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As of Friday, legislators have filed a total of 315 bills; of those, 24 are public school bills. Both legislative Senate and House chambers are still in the process of referring these bills, so debate and committee votes are pending.
Advocates for water projects scored a victory Thursday when members of the House Agriculture, Acequias and Water Resource Committee voted 6-0 to approve House Bill 201, which would appropriate $150 million to the state Water Project Fund.
The money would let the Water Trust Board, which falls under the New Mexico Finance Authority, “fund projects for which there is not sufficient funding through dedicated revenue sources,” according to the bill’s fiscal impact report.
Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers praised the bill, saying it will help communities struggling with water access. It goes next to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee for consideration.
Agriculture
Senate Bill 93 aims to give New Mexico State University $400,000 to research and develop chile harvesting technology and solutions. The bill puts another $100,000 towards chile marketing. In 2022, KRQE took a deep dive into the challenges the state’s spicy chile industry is facing.
Senate Bill 94 aims to give New Mexico State University $250,000 to hire a wine expert, or enologist. The idea is to help support the industry – comprised of around 56 wineries in New Mexico, according to New Mexico State University.
Last year, lawmakers created a cybersecurity office to deal with cybersecurity concerns across state agencies. Now, a couple lawmakers are working to strengthen the existing framework of cyber-related laws.
Senate Bill 129, sponsored by Sen. Michael Padilla (D-Abq.) and Rep. Debra Sariñana (D-Abq.) would require security audits and boost cybersecurity spending transparency. Stay tuned.
Data shows that New Mexico has seen some recent increases in homelessness, and it’s a challenge that affects cities around the state. Now, a bill could create a government division under the executive branch that would focus specifically on reducing homelessness.
Senate Bill 166, sponsored by Sen. Harold Pope (D-Abq.) and Rep. Eleanor Chávez (D-Abq.), would create the “homelessness reduction division” within the state’s Healthcare Authority Department. The bill would direct the division to work with experts, help create policy, and create a statewide plan to support New Mexico’s unhoused.
The New Mexico CYFD continues to be a main focus for lawmakers this session.
The Senate Education Committee is scheduled to talk about Senate Bill 152, which, in part, expands background checks needed for some workers and volunteers.
A couple of controversial by some gun control measures are headed to the House floor after winning approval Monday in the House Judiciary Committee. Locally Block is opposed to anything except rhetoric to his base.
House Bill 129 would impose a 14-day waiting period on gun purchases. House Bill 27 would add health care professionals to the list of people who can ask law enforcement officers to file a petition for an extreme risk firearm protection order. It also clarifies that law enforcement officers can file petitions.
Both proposals passed along party lines, with Republicans voting in opposition.
Background checks OK'd: Members of the Senate Education Committee unanimously voted to approve Senate Bill 152, which makes technical clarifications to the types of employees and volunteers who must undergo background checks in the state Early Childhood Education and Care Department and the Children, Youth and Families Department.
According to SB 152's fiscal impact report, the fix is necessary under FBI guidelines.
Sen. Siah Correa Hemphill, D-Silver City, who sponsored the bill, told committee members passage of the bill is necessary before current FBI background check regulations for the two departments run out in September. The bill next goes to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
New graduation requirements: House Bill 171, which would impose new high school graduation requirements starting in the 2025-26 school year, was approved Monday by the House Education Committee.
Sponsored by House Education Committee Chairman Andrés Romero, D-Albuquerque, and House Minority Leader Ryan Lane, R-Aztec, the bill would make a few key changes to high school graduation requirements, including better integrating career-technical education options into core subjects; removing a requirement that students take Algebra 2; and allowing school governing bodies to require two class units based on community preferences.
Notably, HB 171 would require high-schoolers to complete the same total number of class units — 24 — prior to graduation. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham vetoed a similar bill last year, noting in her veto message it “weaken[ed] graduation standards” by decreasing required units to 22 from 24.
Although some argued the proposed graduation requirements remain too weak, the bill garnered overwhelming support from lawmakers and school leaders alike.
The bill affording additional protections to student loan borrowers and co-signers received approval from the House Education Committee in a 7-3 vote Monday.
Called the Student Loan Bill of Rights Act, House Bill 71 would impose licensing requirements for student loan servicers, prohibit unfair and deceptive loan practices, discharge private loans due to a permanent disability and create a student loan ombudsman to guide students through the loan repayment process, the bill's sponsor, Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, explained during the committee meeting.
The committee's Republican members expressed concerns about the burdens the bill might place on small student loan providers as well as the investment required to create the statewide student loan ombudsman.
A new bill proposing an increase by an average of about 25 cents per serving, according to a fiscal impact report — cleared its first legislative hurdle Monday when members of the House Health and Human Services Committee voted 6-3 to approve it.
House Bill 179 would also create an alcohol harms alleviation fund and change the way excise tax distributions are given out to current beneficiaries.
And Mica is out, next I’m running in a 3rd attempt to chase down Representative John Block to answer some questions he is avoiding…
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