Talk of the Town Hall

Santa Fe's state lawmakers are hosting town halls all week to update constituents on their plans for the upcoming legislative session. ---

On Monday and Tuesday, the Santa Fe delegation announced bills they hope to pass and took questions from the audience. They will continue with town halls tonight and Thursday.

State Sen. Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, and state Rep. Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, started off the series of town halls with Monday's meeting at the Zocalo Community Center. These legislators introduced themselves to the audience, especially since redistricting recently added this area to Egolf's district.

State Reps. Luciano "Lucky" Varela, D-Santa Fe, and Carl Trujillo, D-Santa Fe, joined Wirth and Egolf on Tuesday night at the Santa Fe Farmer's Market Pavilion. Trujillo won election to the state House in November, replacing the deceased Speaker Ben Luján. Below, read a few of their thoughts on some of the hot-button legislative issues. Scroll down for information on upcoming town halls.

The Budget

Each year, the Legislative Finance Committee produces a state budget proposal for the following year. The governor will then produce her own proposal, and much of the session's final days are often spent negotiating the details to arrive at a compromise.

When Varela arrived late to last night's town hall, Wirth joked that he'd stayed late to finish the LFC budget for fiscal year 2014, which was released this morning.

If the LFC budget passes, state employees and teachers could receive overdue salary raises, Varela and Wirth pointed out. More than two-thirds of the LFC's budget recommendation goes to secondary and higher education; it also prioritizes Medicaid and public safety.

When asked about 20 percent vacancy rates in state government, Egolf said the state Legislature can appropriate money for state employees, but the governor decides how to spend it. He said the LFC will recommend a 1 percent raise for state employees.

Taxes

In past years, Wirth explained, he felt like "Don Quixote in the wilderness" for pursuing corporate tax reform. But now, Gov. Susana Martinez "has decided this is her major initiative." Wirth met with the administration on Tuesday to compare ideas.

The governor and Wirth both want lower corporate taxes. But we don't need a "race to the bottom" with states like Texas. It "would be a mess" if we switched to single sales without combined reporting, Wirth said.

According to Wirth, the governor's proposal for single sales "ties right into combined reporting." Wirth's plan would close loopholes that some corporations use to avoid paying taxes. Wirth said his balanced approach would be revenue-neutral, or pay for itself.

Education

Varela also announced potential changes to the funding formula for higher education in order to incentivize student performance. He said new teachers would need training in reading for certification and those at struggling schools deserve extra compensation.

Wirth's efforts to raise money from corporate taxes could help shore up public education. The state constitution requires sufficient funding for education, but a 2007 study found that it was underfunded by 15 percent, or $345 million. This gap will grow by $100 million this year.

The governor announced her education plans yesterday in Albuquerque. She wants about $30 million to retain third graders if they cannot read, link teacher pay and evaluations to test scores, and monitor students for signs they might drop out.

Wirth said the funding formula for Santa Fe schools is a "disaster," because the district doesn't get the supplements others receive and local teachers face a higher cost of living. As a young lawyer, Wirth considered challenging the formula's constitutionality.

Joel Boyd, Superintendent of Santa Fe Public Schools, agrees local teachers need a raise. But legislators in Albuquerque, where the district benefits more from the funding formula, argue for putting more money into the formula, rather than changing the formula.

Another key concern: pension solvency. The state's pension funds—which fall under the umbrellas of the Public Employees Retirement Association of New Mexico, or PERA, and the state's Educational Retirement Board, or ERB—are running out of money, and this session will likely see a heated battle over how to keep them solvent.

In previous years, state lawmakers have proposed increasing the share that state employees pay into their accounts in order to reduce the cost to taxpayers and raising the retirement age.

Last night, Egolf said he foresees compromise bills and doesn't want more than minor changes to current employees. Trujillo suggested current school employees could pay 2 to 3 percent more towards retirement, except for those making less than $20,000.

Guns

In light of the recent school massacre in Newtown, Conn., gun laws are likely to come up this session.

Today, Egolf said he will co-sign a gun control bill authored by state Rep. Miguel Garcia, D-Albuquerque. Egolf said this bill will send a message: "We are not the kind of country where people are going to walk around with machine guns."

