LEGISLATIVE ROUNDUP

Days remaining in session: 52 Pandemic relief: New Mexicans who earn less than $31,200 annually may be eligible for a $600 tax rebate under a bill unanimously endorsed by the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee. The bill also would give restaurants, bars and other establishments most affected by business restrictions under the state’s public health orders a one-time gross receipts tax holiday from March to June.

The bill, which would cost an estimated $185 million, is part of a larger relief package that lawmakers are considering as a result of the economic turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “The idea is to send a number of these bills up early to the governor with an emergency clause so they’re effective immediately, and today’s bipartisan, unanimous support for Senate Bill 1 is a very good start,” said Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, one of the primary sponsors.

Wirth said the state would use “nonrecurring reserves” to fund the relief bill. “This is using that one-time money to give a one-time benefit to those who need it the most,” he said.

The committee also unanimously endorsed a separate bill to waive 2021 liquor license fees. “Many of the establishments who had to pay these license fees still are unable to open or are open at very reduced hours, so for many New Mexico businesses, they’ve been paying a license [fee] not to do business in that respect,” said Sen. Jacob Candelaria, D-Albuquerque, one of the sponsors of Senate Bill 2. Candelaria said he plans to introduce an amendment to expand the scope of bill to include a reimbursement of liquor license fees for 2020, when most of those businesses were closed.

“I think all of this represents the Legislature’s commitment to really jumpstart New Mexico’s recovery and making sure it’s a fair and equitable one,” he said. The waiver of liquor licenses fees this year would cost up to $3.8 million, according to a fiscal impact report. “It’s a drop in the bucket for the state [government] but a huge impact financially to the bottom line of many of these [businesses] that are really on their last legs,” he said.

One-stop survey: Members of the House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committed voted 7-4 to pass House Bill 51, which would create a searchable database of environmental-related projects and issues — such as the number of active mines, oil and gas wells, and solar and wind projects in the state. State agencies covering environmental issues are required to provide data for the site, which will be maintained by the Natural Heritage New Mexico division of the Museum of Southwestern Biology at the University of New Mexico. The bill next goes before the House State Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee.

Land grant: Meanwhile, members of the House Local Government, Land Grants and Cultural Affairs Committee voted 5-2 to approve House Bill 41, which expands the definition of “land grant-merced” in state statute to include lands that, prior to 2004, were partitioned from the lands granted by Spain or Mexico to a community or town in order to establish a community, town or pueblo. Rep. Miguel García, D-Albuquerque, who sponsored the bill, said it would give those land grants more political power and allow them to apply for federal funds, among other measures. The bill, which has made its way through previous legislative sessions only to be pocket-vetoed by governors, next goes to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration.

Quotes of the day: “I didn’t get an invitation to the committee.” — Rep. Liz Thomson, D-Albuquerque, after popping up on Zoom 10 minutes late for a virtual meeting of the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee, which she chairs. The committee hearing was slowed down by technical challenges, and Thomson later quipped that she wouldn’t be surprised if her hair grayed as it went on.

“I remember when I was going for my undergraduate degree in broadcast journalism at the University of Texas at El Paso — this is when the ASARCO plant was still standing — that I could taste the sulfur in my mouth every day going to school. It was not something that was pleasant.” — Sen. Carrie Hamblen, D-Las Cruces, prior to voting in favor of a bill that would allow New Mexico to enact environmental protections more stringent than the federal government. Hamblen, a freshman lawmaker, is CEO and president of the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce.