On Monday, the Senate Finance Committee rammed a bill, S.B. 14 by state Sen. Mimi Stewart (D-Bernalillo) through in record time — less than 15 minutes — to enact a “clean fuel standard,” which would result in a 20 to 35+ cent gas tax, harming the poorest and most vulnerable New Mexicans. The committee did not take public comment and just passed the bill, with a minor amendment regarding the bill’s funding. The measure passed 6-4 with little to no protest from any Republicans on the panel.
The anti-energy senator wrote on Twitter after the vote, “Thanks to @GovMLG for her incredible leadership on #S14, Enacting the Clean Fuel Standard Act. @GovMLG is keeping us on track to be the greenest state in the country!” Many New Mexicans responded in anger, including state Sen. Jacob Candelaria who shared a GIF labeling the Governor and Stewart as “a little delusional.”
The House Health and Human Services Committee passed 7-3 a bill that would ”appropriate funds for the installation of “baby boxes” for people to safely surrender infants and avoid situations like in Hobbs where a teen mother callously her newborn child in a dumpster. It would also provide for “educating the public about safe surrender of infants, including the location and use of surrender safety devices.” The bill failed after Reps. Joanne Ferrary (D-Doña Ana), Karen Bash (D-Bernalillo), Marian Matthews (D-Bernalillo), and Liz Thomson (D-Bernalillo) tried and failed to table the bill.
According to Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park), Speaker Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe) further stacked the House Judiciary Committee with radical Democrat “progressives” in a power move following his fellow Democrat, Rep. Miguel Garcia (D-Bernalillo) blasting him in a fiery letter.
Lord wrote, “Today, New Mexico House Speaker Brian Egolf appointed an additional progressive member to House Judiciary in order to ensure progressive rule in this key committee; a committee that was already dominated eight to four by Democrats. This over-the-top reaction to the insubordination of the Speaker’s Judiciary appointees, who are not following his or the Governor’s direction on supporting or killing bills, happened on the same day that the Speaker was blasted by Democrat Representative Miguel Garcia (D-Albuquerque) in the Albuquerque Journal.”
The House Judiciary Committee considered H.B. 9, by Democrat ballot harvester and Rep. Pamelya Herndon (D-Bernalillo), a radical anti-gun bill that would mandate citizens to lock up their guns.
“It is unlawful for a person who keeps or stores a firearm to do so in such manner that the firearm is accessed by a minor without the authorization of the minor’s parent or guardian or when used in the commission of a crime,” the bill reads. It continues, “When a firearm is accessed by a minor and used in the commission of a crime, the person who keeps or stores the firearm commits unlawful access to a firearm by a minor and is guilty of a misdemeanor.”
The bill was stalled until Friday for Rep. Matthew McQueen (D-Santa Fe) to make amendments to the bill. Details on the bill’s next appearance will be included in a subsequent Piñon Post legislative update.
What’s happening Thursday:
The full Senate will consider Sen. Stewart’s extremist 35+ cent-per-gallon gas tax bill, according to the floor calendar. New Mexicans are urged to contact their state senators and urge them to vote “NO” on the radical bill that will hurt the poorest New Mexicans. Find your legislator here.
H.B. 158, REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAXES & SOCIAL SECURITY, by Rep. Linda Serrato (D-Santa Fe)
This bill would enact one of the highest taxes on real estate transfer (and purchase) in the nation. The bill reads, “An excise tax is imposed on all instruments evidencing a transfer of any interest in residential property. The rate of tax shall be: (1) one-half percent of the consideration for the interest in residential property transferred by the instrument if the price of the residential property was at least five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) and up to seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000); and (2) one and twenty-five hundredths percent of the consideration for the interest in residential property transferred by the instrument if the price of the residential property was at least seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000).” The Zoom details for the meeting are below:
When: Feb 3, 2022 01:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82353539692 Or One tap mobile : US: +16699009128,,82353539692# or +12532158782,,82353539692# Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 Webinar ID: 823 5353 9692
H.B. 49, EXEMPT SOCIAL SECURITY INCOME FROM INCOME TAX, by Reps. Gail Armstrong (R-Soccorro) and Cathrynn Brown (R-Carlsbad)
This GOP-led bill will eliminate the double-taxation of Social Security income to senior citizens. It is a mirror of H.B. 48, which was recently revived in the House Labor, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee. The Zoom details for the meeting are below:
When: Feb 3, 2022 01:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82353539692 Or One tap mobile : US: +16699009128,,82353539692# or +12532158782,,82353539692# Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 Webinar ID: 823 5353 9692