On Feb. 10, the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee heard Senate Bill 14 — and several voices of opposition including the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce.
SB 14 creates a process for the state Office of Superintendent of Insurance to review acquisitions and mergers “that materially change the control of a New Mexico health care entity and could negatively impact the availability, accessibility, affordability and quality of care for New Mexicans,” according to a fiscal impact report on the original bill.
J.D. Bullington, a lobbyist for the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber opposes the new bill out of concerns it will have the opposite effect from what is intended.
“Our hospitals, especially rural hospitals, are often-cash starved because of the high percentage of patients that aren’t covered by insurance and also because they’re located in low population centers,” he said. “Sometimes, the only solution for a local hospital staying out of red ink is acquisition by an entity that can bring financial resources to the table.”
The committee postponed a vote on the bill until today, partly because it ran out of time
but also because the bill has been amended.
To read the full story in the Santa Fe New Mexican, click here.
On Feb. 11, Peter Lorenz, Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce incoming chair and Unirac, Inc. CEO, appeared in an Albuquerque Journal article regarding the effects tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports would have on New Mexico.
Steel and aluminum are important products in the clean energy sector — which is a sector that has been booming in New Mexico with recent expansions from Array Technologies and Maxeon Solar.
About 85% of aluminum ingots — raw material — are imported into the U.S., according Lorenz. He added that most of that comes from Canada.
So not only would he expect increased costs in the solar industry, he told the Journal, but in all industries using aluminum. While some industries could continue operations under that burden, prices would inevitably be passed onto customers, Lorenz said.
To read the full story, click here.