On April 24, the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors met for its monthly meeting with a trio of impressive speakers.
First up, the board heard from Minority Leader Sen. Bill Sharer (R-San Juan), as he spoke about the recent 60-day legislative session, which ended March 22.
Sharer shared that Republicans had their work cut out for them when it came to stopping bills that would negatively impact the New Mexico oil and gas industry and business.
Two of those were the Clear Horizons bill, which pushed for zero-carbon emissions, and the paid family medical leave bill.
“We had to work together to stop these bills,” Sharer told the board. “These bills seemed impossible to stop. With a little reorganizing and collaborative efforts, we were able to stop them. Both of these bills would have been detrimental to New Mexico.”
Sharer also shared the story of a tax bill filed at the 11th hour that had an enormous tax on the oil industry. The bill didn’t sit right with him and others because oil and gas currently contributes 49% of New Mexico’s budget.
He said he worked with Majority Floor Leader Sen. Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) on keeping the day-to-day operation on the Senate floor as smooth as possible.
“It’s important to establish relationships,” Sharer said. “I also encourage constituents to take the time to get to know legislators better. Building personal connections can make all the difference.”