Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
BackgroundChecks.org recently ranked the states with the worst DUI problems, and New Mexico is ranked #7 out of 10. The report used a combination of Centers for Disease Control, Department of Transportation, and local state data to create a comprehensive scoring for each state.
In legislative action, the House unanimously passed bipartisan tax legislation that simplifies the tax code to improve the economic footing for the state while keeping more money in the pockets of hard-working New Mexico families. HB 412 passed the House by a vote of 63-0 and now moves to the Senate.
The House passed legislation to let the voters of New Mexico decide if the state should make a major investment in early childhood by increasing by 1% the annual distribution of the Land Grant Permanent Fund for investment in early childhood education.
HB 133, a bill to allow officers in New Mexico to appear by video at a DWI suspect’s license revocation hearing has passed the House and is now making its way through Senate committees. If officers are allowed to appear by video the state is expected to save hundreds of thousands of dollars in officer overtime costs, travel costs, and officer vehicle maintenance.
Governor Susana Martinez vetoed HB 144, which would have opened New Mexico to the industrial hemp market. Martinez vetoed a similar bill in 2015.
Governor Martinez signed HB 113 into law, authorizing the state to establish a statewide broadband network.
