Feb. 6 is Ronald Reagan’s Birthday and in New Mexico it has been proclaimed “Ronald Reagan Day” per a proclamation by Gov. Lujan Grisham. You can read that astonishingly good proclamation below (and wonder why MLG and President Biden seem dead set on ignoring Reagan’s successful policies.

In the meantime, watch and laugh/weep at the following interview Reagan did with late night host Johnny Carson. You can laugh at Reagan’s wit while crying about the lack of similar discussions on modern news outlets (let alone late-night TV) and you can also cry about the lack of such strong and “happy warrior” political leaders in our state and nation.

With 10 days left in the 2014 legislative session here is the latest on some bills that we’ve been tracking (and rating at our Freedom Index where we are rating and tracking the bills and legislators based on their votes).

HB 41: Over the weekend this bill passed the House (albeit with bipartisan opposition on a 36-33 vote). The so-called “Clean Fuel Standard” which would raise gas prices by empowering the Governor’s unelected Environmental Improvement Board to manage what goes into your gas tank.

HB 6/SB 3: Paid Family Leave: The House version has stalled in the House Commerce Committee (which killed it last year). SB 3 moved out of Senate Finance over the weekend. If leadership wants to pass a bill they seem likely to push SB 3 and will avoid potentially hostile committees.

HB 133: Imposes harmful new regulations on NM’s oil and gas industry. It awaits action on the House floor.

HB 129: Was amended and then passed on the House floor to include a 7-day waiting period on gun sales. Here’s the vote. 

There are other potential good and bad bills moving. We are especially watching to see what the tax omnibus package looks like.

The following appeared in the Las Cruces Sun News on Sunday, February 4, 2024.

In recent years the “left” including most, but not all in the Democratic Party have turned sharply against traditional energy sources. Despite New Mexico’s status as a leading energy state, it has not been exempted from this trend.

In fact, while New Mexico has seen an unprecedented oil and gas boom (which has unlocked unprecedented government revenues) New Mexico’s political leadership has become virulently anti-energy. This is true for all five members of its congressional delegation which all reflexively support anti-energy policies that are contrary to the State’s interests.

But the Legislature, especially since Gov. Lujan Grisham became Gov. in 2019, has turned against traditional energy sources. The first step was the Energy Transition Act of 2019. Among other things the bill shut down the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station and eliminated nuclear from the list of “green” replacement power sources. Instead, the State has now embarked upon a plan to derive 100% of its electricity combination of wind, solar, and battery backup by 2045.

The Gov. doubled down on rammed her electric vehicle mandate through her appointed Environmental Improvement Board this past fall. The plan is to radically increase the number of EV’s sold in New Mexico from the current 4.8 percent of vehicles sold to 43 percent in less than three years.

But the Gov. and Legislature had generally left the oil and gas industry alone, at least until now. The oil and gas industry have created a flood of revenues for the State. A $3.5 billion surplus last year is followed by a similar surplus this year.  New Mexico’s annual state government income has swelled by nearly 50% over just the past three years.

But, after decades of Democrat-run New Mexico politicians largely leaving oil and gas alone (while gladly spending the tax revenues the industry generates), the 2024 legislative session has seen more direct attacks on the industry.

Here are some of the bills introduced in the current session that would directly affect the oil and gas industry in New Mexico:

• HB 133 opens the New Mexico Oil and Gas Act which has governed the industry for decades and enacts language pushed by environmental groups that will have the effect of increasing regulations to the point where small operators can’t do business in New Mexico.
• HB 41 would impose a so-called “Clean Fuel Standard” directing the Environmental Improvement Board to impose regulations to regulate the “carbon impact” of gasoline. This will raise gas prices for consumers.
• HB 30 demands use of only recycled water in oil and gas operations. Using recycled water is exciting new technology, but the industry simply can’t use only recycled water at this time.
• HB 32 would require numerous onerous new regulations on most oil and gas facilities within a mile diameter of schools.
• HB 48 would dramatically increase “royalties” (taxes) on the oil and gas industry which already generates huge amounts for New Mexico.

