Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024
Senate version of Paid Family and Medical Leave to floor
On Saturday the Senate Finance Committee spent several hours debating SB3, which is essentially identical to HB6 seeking a paid family and medical leave act that would provide up to 12 weeks of leave to employees for a variety of reasons such as to bond with a new infant, take care of a sick or injured family member or for the employee’s own long term health issues to name a few. The measure would add $5 for every $1,000 in witholding for employees and $4 from employers with five or more employees. Opponents argue that the idea would make it tough for small employers, especially, to hire replacements and is one more cost in a precarious time for businesses.

East-side Sen. Pat Woods attempted a do-pass with a recommendation to refer the bill to another committee where it could possibly be stopped but was voted down in the ploy. The measure ended up passing to the Senate Floor on a 6-5 vote with Democrat Finance Committee Chair George Munoz voting with the Republican minority. It’s not a certainty yet because time is short and there’s much to do but the options for stopping these two bills is slimming.

On the bright side, there’s been nothing introduced to hike minimum wage this year.
Omnibus tax bill being constructed by House coalition
After the Governor gutted the tax measures approved by the legislature last year a coalition headed up by Derrick Lente, D, Sandia Pueblo and Jason Harper, R, Rio Rancho are grouping together an omnibus bill that will feature several tax measures and in their view be immune to the effects of a veto pen. Among the measures are the HB252 Adjust Personal Income Tax Brackets, HB83 Angel Tax Credit, HB163 the Rural Health Care Practitioner Bill, HB216 Flat corporate tax and single sales factor, and HB37 Capital Gains Limits. The most negative of these is the last one, which would be very unfriendly toward family farms and ranches.

With the budget capping tax measures at $200 million this is going to be tough to craft this all together and leave anything on the bone for all. Some things will likely be thrown overboard to save the ship. Further complicating matters is that the Governor’s pet projects, tax credits for purchase of electric vehicles an tax credits for manufacturing of advanced energy equipment like photovoltaic solar aren’t included. They started earlier than last year but time is short.
Another Liquor Tax Bill pops up in House
Another proposal on liquor taxes has cropped up in the House. HB213 would add a new tax on liquor but differ from a previous one in that the tax would be figured on the wholesale price rather than volume. It’s still something that is unfriendly toward business in general and wineries, breweries in pubs in specific.
Measure could send State School Board back to public vote
SJR9 seeks to put the idea of a State School Board on the ballot for voters to decide. A good while back the state moved from this system to a cabinet secretary, appointed by the Governor mostly running things at the Public Education Department. Some say we’ve had some bad experiences recently and sometimes, especially rural school systems needs, are ignored. Retiring Portales Schools Superintendent Johnnie Cain believes the school board system was better and says he would prefer it go on the ballot and let voters decide.
Police and fire officials having a Roundhouse say
Public safety officials including fire departments and police departments gathered in Santa Fe to lobby for two different bills that would help fund departments and relieve staffing shortages.

SB151 received a resounding unanimous do-pass from Senate Finance recently and was headed to the floor. The bill sought $22 million to the EMS Fund similar to what the legislature did for law enforcement last year. Amendments stripped the appropriation out of the bill but its hoped funding will be found as the budget gets worked over in the Senate. Fire departments say their increases over the years have been minimal while costs for things like the drugs they carry onboard an ambulance have risen exponentially. This needs to happen as our rural departments, including Portales Fire Department are in desperate straights while the legislature swims in cash.

A measure to address the critical shortage of law enforcement officers around the state passed the House Floor unanimously on Saturday. HB193 would provide retention differential disbursements also called bonuses or service awards. It would pay a percentage of the officer’s annual salary as a bonus as they complete every five years of service. Locally Portales PD struggles to find officers only to have them lured away. This might help that problem.
NM Match Fund clears House, heads to Senate
HB177, which we mentioned previously, also cleared the House Floor unanimously and only has the Senate Finance Committee before it heads to full Senate approval. The measure sets up a $100 million fund to match federal infrastructure grants. Maybe soon local communities won’t lose federal grants for lack of matching money.
Check out the Chamber’s Legislative Priorities
Please take a look at the Legislative Priorities document approved by the Chamber Board earlier today. Download that document at the link below. It can be printed two-sided on a letter sheet and folded in half for ease of distribution.

2024 Legislative Priorities