2022 Accomplishments

 

Public Safety

House Democrats passed comprehensive legislation that would make communities across New Mexico safer by recruiting and retaining high-quality law-enforcement officers, deterring dangerous, violent crime, and making investments to address crime at its roots.

Deterring Violent Crime

  • The House Democrats’ comprehensive crime bill, HB 68, contains several key provisions to deter and prevent violent crime. (Representatives Dixon, Herndon & Matthews) Signed by Governor

    • It cracks down on the market for stolen cars and parts by making it a crime to operate a chop shop.

    • It eliminates the statute of limitations and increases penalties for second-degree murder.

    • And it enhances penalties for felons who possess firearms, making criminal threats and brandishing firearms.

Investments in Safer Communities

  • The state budget, HB 2, includes investments in police recruitment and retention and community programs that will help make our neighborhoods safer in the long run. Signed by Governor

    • House Democrats funded sixteen percent raises for state police, and bonuses to encourage experienced police officers to stay on the force.

    • Makes big investments in behavioral health, violence intervention, and community programs to help address the root causes of crime.

Healthcare

Healthcare is a human right, and your state House Democratic caucus knows that better access to more affordable healthcare can truly help lift up New Mexico.

House Democrats passed legislation to protect the health and well-being of New Mexicans this session, with measures to ease healthcare enrollment, encourage harm-reduction and investments in Medicaid.

Easy Enrollment

  • HB 95 helps New Mexicans enroll in health insurance and other programs for which they might qualify, by giving taxpayers the option to consent to the transfer of their information to the Human Services Department or to the New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange. (Reps. Thomson, Barreras, Chandler, and Sens. McKenna & Stefanics)

Harm Reduction

  • HB 52 prevents overdose deaths by decriminalizing the use of fentanyl test strips, allowing individuals struggling with substance use to test for fentanyl, which is often used to lace other illicit drugs, making them much more addictive and deadly. (Reps. Lujan, Hochman-Vigil, Chandler, and Senate Majority Whip Lopez and Sen. Duhigg)

Funding Medicaid

  • Additionally, HB 2, the state budget fully funds Medicaid and eliminates the long waitlist for people with developmental disabilities to receive in-home care.

Economic Development and Infrastructure

House Democrats passed key legislation to improve access to essential services and infrastructure in rural communities throughout the state.

We worked to diversify our state’s economy and create good-paying jobs with legislation to support entrepreneurs, grow small businesses, and attract investment. The Venture Capital Program Act will support New Mexico businesses in the early stages of development with venture private equity funds. The Opportunity Enterprise Act will help local businesses acquire commercial space to support community economic development. Our budget invests in job training programs and local businesses, including $50 million in funding for the Local Economic Development Act, to help attract business and create jobs statewide.

The budget also adds funding for the Job Training Incentive Program and substantially increases funding for the Tourism Department. House Democrats also reduced the Gross Receipts Tax by 0.25% to alleviate the tax burden for small and local businesses. Additionally, our budget makes significant investments in road projects, rest stop improvements, road equipment, and upgrades to regional airports across the state. 

Education

House Democrats made historic investments in New Mexico’s students, schools, and teachers and passed bills to improve outcomes for students across our state. Because New Mexico’s students deserve experienced, high-quality teachers, we passed legislation to substantially increase teacher salaries, making them some of the most competitive in the region, measures to recruit and train new teachers, and incentives for good teachers to stay on the job. We also made big investments in early childhood education so that our children are equipped for success before they enter K-12 and passed bills to ensure equity for our Native American students. Additionally, the Opportunity Scholarship Act will create a pathway to free higher education for adults interested in pursuing a certificate or degree.

Environment

House Democrats continue to fight for environmental progress with legislation to reduce energy consumption, support renewable energy options, and increase funding for regulatory agencies. The Community Energy Efficiency Development (CEED) block grant program will improve energy efficiency and affordability for low-income residents across New Mexico, by supporting targeted energy efficiency projects in underserved communities, such as replacing outdated appliances, retrofitting, and weatherizing homes. Increased funding for the Environment Department and the Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department will enable the agencies to better enforce environmental standards and develop a new office to combat climate change. Our tax bill will make renewable energy more accessible by allowing New Mexicans to offset costs of solar energy installation and equipment with a refundable tax credit.