Serving the High Plains

Legislature has work cut out figuring budget

New Mexico lawmakers reconvened in Santa Fe on Tuesday for a 30-day session in which their primary task is to adopt a balanced budget for the coming fiscal year.

But this year they will have some “new” money to work with thanks to a rebound in oil and gas and a general strengthening of the state’s economy.

These aren’t exactly boom times, but there is no question we have had some steady growth and major successes — such as the burgeoning international trade sector along the southern border and successfully landing the Facebook data center in Los Lunas.

The revenue consensus from lawmakers and the administration put the amount of “new” money at $199 million to use in building a budget of about $6.3 billion. If lawmakers approve a tax overhaul package favored by Gov. Susana Martinez — one that closes many loopholes, cuts some of the pyramiding taxes that punish small business and generally provides a more equitable tax framework for New Mexicans — the amount of new money would be closer to $298 million.

The governor is proposing a 1 percent pay raise for state employees and 2 percent for teachers, while adding a $5,000 bump for exemplary teachers and $10,000 for exemplary secondary STEM teachers. That’s smart, given that paying for excellence encourages it, and a bonus for STEM teachers helps fill a critical need for New Mexico students. Those teachers are key to preparing them for a new technology-driven world.

Her budget also would funnel about $60 million into reserves, which were pumped dry over the past two years as lawmakers searched every nook and cranny to deal with a funding crunch tied largely to the bottom dropping out of oil and gas prices.

That funding source has rebounded, with oil around $64 a barrel while fracking and other drilling technologies have made it more economical to tap previously difficult-to-access reserves — helping both state coffers and American efforts to become energy-dominant — a good thing in a world where Saudi Arabia, Russia and OPEC no longer hold the single most important key to prosperity.

The good news here is that there appears to be at least some consensus on spending proposals between the Republican governor and members of the Legislature, where Democrats are a majority in both houses.

It’s fair to note that our part-time, citizen Legislature, composed of hardworking men and women who receive only per diem for the late nights and headaches, will have plenty of other issues to deal with, as Martinez has set an ambitious agenda for her final regular session. The governor is term-limited by the state Constitution.

Some of those issues deal with the horrific crime wave we have experienced and make sense across political party lines. Those include raising salaries for State Police and corrections officers and pumping an additional $5 million into the budget of District Attorney Raúl Torrez of Bernalillo County, who hopes to redefine how we prosecute criminals.

The governor and lawmakers have tough jobs in deciding how to allocate our tax dollars. And even though those are the jobs they signed up for, New Mexicans should wish them well as they prepare to go to work on our behalf.

— Albuquerque Journal