I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
The Roundhouse is still deciding what to do with Senate bill 10, a bill that would make a lot of food items taxable in New Mexico. But those grocers who sell the foods say the tax won’t be the only extra cost to consumers.
“Its gonna be difficult at best,” says Ruben Baca, the lobbyist for the New Mexico Grocers Association (NMGA). Baca represents not the big grocery stores like Wal-Mart, but smaller independent grocers including convenience stores. He says most stores have anywhere from 16,000-20,000 items in the store, each one would would have to be examined to see if its exempt. “We wont eat those charges, we’ll pass them on to the consumer,” says Baca who adds that each store will have to pay anywhere from $6,000-$10,000 to update their system. Some smaller stores may just not go through their items and tax everything Baca says.
The chances of SB 10 passing out of the Senate are uncertain at best according to Baca, but if it does he feels it has a large uphill battle in the House. SB 10 is supposed to bring in $138 million to the states coffers and is the biggest tax increase approved by the Senate Finance Committee to fix the budget.
