2008 Special Legislative Session
Accomplishments of the House Majority


In the midst of our daily lives and, for some, in the middle of a re-election campaign, our citizen legislature was called to the 2008 Special Session by Governor Bill Richardson.  During this Special Session, we were asked by the Governor to consider five priorities:  health care reform, the cash assistance relief effort package, highway projects, emergency money for floods in Ruidoso and Otero County and emergency money for the 2008 election.  We worked hard, and after five intense days, we made progress on all five issues.

•We passed legislation which will help the working families of New Mexico in these difficult economic times by providing a permanent tax credit ($7.8million), modest rebates ($55.8 million), funds for home heating assistance ($1.9 million), child care assistance ($7.2 million) and school bus fuel assistance ($3.2 million);
•We passed legislation which will help provide health care insurance for children up to the age of 18 under Medicaid  which may provide coverage for approximately 19,000 children who currently do not have health coverage ($20 million), treat developmentally disabled children and almost completely eliminate the current waiting list for the DD Waiver service ($10 million) and provide additional funds for mental health services for children ($2.5 million);
•We passed legislation which will complete most GRIP road projects ($200 million) and provide emergency money for road and bridge repairs in Ruidoso and Otero Counties for damage caused by recent flooding ($5 million);
•We passed legislation which appropriates money to cover anticipated additional expenses for the important November general election ($1.6 million).

The House introduced 21 bills, of which 13 were introduced by the Majority.  Ten of the bills introduced by the House and Senate were passed and sent to the Governor for signature.  Five of those bills were introduced by the House Majority.

What follows is a review of the legislation sent to the Governor for signature as well as legislation passed in the House which will provide a base for future progress in the 2009 Session.

HOUSE MAJORITY LEGISLATION SENT TO THE GOVERNOR

CARE Package

School Bus Transportation Funding

Rep. Rick Miera (D-Bernalillo-11) introduced HB2 which appropriates $3.2 million from the general fund to the Public Education Department to provide supplemental funding to school districts to cover the cost of increasing fuel costs.  If school buses cannot operate, parents are left with the prospect of driving their children to school, with the concomitant expense of money and time.

Increase Working Families Tax Credit

Rep. Edward C. Sandoval (D-Bernalillo-17) introduced HB4 which amends Section 7-2-18.15 NMSA 1978 to allow a Working Families Tax Credit which allows residents who file New Mexico income tax returns to claim a credit in an amount equal to 10% of the federal income tax credit for which that individual is eligible for the same taxable year pursuant to Section 32 of the Internal Revenue Code.  This bill allows the tax credit to be deducted from the tax liability that the individual may have with the state and for any excess to be refunded to the individual tax payer.  The tax credit is increased from 8% to 10% of the federal income tax credit the individual was eligible for that same year.   This credit is applicable to tax year beginning January 1, 2008. This bill should return $7.8 million to taxpayers, reducing the tax burden for working families.

Child Care Program

HB7 introduced by Rep. Rhonda S. King (D-Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Torrance-50) will subsidize the cost of child care for low income families that are working or in school and have a need for child care. The bill appropriates $7.2 million from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant to the Income Support Division of the Human Services Department for the Children, Youth and Families Department for expenditure in fiscal year 2009 to sustain eligibility for the child care program. Of the $7.2 million, $5 million is allocated to maintain child care assistance at 165% of poverty, the current eligibility level.  The remaining $2.2 million will be used to expand child care assistance at 200% of poverty.

Highway Projects

Rep. Daniel P. Silva (D-Bernalillo-13) introduced HB10 which provides up to $200 million to partly offset the projected shortfall in the 2003 transportation projects under GRIP, allowing the much needed completion of these projects.

LEGISLATION SENT TO THE GOVERNOR INTRODUCED BY THE SENATE AND PASSED BY THE HOUSE

While the following legislation was introduced by the Senate, the bills are making their way to the Governor due in no small measure to the hard work of the House Majority.

Health Care Reform

The Legislature passed SB22 which will appropriate funds to the Human Services Department for the following: $10 million for the DD Waiver Program; $20 million to provide health care coverage for individuals up to the age of 18 under Medicaid; and $2.5 million for direct behavioral health services for individuals through age 18.

CARE Package

Low Income Energy Assistance Program

The Legislature passed SB21 appropriating $1.9 million to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) which will provide much needed assistance to  families in paying the escalating costs of their home heating bills.

Cost of Living Tax Rebate

The Legislature passed SB24  appropriating $750,0000.00 from the general fund  to the taxation and revenue department for expenditure in fiscal year 2009 to administer a tax credit to the residents of New Mexico.

Emergency Money for Floods in Otero and Ruidoso

The Legislature passed SB29 which will provide $5 million to Otero and Ruidoso Counties for bridge and road repairs necessitated by recent devastating floods.

Emergency Money for 2008 Election

The Legislature passed SB23 which appropriates $1.6 million for anticipated additional expenses for the November General Election.  SB23 and HB 6 introduced by Rep. Jose Campos (D-Curry, DeBaca, Guadalupe, Roosevelt-63) were duplicate bills except for the emergency clause contained in SB23.

FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE

During the five days of the Special Session, progress was also made on appropriating funds for a low income weatherization assistance program, which was introduced by
Rep. Roberto “Bobby” Gonzales (D-Taos-42), and the Electronic Medical Records Act which was introduced by Rep. Peter F. Wirth (D-Santa Fe-47). The work accomplished on these issues will serve as a foundation for future progress.


August 25, 2008

BILLS & MEMORIALS