As session heats up, focus on what matters

The Legislature is in the home stretch, with two weeks left before the place shuts down. Unless, of course, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham decides to call lawmakers back for a special session to deal with unfinished business. She’s already threatening one if what she deems essential gun safety legislation doesn’t make it to her desk.

While we’re sensitive to the necessity to pass gun safety laws, bringing back the House and the Senate to consider bills that likely would be held to be unconstitutional at the federal level would be a waste of time, money and effort. Banning semi-automatic weapons, while a worthy goal, is, as Sen. Joseph Cervantes put it, “theater for public consumption.”

Writing on The New Mexican website, Cervantes added: “There’s no point in passing unconstitutional laws. Our efforts, energy and resources are needed for real solutions.” When he’s right, he’s right.

Still, special sessions can be useful if crafted narrowly to focus on necessary work. We can see a couple of potential topics for special sessions should the 60-day session be inadequate.

With only two weeks remaining, legislators are beginning to consider an omnibus tax bill. The well-considered proposal to raise alcohol taxes 25 cents a drink was tabled. Far-reaching gross receipts tax reform was tabled. How — or if — new tax legislation comes together will be determined in the remaining days of the session as lawmakers look at a massive tax proposal.

Much remains under consideration. A proposal to raise the tax on alcoholic drinks still is in the mix, although at a lower rate than 25 cents a drink. A smaller increase, coupled with removing current alcohol revenues from the general fund and directing them to reducing the harm caused by drinking is a compromise worth supporting.

We hold out hope gross receipts tax reform can occur, with the goal to reduce the base rate and reduce tax pyramiding so small business owners don’t have to pay double. Removing the GRT for medical services — which can’t be passed on to consumers — would go a long way toward making New Mexico a better place for doctors to do their jobs.

Still being considered is limiting the tax deduction for capital gains on sales of stocks and other financial products, with a maximum deduction of $2,500. Also on the table: additional cash rebates for individuals and couples to put money in the pockets of taxpayers now, and an increase in the Child Tax Credit that directly aids parents and caregivers.

What is happening — with only two weeks left — is a potential restructuring of the tax code to make it fairer.

Whether there’s enough time to get the job done remains to be seen.

And that’s a problem for significant legislation in any 60-day session — will the competing priorities cancel each other out?

Take the need to improve New Mexico’s K-12 public schools, perennially lagging in performance compared to other states. Finding a comprehensive approach to reform that truly would improve outcomes for students is almost impossible given the flood of legislation being considered. That’s a pity, given public education’s bite on the state’s budget.

Punch in the word “education” on the bill finder page at nmlegis.gov and five pages of bills, resolutions or memorials show up. For the words “public school,” there are three pages to sort through.

These offerings can be as varied as setting up a study of the public school funding formula to legislation to restrict the sale of sodas on school grounds. Senate Joint Resolution 1 seeks to amend the constitution. It would remove the Public Education Commission and establish a 15-member state school board to direct the Public Education Department — eliminating the Cabinet secretary of education. That potentially could remove this important department out from under the political spotlight.

Surely, such an important discussion — essentially, the future of education in New Mexico — deserves more reflection. Such things have happened before.

Forget special sessions to consider gun safety legislation. Consider, instead, a special session to propose and pass significant education reform — focusing on teacher training, retention, curriculum, the length of the school year and funding for at-risk student populations. A legislative special session not about political theater but focusing on real solutions to real problems.