NM worst roads in America, but another $10 million for state abortion clinic, new film school in capital outlay bill (HB 450)

New Mexico’s capital outlay process is widely recognized to be an absolute mess and this year is no exception. HB 450 is the bill. While New Mexico suffers from having the worst roads in the nation, this legislation does nothing of substance to improve the condition of those roads. It is more of the status quo. And it includes several spending items that simply should not be government priorities:

$10 million for ANOTHER abortion clinic (this one in northern New Mexico). While RGF is not actively involved in the abortion issue it strongly holds that taxpayer dollars should NOT be used to build abortion clinics or “donated” to Planned Parenthood;

$10 million for construction of a film school at CNM to support the already heavily-subsidized film industry;

$4 million for runway and infrastructure improvements at the failing (taxpayer-funded) Spaceport;

$1.5 million for “alternative fuel/charging stations” for the new EV school bus fleet.

An endless list of projects with zero prioritization and zero study of actual need or broader impact (and no reforms making that happen).