New Mexico's 45th Legislative Session
by Anna Crook
As we begin the 45th Legislative session, we will be addressing many different issues. If past sessions are an indicator, there will be in excess of 3,000 bills, memorials and resolutions introduced by both the Senate and House members. Hundreds of these bills will die in committee.
Bills recommended by interim legislative committees normally receive a higher priority than ordinary bills. Some of these committee recommendations are as follows:
Health Care: revising Medicaid, and addressing children's healthcare.
Education: Increasing teacher salaries, funding critical capital outlay, state mandates for school districts and, of course, vouchers.
Water: Funding for State Engineer's office for adjudicating water rights and updating records, and also creating a Water Trust Fund.
Economic Development: An issue vital to the growth of our State by continuing and increasing in-plant training funds, tax exemptions to recruit businesses to the state.
Telecommunications: In order to be competitive in the technology era, we must have the infrastructure available to all parts of the state. This is necessary for all our school districts and imparts the ability to attract industry to NM.
Corrections: In order to decrease incarceration, new requirements are needed for implementing drug rehab and education for inmates.
These are but a few of the many issues that will be addressed this session.
The governor is proposing a $75 million state tax reduction. It has been rumored Indian gaming will be brought up again. Electric deregulation is another possible issue that has been suggested might need some tweaking.
If any or all these issues are of concern to you, please let your Senator or Representative hear from you.
Anna Crook is a New Mexico State Representative, representing District 64. She is a member of the Taxation and Revenue and Transportation committees. She is also an Interim Member of the following committees: NM Finance Authority Oversight Committee, Revenue Stabilization & Tax Policy Committee, and the Water & Natural Resources Committee.
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