Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Legislative Round-up - April 18

At the Regional Post Legislative Round-up, government officials discussed the 51st Legislative session with members of the Eastern Plains Council of Governments and the Clovis/Curry Chamber of Commerce.

After officials gave short presentations they answered questions from the audience.

  • Sen. Stuart Ingle, R-Portales, said he was impressed with the senate's ability to let go of animosities from election season and work together to hopefully solve problems. He also discussed the state's inability to define what food is in relation to a gross receipt taxes.

He cited the fact that a person can buy six donuts and it isn't food, but if a person buys a dozen donuts it is food.

  • Sen. Patrick Woods, R-Broadview, discussed Senate Bill 202, which will allow employees in certain agricultural industries to drive trucks without a CDL license..
  • District 63 Rep. George Dodge, D-Santa Rosa, spoke about water rights, saying that water is precious as platinum. He said New Mexicans need to work together to secure water rights and make sure those water rights do not end up in Texas
  • District 64 Rep, Anna Crook, R-Clovis, said she successfully fought a bill that would've prohibited coyote hunting. She said she received ugly letters after the bill was shot down, but she responded by telling them that people's livelihood were at stake, and they need to be able to hunt coyotes
  • District 67 Rep. Dennis Roch, R-Texico, discussed House Bill 275 that increased the pay of volunteer firefighters. He also talked about the lottery scholarship, which was not fixed in the legislative session. He said something must be done to fix it or it will be bankrupt in a few years.

— Staff report

 
 
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