Legislative Roundup
SFNM News:
Free lunch for more kids: A measure that would provide $650,000 to cover the breakfast and lunch copays for more than 12,000 public school students in New Mexico who qualify for reduced-price meals through a federal program received unanimous support Friday from lawmakers on the House Education Committee.
House Bill 10, introduced by Reps. Willie Madrid, D-Chaparral, and Melanie Stanbury, D-Albuquerque, and backed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, would both create a safety net for low-income families and protect public school districts and charter schools from incurring debt for student meals that go unpaid, advocates said.
The committee’s debate on the bill included emotional testimony from several lawmakers who said they, too, were “free lunch” kids.
Committee Vice Chairwoman Linda Trujillo, D-Santa Fe, said she worked in her elementary school’s kitchen to help cover her lunch copay. The job was fun, she said, “but I did that because I was hungry.”
Funding for the measure, which heads next to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee, is not included in House Bill 2, the state budget, which is now being considered in the Senate.
Kids bills move on: A pair of bills aimed at helping the youngest New Mexicans passed through the House Appropriations and Finance Committee on Friday afternoon.
House Bill 83 calls for an initial appropriation of $320 million to create a new endowment for early childhood education and care. Only Rep. Paul Bandy, R-Aztec, voted in opposition.
Finance and Administration Secretary Olivia Padilla Jackson said she expects the fund to reach $500 million by fiscal year 2022 and produce at least $30 million annually.
“The national research shows that for every dollar invested, there is a four- to seven-dollar return on that investment,” Early Childhood Education and Care Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky told the committee. “We know some research shows it’s even higher. This is a financially sound decision.”
Meanwhile, House Bill 59, which would alter the state’s school funding formula to provide an additional $50 million for students considered at-risk, such low-income kids and English-language learners, passed unanimously.
“This addresses the court decision that decided New Mexico has not provided a sufficient education to at-risk students,” said sponsor Sheryl Williams Stapleton, D-Albuquerque. “At-risk students represent over 70 percent of our students attending New Mexico public schools.”
Kiki Saavedra Fund clears committee: A bill aimed at the state’s senior citizens also cleared the House Appropriations and Finance Committee Friday. HB 225 appropriates $25 million from the general fund to create the Kiki Saavedra Senior Dignity Fund, which is named after a longtime state representative from Albuquerque and administered by the Aging and Long-Term Services Department.
According to the bill, the purpose of the fund is to address services like transportation, food insecurity, physical and behavioral health, case management and caregiving.
The bill now moves to the House floor.
Training for campus cops: The Senate Education Committee gave a unanimous vote of approval Friday for a bill that would allow school districts, universities and law enforcement agencies, including tribal forces, to receive funding from the Law Enforcement Protection Fund for training of officers stationed in public schools and colleges.
Senate Bill 202, introduced by Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup, drew broad backing from members of the law enforcement, education and disabilities communities. It comes after an incident in May at Española Valley High School, in which a special education student was tased by a Rio Arriba County sheriff’s deputy, raised concerns statewide about whether law enforcement officers were adequately prepared to work in an educational setting.
It also comes in response to a series of mass school shootings across the nation in recent years.
The measure would allow $1,000 per officer for the specialized training.
Department of Public Safety Secretary Mark Shea told the committee his agency fully supports the measure. “We look at law enforcement throughout the state of New Mexico of being more engaged with our school communities so that we can address issues and get involved in interventions more so than having to deal with issues after they occur.”
Training, he said, would help officers in schools “be preventive rather than reactive.”
Aging secretary is in: The Senate confirmed the appointment of Katrina Hotrum-Lopez as secretary of the state Aging and Long-Term Services Department.
“I think the governor has made an outstanding choice,” said Sen. John Arthur Smith, D-Deming.
Hotrum-Lopez, a former deputy secretary of the state Department of Health and former director of behavioral health services at Bernalillo County, was appointed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in August to replace Alice Liu McCoy.
Quotes of the day: “I wish all of you would be chairman of tax at one point.” —Rep. Jim Trujillo, D-Santa Fe, co-chairman of the House Taxation and Revenue Committee, triggering an eruption of laughter from the audience. Trujillo had been recounting difficult tax- and revenue-related decisions he has had to make over the years.
“I think someone should definitely carry a memorial against out-of-state salsa.” —Rep. Jack Chatfield, R-Mosquero, drawing laughter during a hearing on legislation that would provide more free meals for schoolchildren. The comment was prompted by concerns from lawmakers that too much school food is sourced from outside New Mexico.
“Senator Smith up there, you just don’t hear him compliment many people. Evidently, he feels like he’s going to be placed someplace for long-term aging before long. … So, he’s kind of, as we say, brown-nosing a little bit, making sure he’ll be well-considered in all aspects.” —Sen. Stuart Ingle speaking after Sen. John Arthur Smith voiced support for the confirmation of Katrina Hotrum-Lopez as secretary of the Aging and Long-Term Services Department.