Advancing such momentous legislation during a 30-day legislative session is a challenge. While Republicans are generally united in support of oil and gas, the industry splits New Mexico Democrats. After getting the Energy Transition Act and pushing EV’s Gov. Lujan Grisham clearly seems willing to “kill (or at least wound) the golden goose” that funds New Mexico.

This is likely only the newest front in the battle over even more restrictive policies that, if adopted, could do great damage to New Mexico’s economy.

Paul Gessing is president of New Mexico’s Rio Grande Foundation. The Rio Grande Foundation is an independent, nonpartisan, tax-exempt research and educational organization dedicated to promoting prosperity for New Mexico based on principles of limited government, economic freedom and individual responsibility

There are less than two weeks left in New Mexico’s short 30-day legislative session (it ends at noon on Thursday the 15th. A lot can happen over the next few weeks, but here are a few points:

1) Most of the solutions to New Mexico’s problems aren’t being seriously discussed in the Legislature. GRT reform, broad based tax reductions, onerous regulations, serious reforms to New Mexico’s failed education system, and legislation to curtail crime have either not been introduced or have already been killed.

A few minor tax reforms (and some unnecessary tax hikes) have been introduced. We await the tax package. Overall, this Gov. and Legislature are incapable of big-picture, positive economic reforms.

2) To date the most notable issues this session have been paid family leave (HB 6 and SB3) and guns. There WILL be a tax omnibus bill (HB 547 was last year’s and it was largely vetoed). That tax bill (and whether it has pro-growth tax cuts or anti-growth hikes OR mostly subsidies) will have a major impact on the overall success or failure of this session as a whole.  The Clean Fuel Standard (HB 41) and some other oil and gas bills like HB 133 could also negatively impact New Mexicans and the economy.

3) The saddest and most notable part of the session seems to be the abject lack of vision. Considering that the Democrats have held power in New Mexico for nearly a century, they seem to prefer the status quo. No major economic, education, or crime reforms means their lock on power continues (with more money available thanks to oil and gas).

On this week’s episode Paul talks to former legislator and gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Dow. Dow is now heading up the Opportunity for All Kids project for the Rio Grande Foundation. She works every day to bring education reform and school choice to New Mexico. Paul and Rebecca discuss School Choice Week, education in the 2024 session, and goals for the OAK project.

Gov. Lujan Grisham was recently crowing about the $3.5 billion investment in Rio Rancho’s Intel facility. This is a big deal for New Mexico which has no Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the state and has struggled for decades to attract private sector business outside of the oil and gas industry.

The Intel plant has been around since 1980 and after it was widely feared about 7 years ago that Intel was planning to leave Rio Rancho entirely, the latest investment in the plant is most welcome.  But it is worth noting that Intel is currently investing $20 billion in Arizona. That’s almost 6 times their investment in NM.

Arizona (while similar in many ways, but lacking NM’s oil and gas) has long had a more business-friendly political culture than has New Mexico which has led to AZ growing much faster.  We’re happy to have any private sector investment in New Mexico, but the gap between us and Arizona remains vast.

RGF president Paul Gessing recently traveled to Ruidoso, NM to participate in the Grassroots Conservative Conference put on by “One Name, One Banner” and Ben Luna.

Paul appeared on a panel with a few ranchers who are dealing with the federal government, but appearing alongside James Lindsay (self-described professional troublemaker) was a special treat.  Paul discusses regulations (and taxes) at the State level and in the Legislature.  The video below provides highlights from the presentations lasting just over 7 minutes.

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The following is the full-length conference video. You can find Gessing’s full regulation comments at 2:45 and a panel discussion on electric vehicle mandates with Johnny Johnson of the New Mexico Trucking Association which starts at the 3:25 mark and lasts for about 50 minutes.

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From federal lands to national monuments and even city parks and open space, government is often seen as an ideal protector of lands and the environment. So often left-wing environmentalists (there are free market environmentalists like the author) believe that giving the government more control and power will result in better outcomes than market forces.

One example (of many) of government failure involves the Poole Estate on the West Side of Albuquerque. As the sign below (marked by extensive graffiti) notes, nearly three years ago the City purchased the Poole Estate on the West Side, just East of Coors.

