Politics

Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez

LEGISLATIVE News:

SANTA FE–Senate Bill 347 (SB 347) has been amended by the House, which calls for across-the-board Lottery Scholarship funding cuts to all New Mexico students.

Bill sponsor, Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Bernalillo and Valencia, has concurred with the amendment in order to avoid death of the bill, but said he was not happy with the changes.

“Although I do not agree with the amendments, in the end it is all about the students and had I not decided to concur, more students would have been hurt,” Sanchez said. “I will continue to Read More

Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard

LEGISLATIVE News

SANTA FE–Legislation that would promote fair competition and transparency for New Mexico resident businesses and contractors has passed the Senate. It would help New Mexico companies compete with out-of-state contractors. 

House Joint Memorial 11CS sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard, D-Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Sandoval, Santa Fe, requests the General Services Department (GSD) to develop guidance and secure training on bids and requests for proposals (RFP) for chief procurement officers of state agencies and local Read More

House Majority Leader Rick Miera

LEGISLATIVE News:

SANTA FE–House Bill 182 (Move Apprenticeship Assistance Program), sponsored by House Majority Leader Rick Miera, D-Bernalillo, has been passed by the Sente and sent to the Governor. The bill moves the program from the Public Education Department to the Workforce Solutions Department, which currently administers the program. 

The bill will streamline certain administration functions affecting apprenticeship in New Mexico by placing the apprenticeship program with the agency that has been designated by the U.S. Department Read More

Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard

Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard, D-Los Alamos, Santa Fe, Sandoval and Rio Arriba counties, issued the following statement this morning regarding the Minimum Wage and Early Education Bills voted down by House GOP members Wednesday evening.

“As a representative of a swing district, I have had to cross the aisle on numerous occasions these last two years and go against my party to support key pieces of legislation that our district would benefit from. I understand and value the needs of my district over a political party and believe there are certain bills everyone Read More

N.M. LEGISLATIVE News:

SANTA FE–Members of the House and Senate made a significant down payment on a plan to create 160,000 jobs in New Mexico over the next 10 years. The House passed a budget, which includes more than $23 million in appropriations for economic development and work training programs that will bolster the state’s job numbers. 

Most of the appropriations were based on the job creation blueprint developed in the interim by the Legislative Jobs Council, chaired by Speaker of the House W. Ken Martinez, D-Bernalillo, Cibola, McKinley, Socorro, San Juan, Valencia Read More

LEGISLATIVE News:

House Highlights

On the Floor

House Joint Resolution 15 Navajo Nation Gaming Compact Approval, carried by Rep. James Roger Madalena, D-Rio Arriba, Sandoval, San Juan, has passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 36-30. HJR 15 approves the Gaming Compact negotiated by the Navajo Nation and the governor of New Mexico, which allows for five casinos that can be operated 24 hours a day based on specific parameters. The approved compact addresses concerns that the Department of the Interior had with the compact submitted to the state Legislature in 2013. The renegotiated Read More

N.M. HOUSE News:

SANTA FE – The House of Representatives has passed the budget. The House passed the Senate Finance Committee substitute SB 313 on a 58 to 8 vote. It now heads to the Governor. 

SB 331 prioritizes education with increased spending in public education spending. SB 331 is a reflection of HB 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

“This entire legislative session, Democrats have outlined our education priorities,” said Speaker of the House W. Ken Martinez, D-Bernalillo, Cibola, McKinley, Socorro, San Juan, Valencia. “Our priorities are decreasing class sizes, protecting funding for Read More

Rep. W. Ken Martinez

N.M. HOUSE News:

SANTA FE—Omaree’s Law, House Bill 333, sponsored by House Speaker W. Ken Martinez, D-Bernalillo, Cibola McKinley, Socorro, San Juan, Valencia, was passed on the floor of the House on a 52 to 11 vote and now heads to the Senate.
 
House Bill 333, sponsored by Martinez and co-sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard, D-Los Alamos, Santa Fe, Sandoval, Rio Arriba, Rep. Emily Kane, D-Bernalillo, and Rep. Liz Thomson, D-Bernalillo, requires CYFD to immediately take custody of children showing specific injuries of abuse, and requires the parents, guardians Read More

N.M. SENATE News:

SANTA FE—A substitute bill for the General Appropriations Act (SB 313), which proposes a $6.19 billion budget package, was heard and passed unanimously on the Senate floor Tuesday.

The substitute bill was presented to the Senate Finance Committee (SFC) last Sunday with an amended proposal of $17.5 million appropriated to the Department of Education for the administration’s education reforms. Education reform was the primary issue that led to a budget stalemate in the House.

In addition, the Senate adopted measures that are intended to deal with the Lottery Scholarship Read More