Health Care

Another point of contention may be health care—specifically, the health insurance exchanges required under Obamacare. The exchanges—which are designed to be user-friendly clearinghouses where individuals and small businesses can find health care plans to suit their needs—must begin enrolling people this fall. While Martinez has announced that New Mexico will build its own exchange rather than letting the feds come in and do it for us, the details have proven controversial. Democrats have even mulled filing a lawsuit questioning the administration's choice to use the state's existing Health Insurance Alliance, a sort of prototypical exchange, as the basis for the new exchange, claiming the HIA is too industry-friendly.

Egolf says he expects "a fight in the legislature." He'd prefer to see New Mexico start from scratch with an exchange, he said last night, to simply repurposing the HIA. If state lawmakers and the governor reach an impasse, Egolf said, he feels the Legislature would prevail in court.

Another health-related question pertains to Medicaid. Under Obamacare, the federal government pays the lion's share of up-front costs for states that expand the federal low-income health-care program, and states then gradually assume responsibility for the costs. Some Republican governors have opted not to expand the program, citing concerns about its costs down the road; Martinez has not yet made a decision on whether to enroll another 350,000 New Mexicans.

Egolf said legislators would likely introduce memorials and legislation about Medicaid expansion. These bills would apply pressure to the governor.

…and More

Green Building: Egolf announced a one-time refundable tax credit, up to $8,000, for purchasing or constructing a newly built, highly efficient home. This "three-for-one hit," following the federal model, will put millions into the economy, eliminate utility bills for homeowners, and create 6,000 jobs, he says.

Campaign Finance: Wirth has prefiled two campaign finance bills. The first bill will "require disclosure of donors," includes a provision for reporting independent expenditures, improves the definition of campaign coordination. The second bill fixes a problem with matching funds for publicly financed elections.

Nukes: Trujillo will seek support for accelerated cleanup of area G in Los Alamos and sediment traps in fire prevention efforts. He will file a bill with a framework for technology transfer and spinoff, specifically energy storage via chemical methods.

Film Industry: Egolf said Martinez won't increase the $50 million cap on movie tax credits. But he said three changes might happen: a rolling cap, additional credit for filming outside big cities, and getting TV out from under the cap.

Fracking: Egolf will introduce two anti-fracking bills. The first bill will require disclosure of fracking fluids before they are used, which is the same law that Texas passed recently. The second bill will strengthen casings used in fracking, to protect groundwater.

Drugs: Egolf said the state spends over a hundred million annually on marijuana criminalization. Wirth said he won't support legalization of all drugs. They said they could support a marijuana bill if it addresses sale and distribution, and not just possession.

GMOs: Wirth has prefiled a bill that would require producers to label genetically modified food. According to Wirth, GMO foods are banned in 40 percent of the world. Wirth's bill is just about labeling, which he said was recently defeated in California.

Infrastructure: During the last session, members of the Santa Fe delegation met in Varela's office, to prioritize their capital outlay requests. They will likely happen again in 2013. Trujillo may sponsor a bill to restore capital outlay funding that was vetoed.

Texting: Wirth has a bill to "prohibit texting while driving," which includes a $300 fine. An audience member argued such bills aren't studied for effectiveness. Wirth said that studies show "text messaging while driving is more dangerous than drinking and driving."

At the end of last night's town hall, Egolf told the audience these town halls are the "best way we have to hear from you." Wirth thanked constituents for helping him to raise new issues in the state legislature and giving him the courage to make tough votes.

Members of the Santa Fe delegation provided their contact information to audience members. They directed people to the legislative website and mentioned their own use of social media. They also stressed the accessibility of the Roundhouse to average New Mexicans.

Upcoming town halls:

Wednesday, Jan. 9

6-7:30 pm: state Sen. Peter Wirth and freshman state Rep. Stephen Easley, D-Santa Fe

La Tienda Performance Space, Eldorado (map)

Thursday, Jan. 10

6-7:30 pm: freshman state Rep. Carl Trujillo, D-Santa Fe

Hands Across Cultures teen center, La Puebla (map)

6-7:30 pm: state Sen. Peter Wirth and state Rep. Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe

Hondo Fire Station 2 Santa Fe (map)

Santa Fe Reporter