Sadly, nothing has really been done with the place. So, while it sits, graffiti “artists” get to work. The photos below are a tiny portion of the graffiti that has taken over the walls that once outlined the Poole property.

The City could remove all the graffiti tomorrow (a start), but why after three long years has nothing been done with the property?

From federal lands to national monuments and even city parks and open space, government is often seen as an ideal protector of lands and the environment. So often left-wing environmentalists (there are free market environmentalists like the author) believe that giving the government more control and power will result in better outcomes than market forces.

One example (of many) of government failure involves the Poole Estate on the West Side of Albuquerque. As the sign below (marked by extensive graffiti) notes, nearly three years ago the City purchased the Poole Estate on the West Side, just East of Coors.

Sadly, nothing has really been done with the place. So, while it sits, graffiti “artists” get to work. The photos below are a tiny portion of the graffiti that has taken over the walls that once outlined the Poole property.

The City could remove all the graffiti tomorrow (a start), but why after three long years has nothing been done with the property?

There are plenty of crazy policies discussed in Santa Fe every session. Sadly, many of them become the laws that keep New Mexico mired in last place.  One of the “craziest” bills is HB 179 which, if adopted, would MASSIVELY increase taxes on alcohol.

We have previously discussed the fact that New Mexico’s taxes on alcohol are NOT low. In fact, our tax on wine is already 5th-highest in the nation!  The following is a chart from the fiscal impact report on HB 179. It illustrates just how aggressively supporters of HB 179 are pushing to raise taxes.

According to information provided by the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, there are 14 states reducing personal income tax rates in 2024. You can see a map of those states below:

Sadly, even with massive budget surpluses New Mexico is NOT among the states working to improve its tax structure and thus its economic competitiveness. HB 252 is the best opportunity for personal  income tax reductions in New Mexico this session.

New Mexico’s elected officials are allowing the State to continue to fall behind more aggressive states.

According to information provided by the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, there are 14 states reducing personal income tax rates in 2024. You can see a map of those states below:

Sadly, even with massive budget surpluses New Mexico is NOT among the states working to improve its tax structure and thus its economic competitiveness. HB 252 is the best opportunity for personal  income tax reductions in New Mexico this session.

New Mexico’s elected officials are allowing the State to continue to fall behind more aggressive states.

Paul was recently in Ruidoso to talk about government regulations and EV mandates at a Conservative Conference. Other speakers include James Lindsay and Sheriff Richard Clarke. Ben Luna organized the event.

RGF has continued its work in Santa Fe, mostly pushing back against bad bills. Here are a few:

HB 41: Clean Fuel Standard (soon to be on house floor)

HB 133 opens up the New Mexico Oil and Gas Act which has governed the industry for decades and enacts language pushed by environmental groups that will have the effect of increasing regulations to the point where small operators can’t do business in New Mexico.

HB 48 would dramatically increase “royalties” (taxes) on the oil and gas industry which already generates huge amounts for New Mexico.

HB 140: EV subsidies.

Related to what is going on at the Texas Border:

U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday paused approvals for pending and future applications to export liquefied natural gas (LNG)from new projects

Biden vetoes bipartisan bill on “Buy American Provisions” relating to EV’s.

New tires every 7,000 miles? Electric cars save gas but tire wear shocks some Florida drivers

MLG seeks federal funding to assist in the border crisis. Why?

New Jersey plastic bag ban actually causes tripling of plastic usage.

This bill is up in House Tax on Wednesday.

Handicapping the likelihood of tax bills in the New Mexico Legislature is really hard because they are compiled behind closed doors. Last year the Legislature was rather ambitious and wound up with a disastrous bill that even Gov. Lujan Grisham didn’t like. 

The Legislature seems to be far less ambitious this year and with only 30 days to pass something, that’s no surprise. House Bill 252 would be a bill worth including as it provides tax relief (targeted at lower income levels) for income tax payers in New Mexico.  It is sponsored by Rep. Lente, a Democrat and chair of the House Tax Committee.  You can read the analysis here. 

