While intentions are usually good, sometimes the results have detrimental or unintended consequences on business. Here are some of those bills that fortunately will not become law this year:
- Paid Family and Medical Leave Act – as mentioned above, the proposed program was unwieldy, unworkable and unmanageable. In addition to its obvious burden on small businesses, the administration of the program would spawn the creation of a new 250+ employee agency that would, undoubtedly, mushroom over time. The bill died on the House floor, having passed the Senate.
- Reinstituting a state board of education was stopped in the House Education Committee thanks, in part, to powerful testimony from Del Archuleta, a Chamber Board member and the last president of the State School Board before it was abolished. This back-to-the-future proposal would have only resulted in less, not more, stability due to political infighting.
- What can only be described as punitive new regulations on the oil and gas industry stalled on the House floor. Harassing the goose that lays the golden egg is mind boggling to us, especially since that goose has but a few short miles to travel to a state with a more inviting business climate. Also stopped was the so-called “Green Amendment” to the state’s constitution that is also clearly aimed at the oil and gas industry. It might also be called the Lawyers Full Employment Act of 2024.
- Monumental increases to liquor excise taxes were quite properly directed to interim study. All of us agree New Mexico has an alcohol abuse problem. Developing and implementing practical solutions is another matter. The initial tax increase proposal would have increased total revenue from $50 million per year to at least $250 million per year without a clear path forward.