Legislative roundup.

Days remaining in session: 25 Unlimited: How long is too long for a politician to serve in the New Mexico Legislature?

New Mexico does not have term limits, and a House committee on party lines Tuesday shot down a proposal to restrict legislators to 16 years in office. Democrats opposed the bill.

Democratic members of the State Government, Indian and Veterans Affairs Committee were not the only ones opposed to term limits.

The League of Women Voters also spoke against the proposal, arguing it would deprive voters of a choice at the polls and that the turnover among lawmakers would lead to a loss of expertise, increasing the power of lobbyists.

Sponsored by Rep. Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, House Joint Resolution 9 also would have expanded the terms for House members from two years to four years, slowing what some legislators describe as an unending cycle of campaigning and fundraising.

The resolution, which voters would have had to approve, would have staggered the elections for senators. Currently, senators run every presidential election year.

Having half of the Senate run every two years probably would have boosted chances for Republicans to win more seats in the chamber, as turnout declines in mid-term elections.

Banning the box: New Mexico would become one of 10 states to prohibit private employers from asking job applicants about their criminal history on an initial application under a measure that passed the Senate on Tuesday.

Senate Bill 78, sponsored by Sen. Bill O’Neill, D-Albuquerque, and Rep. Alonzo Baldonado, R-Los Lunas, would not change hiring laws or prohibit a business from asking about criminal convictions after the first application.

The Legislature in 2010 prohibited state agencies from inquiring about a criminal conviction unless a job applicant is selected as a finalist.

Minding our business: The House of Representatives voted 57-9 for a bill to help boost state spending with local businesses.

House Bill 25, sponsored by Rep. Sarah Maestas Barnes, R-Albuquerque, and Sen. Michael Padilla, D-Albuquerque, would require agencies to set aside 33 percent of contracts for resident businesses.

Businesses would need to meet the eligibility standards to qualify, such as having employees based in the state and paying taxes in New Mexico.

“As it stands now, hundreds of millions of state dollars are going to out-ofstate entities,” Maestas Barnes said in a statement.

The bill now goes to the Senate.

Solar bill: The Senate has approved a bill that supporters say would provide minimum consumer protections to buyers of solar energy systems.

Senate Bill 210, sponsored by Sen. Clemente Sanchez, D-Grants, passed 34-7 and now moves to the House of Representatives.

The bill calls for a written disclosure statement on the sale or lease of a distributed generation project that includes information about performance guarantees, fees and financing details, as well as information about utility rates. The seller must also provide a right to rescind within three days.

The measure was opposed by some of the biggest backers of solar energy, including Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D- Santa Fe, and Sen. Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque. Opponents say the bill would hurt the state’s burgeoning solar industry.

Public Service Company of New Mexico, the state’s largest electric utility, supports the bill.

Boarding homes: The House of Representatives has voted to place New Mexico’s mostly unregulated network of boarding homes under greater state scrutiny.

Many boarding homes have provided an unofficial safety net for New Mexicans with mental illnesses who need affordable housing but do not require assistance with daily tasks such as dressing or bathing.

But no agency is responsible for regulating such homes.

House Bill 85 calls on the Department of Health to establish licensing requirements for boarding homes and set up model regulations for local governments to consider.

Rep. Debbie Armstrong, D-Albuquerque, is sponsoring the bill.

Her measure would also allow the Attorney General’s Office and the Aging and Long-Term Services Department to designate an ombudsman to investigate complaints against boarding homes. The bill heads to the Senate. Looking ahead: Former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, seriously injured by a gunman at a public event in 2011, is to speak about gun background checks at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Capitol. Giffords, cofounder of a gun-control group called Americans for Responsible Solutions, is also scheduled to participate in a roundtable discussion on gun violence at 12:30 p.m. at the Capitol.

Two bills seeking to expand gun background checks are working their ways through the Legislature.

Quote of the day: “We’re trying to reward high-achieving schools off a low-achieving grading formula.” — Sen. Howie Morales, D-Silver City, criticizing the accuracy of the state’s A-F grading system for public schools and a bill to reward school districts based on that formula. Senators killed the bill on a 22-19 vote.