Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce Opposes Proposed Revision to State Education Funding Formula

Half Way Through………

The deadline for introduction of bills was Wednesday, January 30. The final bill introduction count is 1,470 which includes bills, memorials, capital outlay, resolutions and the proverbial “dummy” bills. Senate bills 536 through 580 and House bills 636 through 684 fall into this category. Dummy bills are introduced as AN ACT RELATING TO THE PUBLIC PEACE, HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE with no substance in the bill’s body. They serve to provide the members of the legislature with the opportunity to introduce bills after the deadline for introduction. If a legislator needs to “drop” a bill, he or she can use a dummy bill which becomes a committee substitute bill when the new language is placed in the body of the original bill.

Emotions are starting to surface with both the Legislative members and the Executive branch expressing their disappointments. The Governor on Wednesday noted his very real concern that the majority of his bills including his session priority, healthcare, are getting short shrift from the Legislature. Legislators in turn made it clear that they felt they were getting their job done and didn’t appreciate the Governor’s remarks. A few legislators are getting a bit short with each other in committee though that isn’t true of the majority of members. Nonetheless, we know that at this point in the session, priorities will be honed, bills will die, be amended or passed, and the hours spent at the Roundhouse will become longer and more intense.

While all of this is happening, Chamber Chairman Paul Sowards, President & CEO Terri Cole, Board member Jim O’Neill, and Chamber staff are working behind the scenes and in front of committees to move forward legislation that benefits our members while striving to ensure that bills bad for business don’t make it through.

Rising Health Care Costs…How Do We Slow It Down?

We’ve all wondered how much longer we can continue to absorb rising health care costs and premiums, but up until now, nothing seems to have made a dent in the problem. Well, we actually have a bill in the Legislature that goes a long way to addressing the problem and slowing down those costs. HB62 (now a committee substitute bill) gives us our first real opportunity to get our hands around these concerns, but naysayers who either want us to do nothing or want to impose a government controlled medical system on us are fighting this bill. 

In the House Health and Government Affairs Committee this week, HB2 14, the single payer bill and HB 147, which essentially is another study, passed right on out to their next committees with no major changes. HB 62, however, was gutted by this committee even though the Executive Branch had made significant concessions to address legislators’ concerns. Knowing that the Governor wouldn’t sign the gutted bill and the Chamber wouldn’t support it, they were hoping to keep their “government control of health care” bill or their “do nothing right now” bill alive.

All of us need to step up and say that we want a real solution that gets the job done now. We are working to try and get HB 62 restored to its prior form and working with the Executive to get amendments on the bill that improve it, not destroy it. Please help us by letting your legislator know that you support HB 62.

You know, for those who still believe that doing nothing is the best way to go, we point out that doing nothing doesn’t maintain the status quo. Frankly, if it did, why would we want to continue doing what isn’t working. The more uninsured we have, the higher the costs climb for those who do have coverage; the higher those costs go, the more uninsured we get. It just gets worse. How is that a solution?

And yes, the number of uninsured is directly related to your health care costs. The 400,000 uninsured must be treated by law, but hospitals can’t possibly afford to absorb the uncompensated costs associated with treating these individuals especially since they usually seek care in emergency rooms (the most expensive form of medical care) across the state because they don’t have physicians. Those uncompensated costs are shifted to you in the form of higher premiums and higher health care costs. And for county hospitals, the cost shifting has to be to taxpayers, and again, that means to you.

So let’s start down the road to really fix these problems. HB 62 creates a framework that will get the uninsured covered, slow down our costs, improve accountability and transparency around government programs, provide for consumer safeguards, protect the private sector component of healthcare that is working well and ensure that the business community is at the table as the plan is implemented. This is a win-win for all of us.

Entrepreneurism, Small Business and Economic Development 

With the national economy weakening, now more than ever it is critical that the Legislature support bills that will help grow the state’s economy. Last week Sen. Stuart Ingle introduced SB 343, which would appropriate $300,000 for the Main Street Program; this week it was reported Do Pass by Senate Public Affairs. The House companion bill, HB 440, introduced by Rep. Tom Taylor, was reported Do Pass by House Business & Industry Committee on Wednesday.

Another bill supported by the Chamber is seeing a lot of legislative action. SB 23, introduced by Sen. John Ryan, which funds investment in stem cell research, passed the Senate on a vote of 20-18 on Jan. 29. It has now been referred to the House Consumer & Public Affairs and House Judiciary Committees.