The rates would be: 1.5%, 3.2%, 4.3%, 4.7%, 4.9%, and 5.9%. The tax reduction would start out around $150 million and would rise somewhat over time. While this is by no means the tax reform/reduction we’d design, it is worthy of support and worth consideration by the Legislature.

Perhaps they would consider adding a provision to index these tax rates to inflation?

Even if you have previously taken action on this issue, we need you to do it again! As the bill heads into a new committee, we need your participation to defeat the anti-business HB 6 Paid Family Leave Bill, TOMORROW at 1:30 PM, in the House Commerce & Economic Development Committee.

HB 6 is a disaster. If passed, this Bill will take $5 from every $1000 of hardworking employees and an additional $4 per $1000 from employers. This Bill is intended to create a super fund managed by Workforce Solutions to allow employees 12 weeks of paid leave.

We need you to get involved!

First – Send your legislator & the committee a message telling them that HB 6 is bad for employees & businesses.

Next – Make plans to attend the online meeting at 1:30 PM TOMORROW (1/31) with the button below. You can also attend in person in Santa Fe at the Roundhouse to make comments supporting the industry. (House Commerce & Economic Development Committee is in Room 317)

Together we can make a difference, but we must be present to win!

Message the Legislature

Attend Meeting @ 1:30 PM – TOMORROW (1/31)

Last week President Biden seemingly inexplicably decided to put a stop to approvals of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.  Is it to get back at Texas for the border dispute or is it another sop to the radical environmentalists (even though LNG exports are a win for the environment)? We may never know.

LNG is a classic win, win, win for the US and New Mexico.

It provides a market for our natural gas (NM is a top-10 producing state). This means jobs and revenues.

Natural gas is clean and often replaces coal. 

Our natural gas helps foreign allies that otherwise might have to rely on Russia. 

House Bill 140 is Gov. Lujan Grisham’s plan to further subsidize the deployment of electric vehicles. It does so by creating two new refundable (meaning they are often not tax reductions, but spending) personal and corporate income tax credits for a six-year period beginning in tax year 2024 through tax year 2029.

First, the bill creates the refundable electric vehicle income tax credit for each electric vehicle (EV) purchase and second, it creates an electric vehicle charging unit income tax credit to cover the cost of purchasing and
installing an electric vehicle charging unit. The credit amounts for each year is as follows.

What is surprising (to us) is how modest the vehicle subsidy is ($3,000 starting out for three years) and declining over time through 2029. On the other hand the subsidy for a charging station is up to $25,000 per unit. The cost to taxpayers per year is estimated to be approximately $40 million annually.

While we see this subsidy as completely unnecessary, with New Mexico having another massive $3.5 billion surplus thanks to oil and gas, there is plenty of money available for broader tax reductions. 

These subsidies primarily benefit the wealthy. According to a study published in the Energy Research Social Science Journal, the majority of EV owners are white, own a home, have multiple vehicles, and have a higher income compared to the general population. About 60% of EV owners have an annual income of more than $100,000, while only 20% have an annual income of less than $50,000.

On this week’s interview Paul discusses the New Mexico Insurance Commissioner’s efforts to kill Christian Health Sharing plans in New Mexico. Katy Talento is a health care expert and Executive Director of the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries.

We discuss how the plans work and why they became so popular in the wake of ObamaCare. We also discuss why the Insurance Commissioner would come after these plans. Paul and his family once were part of one prominent health sharing plan. He describes his experience.

There is no doubt that our nation is facing a border crisis that the Biden Administration seems unable or unwilling to address. Like all Americans we have seen and heard of issues facing Texas and California at the border. We’ve also seen issues in big cities like Chicago, Boston, New York, and some others.

While we know there are illegal crossings of the New Mexico border, in Albuquerque and Santa Fe we aren’t seeing large numbers of issues dealing with immigrants or the need to house them. It is also not being reported in the media. Are we wrong? Why is Gov. Lujan Grisham among a rather small group of governors looking for money from Washington for this? See the tweet and letter signed by the Gov. below.

