long been a problem in New Mexico. Always a subject of political turmoil, buffeted by individual ambitions and party positioning, redistricting battles also have served as a proxy Read More
LANL GRT Bill Unanimously Passes First Committee
Dist. 43 Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard and Los Alamos County Councilor Pete Sheehey present HB 332 to the House Business and Industry Committee. Courtesy photo
STATE News:
A bill strongly supported by Los Alamos County that would remove the gross receipts tax exemptions from any non-profit organization who would administer the prime contract of any national laboratory in the state cleared its first committee Wednesday with a unanimous Do Pass vote by the House Business and Industry Committee.
House Bill 332, sponsored by Los Alamos area Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard seeks to remove Read More
Bill To Make Drug Companies Negotiate Lower Prices Passes Key Committee On Bipartisan, Unanimous Vote
STATE News:
- SB 354 Could Save State $100 Million
SANTA FE – Legislation to save taxpayers millions of dollars by requiring the State to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices has passed the Senate Public Affairs Committee by a bipartisan, unanimous vote.
Senate Bill 354, ‘Interagency Pharmaceutical Purchasing Council’, would require that all state agencies and state benefit providers who purchase prescription drugs negotiate for bulk purchasing discounts. In fiscal year 2016 the combined state agencies spent over $670 million on prescription drugs, a staggering 54 percent Read More
House Passes Bill To Consolidate Local Elections
STATE News:
SANTA FE – The New Mexico House of Representatives passed House Bill 174, a bill to consolidate all local elections to the same day.
The bill is sponsored by Rep. Paul Bandy (R-San Juan) and Rep. Jim Smith (R-Bernalillo, Sandoval and Santa Fe) as well as Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Bernalillo).
House Bill 174, known as the Local Election Act, would create a uniform process for local elections and require that those elections be held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday of November in odd numbered years. It would apply to elections for:
- School Districts;
- Community College Districts;
HJM 4: Shining Light On State Infrastructure Projects; Examining Capital Outlay Structure Passes House
STATE News:- Shine a light on all state infrastructure projects to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent efficiently on these endeavors; and
- Examine state’s capital outlay structure and propose recommendations on how to improve it.
Letter To The Editor: House Bill 50 … Just To Clarify
By KHALIL SPENCERI just want to clarify a couple things in response to Jody Benson’s letter as well as thank her for her engagement on the topic (link).
I did not say that we should reject House Bill 50. What I said was the original and present wording was problematic. There is still plenty of time in this legislative session to find some common ground on this
bill and amend it so it has bipartisan and gun owner support.
To excerpt from my own essay (link), what I said was “…provisions in the bill put onerous constraints on temporary transfers and casual sales between law Read More
Scenes From Ellen Ben-Naim Victory Celebration At Pig & Fig In White Rock This Morning
Newly elected Los Alamos School Board member for District One, Ellen Ben-Naim, with School Board Member Bill Hargraves at her Victory Celebration this morning at Pig and Fig Cafe in White Rock. The district encompasses Pinon Elementary School and other areas. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com
Guests chat at the Victory Party for newly elected School Board member Ellen Bn-Naim this morning at Pig and Fig Cafe. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com
Supporters, from left, Robyn Schultz, Karyl Ann Armbruster, Amy Storey and Eric Vasquez at the Victory Celebration
