Contacting a legislator:  If a legislator has an email address listed on the Legislature's Web Site and on this web site (Legislative Contacts), she/he probably picks up their messages regularly.  If an email address is not listed, telephoning or writing their office is the best way to contact them.  Legislator's home addresses are listed on our Legislative Contacts page. During legislative sessions, letters to legislators should be addressed to the State Capitol, Santa Fe, NM 87501.  Also during sessions, you can reach any legislator by calling the Legislative Switchboard at 986-4300 or you can call their office using the telephone number that can also be found by clicking Legislative Contacts. You can reach the governor's office by calling 476-2200 or sending a message at Gov. Richardson.

Affordable Housing & Homelessness

SB144 (Sen. Nancy Rodriguez) would expand state housing credits to more area of the state without expending any additional general funds.  SB144 passed the Senate and is now in the House Taxation & Revenue Committee. HM7 (Rep. Bill O'Neill) creates a study group to look at child homelessness in NM.  HM7 passed the House and was signed by the Speaker of the House.

Family-Sustaining Income

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-NM is advocating that funding for programs that help low-income families not be cut and is monitoring the funding of those programs as the state budget (HB2) is developed.  Those programs include General Assistance, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, child care assistance, and programs for homeless people.  HB2 has passed the House and is now being considered in the Senate.

SB171 (Sen. Carlos Cisneros) and HB140 (Rep. Gail Chasey) ask that no cuts be made to early childhood programs.  SB171 has passed the Senate Education Committee and is now in the Senate Finance Committee.  The House Rules Committee determined that HB140 was not germane to this session.

Health Care

We are also advocating that no cuts in eligibility and benefits be made to the Medicaid program.  Federal stimulus funding is helping to prevent further cuts which thus far have included curtailing of outreach and cuts to providers.  Over 500,000 low-income New Mexicans receive health care through this important program.

SB34  (Sen. Tim Keller) asks that the Medicaid program be held "harmless" as the state budget is developed.  SB34 has been heard in the Senate Public Affairs Committee and is now in the Senate Finance Committee.

Hunger  

Enrollment in the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps) has increased by over 30% in the past year.  This program is federally-funded and administered by the NM Human Services Department.  HSD has recently made several rules changes that benefit recipients of SNAP.  New Mexico has a state program that provides supplemental SNAP benefits for seniors who are eligible for minimal assistance under federal rules.  The funding for this program has not been threatened as the state budget is put together.

Tax Policy

Thus far, at least 20 bills increasing state revenue have been introduced.  We face a revenue shortfall of at least $500 million for the next fiscal year.  Some of the bills increase personal income taxes, some increase the gross receipts tax (sales), some are aimed at closing corporate tax loopholes, some raise the so-called "sin taxes" on cigarettes and liquor.  Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-NM is advocating that revenue be increased in a progressive way so that tax burden on low-income New Mexicans is not increased.  This means that it is better to increase income taxes on wealthier taxpayers than to simply increase the gross receipts tax.

HB9  (Rep. Ed Sandoval) imposes a temporary surtax of 1.5% on higher income taxpayers when they file their state income taxes and is a progressive tax.  HB9 would increase state revenue by at least $66 million.  HB9 has passed the House and is now in the Senate Corporations & Transportation Committee.  Use this link to contact committee members and ask them to vote yes on HB9.

HB119 (Rep. Ben Lujan) creates a temporary 1/2 of 1% increase in the state gross receipts tax (NM's version of a sales tax).  HB119 would increase state revenue by about $235 million.  HB119 has passed the House and is now in the Senate Corporations & Transportation Committee.

HB120 (Rep. Ben Lujan) changes tax law to insure that New Mexico state tax is withheld from certain out of state entities.  HB120 would increase revenue by about $15 million.  HB120 has passed the House and is now in the Senate Corporations & Transportation Committee.

HB270  (Rep. Mimi Stewart) would require that state taxpayers who itemize on their federal returns "add back" the amount they deducted for state taxes to their New Mexico taxable income.  New Mexico is one of only 6 states that does not require this "add back."  This bill does not increase rates and is progressive because it only affects the approximately 30% of New Mexicans who itemize on their federal returns.  HB270 would increase state revenue by $90 million.  HB270 failed to pass the House.  SB25  (Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino) is the same as HB270 and is in the Senate Corporations & Transportation Committee.

HB62  (Rep. Ray Begaye) & SB90 (Sen. Peter Wirth) would close the corporate tax loophole that allows out of state corporations not to pay their fair share of corporate taxes in our state.  HB62 was heard in the House Business & Industry Committee and action was delayed. SB90  is in the Senate Corporations & Transportation Committee.

Domestic Partnerships

SB183  (Sen. Peter Wirth) allows LGBT and other couples to have civil rights through domestic partnerships.  SB183 passed the Senate Public Affairs Committee and is now in the Senate Finance Committee.  Please call the members of this committee and urge them to vote yes on SB183.
 
Treatment instead of incarceration

HB178  (Rep. Moe Maestas) would create a way to make sure that those arrested for drug possession be given substance abuse treatment instead of only being incarcerated.  HB178 passed the House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee and will now be heard in the House Judiciary Committee.  Please use this link to contact members of House Judiciary and urge them to support HB178.