Without action from Washington, our economy, states, & communities will continue to bear the brunt of the shortcomings of the existing immigration system.

I am leading a coalition of governors calling for federal support as we manage an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. pic.twitter.com/f5gdENKBLt

— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) January 23, 2024

Two of the very worst bills before the New Mexico Legislature this session begin moving through their committees starting this Wednesday morning.

HB 37 is up in the House Tax Committee (find a list of members and emails here).

If adopted it would dramatically limit New Mexicans’ ability to deduct capital gains from the sale of homes, businesses, and stock. Under the current system, New Mexico taxpayers with capital gains income are able to deduct 40 percent of their net gain from their New Mexico taxable income. This is a positive feature of the state’s tax code as it promotes the creation of capital, which has been in short supply in the Land of Enchantment. HB 37 would limit a taxpayer’s net capital gains deduction to $2,500.

Businesses get into business to make money. New Mexico desperately needs a broader array of businesses to become economically-successful. There is absolutely no reason to adopt a tax hike of this kind, especially when New Mexico has such a massive surplus. 

Relevant committee emails below:

derrick.lente@nmlegis.gov,
Jason Harper <JasonHarperNM@gmail.com>,
Cynthia.Borrego@nmlegis.gov,
ambrose.castellano@nmlegis.gov,
Mark.Duncan@nmlegis.gov,
doreen.gallegos@nmlegis.gov,
joshua.hernandez@nmlegis.gov,
Larry Scott <lrscott52@gmail.com>,
Jim Townsend <jamesgtownsend@gmail.com>,
kristina.ortez@nmlegis.gov,
linda.serrato@nmlegis.gov

HB 6 is the other awful bill. This “paid leave”  bill (up in House Health and Human Services tomorrow members listed at link) would foist tax hikes on employees and employers alike (weather they want the program or not) to fund a paid leave scheme administered by the Department of Workforce Solutions.

Although no FIR is yet available for the bill this year, the analysis of last year’s version SB 11, expressed serious concerns about the viability of the fund. Such shortfalls would result in inevitable tax hikes on both workers and employers.

Relevant committee emails below:

Today and for the last few weeks filming has been taking place on the streets of downtown Albuquerque (blocking off several including Gold). Of course, we know this is Gov. MLG’s very favorite industry.

Those trucks are most definitely NOT electric though and there is also a generator at bottom middle (MLG is forcing EV’s on the rest of us over the span of a few short years). The film also involved driving a bunch of 1970’s era gas-guzzling vehicles down the road. You can see a photo of some of the cars below. Of course, we the taxpayers are footing the bill for all of this.

Over the weekend in the Albuquerque Journal ran this piece by a national, left-wing advocate for “progressive” taxation. He lauds New Mexico for making its tax code more “progressive” even though he appears to not know what the terms “progressive” and “regressive” mean when it comes to taxes.

According to none other than the IRS, a ” regressive tax—A tax that takes a larger percentage of income from low-income groups than from high-income groups.” A sales tax (or GRT) would be “regressive” because it taxes everyone at the same rate.

The “progressive” author misguidedly states that “regressive,” means the more you make, the less you pay. There are few taxes like that and certainly no tax structures where you pay less overall tax if you make more money.

So, how do New Mexico’s “progressive” tax changes impact job creation or overall economic health or the attractiveness of our state to economic relocation? Could New Mexico (blessed with massive oil and gas surpluses) make its tax structure less “regressive” by reforming and reducing its gross receipts tax? What is the appropriate level of taxation? These questions are left unanswered.

The author DOES trash Arizona for having made their tax structure more regressive in recent years (by cutting taxes, of course). New Mexico seems to be moving toward a California-style tax structure (according to the author’s own study, California has THE most progressive tax code) which has also made the state an attractive place to move out of.  

On this week’s interview Paul talks to Zach Fort of the New Mexico Shooting Sports Association about Gov. Lujan Grisham’s plans to take away your guns during the 2024 legislative session. We know from this summer’s radical and anti-constitutional executive order that this Gov. is not a believer in gun rights or the 2nd Amendment. What are her and the Legislature’s plans and what can New Mexicans do to fight back?