Several other bills which the Chamber is supporting have begun to receive Legislative committee approval. SB 86, sponsored by Sen. Carroll H. Leavell, which would appropriate $1 million to the Economic Development Department to support business incubators, was Reported Do Pass by Senate Corporations & Transportation.

Rep. Ben Lujan’s HB 8, which provides $10 million for programs that provide quick-response classroom training, in-plant training and skill enhancement to furnish qualified work force resources for new or expanding industries in New Mexico continues to move through committees having received another Do Pass this time in the House Business and Industry Committee. It is now headed for House Appropriations. HB 108, introduced by Rep. Mary Helen Garcia to provide funding for the state’s Cooperative Advertising Program, which helps rural communities promote business and tourism, has also passed the House Business and Industry Committee and is also headed to House Appropriations for its next hearing.

Focus on Energy

Four energy bills that the Chamber supports received committee approval recently. The Senate Conservation Committee approved SB 210, Low-Income Energy Efficiency Loans and SB 211, Low Income Energy Efficient Homes. The House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee approved HB 219 Low-Income Energy Assistance and HB 305, Energy Efficiency and Load Management for Public Utility Customers; HB 305 was also approved by the House Energy & Natural Resources Committee.

Mortgage Lending Issues

Last year, the Governor convened a task force to review mortgage lending issues in New Mexico. Two of the task force’s recommendations, supported by the Chamber, have been introduced as legislation. SB 445, Mortgage Loan Originator Licensing Act, introduced by Sen. Phil Griego, requires licensure of all New Mexicans engaged in mortgage loan origination. Regrettably, this bill was tabled on a 5 to 4 vote by the Senate Corporations Committee. Sen. Cisco McSorley has introduced SB 192, the Home Buyer Education Program, which would provide $1 million to the Department of Finance and Administration to create and implement a home buyer education program.  The Chamber supports this bill because a better educated consumer is a better protected consumer, especially during market downturns. 

Improving the State’s Ethical Standards

Rep. Tom Anderson has introduced HB 523, which would open legislative committee meetings. A hall mark of good government is open government so this is an issue the Chamber has supported for years. The Chamber has also been supportive of the recommendations by the Governor’s Task Force on Ethics Reform and some of its recommendations are being introduced as bills. HB 564, introduced by Rep. Gail Chasey, will extend the current system of voluntary public financing for elections to all statewide elections, such as secretary of state and attorney general.  Last week, we mentioned two bills that would establish a state ethics commission, which the Chamber supports. Add another bill to that list. SJR 6 introduced by Rep. Leonard Lee Rawson would amend the State Constitution to establish an eight-member State Ethics Commission. If the joint resolution passes, it would still require a public vote to amend the Constitution. 

Strengthening Criminal Penalties

Rep. Bill Rehm had introduced HB 591, which would have moved auto theft from the New Mexico traffic code to the New Mexico criminal code, which the Chamber supported because it would have toughened sentences for these offenders. Regrettably, the Governor didn’t message this bill so it will likely be ruled non-germane and die in the Rules Committee. 

However, other important crime legislation is moving forward. The Chamber is supporting SB 68, introduced by Sen. Rod Adair, which increases the penalty from a misdemeanor to a fourth degree felony upon conviction of a third offense of battery on a household member, or conviction of a third offense of aggravated battery on a household. SB 68 was Reported Do Pass by both the Senate Public Affairs and Senate Judiciary Committees.

Happy Birthday to the Following Legislators Celebrating Their Birthday This Week

• Sen. James Taylor --  February 5

• Rep. Ernest Chavez – February 6

• Rep. Patricia Lundstrom --  February 6

Additional Bills of Interest That the Chamber Supports

• HB217 (Sandoval) LIHEAP Funding

• HB325 (Heaton) Extends R & D Small Business Tax Credit

• HB 326 (Heaton) Extends High Wage Jobs Tax Credit

• HB448 (Sandoval) Cyberspace Command Center Tax Deduction

• HJM17 (Anderson) Study PIT Tax Exemption for Retired Military Personnel

Bills of Interest That the Chamber Opposes

• HB51 (Wirth) Mandatory Combined Reporting

• HB619 (Gutierrez) Soft Drinks Subject to GRT