New Mexico Democrats to doctors: Drop Dead!

It’s bad enough that all the bills dealing with reforming New Mexico’s medical malpractice law been killed this session by the majority Democrats in party-line votes. Here is a list of the bills that would seriously address New Mexico’s medical malpractice law: HB 63, HB 88, HB 465, SB 296, and SB 447 have all either died in committee or not been heard yet.

And then the tax omnibus bill (HB 547) which many hoped would include reform of the service taxation component which unfairly hits doctors (and other service providers) was put forth (absent reform of the service tax).  Instead, if adopted the bill would increase income taxes for high earners to as high as 6.9% while also putting more New Mexicans in those tax brackets. In response to doctors and others House Tax Committee Chair Derrick Lente (D) had the following comment for the Albuquerque Journal. 

Can doctors afford the increase? Perhaps. More importantly, they can also leave New Mexico. And, unless something dramatic changes before now and March 18 when the session ends, New Mexico’s Legislature will have done a great deal of harm.