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• Child abuse bills: A Senate committee has approved two child-abuse bills introduced by Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, D-Las Cruces, but has tabled a third.
The Senate Public Affairs Committee gave a do-pass recommendation Thursday for SB 76, which requires the state Children Youth and Families Department and other experts to conduct a study into child abuse problems, recommending prevention methods and reporting back this year, and SB 79, which appropriates $150,000 to CYFD for a child abuse public awareness campaign.
The committee tabled SB 62, which would require family reporting of child abuse.
"The intent of this bill was good - to require those with the most intimate access to abusive situations to report what they witness," Garcia said. "But advocates have expressed concerns that the bill as it stands would not have that desired effect, and could even worsen the situation. I have withdrawn the bill for this year, and will work to resolve its shortcomings during the interim."
Garcia has two other bills dealing with child abuse - SB 77, which would require incident training for police, and SB 213, which would make it illegal to leave a child in a car during dangerous conditions - still awaiting their first committee hearing.
• Another long weekend: For the second straight week, neither chamber of the Legislature will hold floor sessions today. Though it's typical for the Legislature to not meet on the first
Several legislators, staffers, lobbyists and other Capitol regulars have said that this session seems to have gotten off to a slower start than most.
• Governor signs Feed Bill but carps: Gov. Susana Martinez signed the $8.4 million Feed Bill (HB 1), which funds this session of the Legislature. However, she criticized lawmakers for not reducing spending.
"I have signed this funding bill to demonstrate my administration's desire to work in a cooperative fashion with the Legislature,'' Martinez said in an executive message to the House of Representatives. "However, I must point out my disappointment at the level of appropriations provided in this legislation. While I cut my office budget 10 percent and that of the Governor's residence by 55 percent, I would have liked to have seen some additional fiscal restraint on the part of the Legislature.''
Martinez pointed out that the Feed Bill was $1.2 million bigger than last year's. "Many of our Executive agencies will be facing serious budget cuts, reorganizations and additional cost efficiencies. Therefore, I would ask that the Legislature make a concerted effort to pare back its spending,'' she wrote.
House Speaker Ben Lujan, D-Nambe, told House members that one reason the Feed Bill is so high is because of printing costs associated with legally required printing of bills.
The bill includes $1.5 million for drawing up new districts for Congressional and legislative seats this year.
HB1 passed unanimously in both the House and Senate.
• Closing loopholes: Reducing the gross receipts tax for New Mexicans while closing tax loopholes on oil, gas and other extractive industries is the aim of HB 222, introduced Thursday by Rep. Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe.
The bill reduces the gross receipts tax rate by one-fourth of a percentage point. The revenue would then be made up by imposing a three-fourths percent "resources'' excise tax on any business producing oil and gas or extracting other minerals. The bill also increases the privilege tax on oil and gas production. Egolf said the bill will eliminate tax loopholes and subsidies for oil, gas and other mining interests, bringing an additional $200 million plus to the state.
HB 222 heads to the House Business and Industry Committee and the House Taxation and Revenue Committee.
