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 House approved a 75-cent hike to state’s cigarette tax Thursday, sending the last piece of a state budget package to Gov. Bill Richardson. The House quickly adjourned, bringing the special to an end. The Senate had adjourned minutes earlier.
The cigarette tax passed by a 40 to 20 vote after House lawmakers engaged in a short debate over whether to agree to changes the Senate had made to the legislation early in the day.
Democratic House lawmakers Andrew Barreras of Tome, and Sandra Jeff of Crownpoint had gotten the House to agree to directing about $11 million of the $33 million generated by the tax increase to K-12 education.
But the Senate Finance Committee early Thursday re-directed the $11 million to two separate areas, with $4.6 million going to the state pre-kindergarten programs administered by the state Public Education Department and and $6.4 million going to early childhood programs administered by the Children, Youth and Families Department.
The Senate change rubbed some lawmakers the wrong way.
“I am a little disheartened at the process,” Barreras said. “When I came up here I heard, ‘Help our children. Help our children.’ In a small way we tried helping education the best way I knew how,”
Some House lawmakers went on to urge colleagues to vote against adopting the Senate changes, which would have effectively killed the cigarette tax.
“This is a true cut to education,” said Rep. Jimmie Hall, R-Albuquerque. “It is a cut to education that has not been fully vetted.”
But House Majority Leader Ken Martinez, D-Grants, warned what would have happened if the House didn’t agree to the changes.
“If we don’t do this, the governor will be forced to take a red pen and deduct about $20 million to $30 million from the state budget,” Martinez said. The cigarette tax raises $33 million to address a projected shortfall next year of several hundred million dollars.
“If we don’t concur, that will really be a hit to education,” Martinez said.
In the end a majority of lawmakers heeded Martinez’s words.
