Agreement reached on special session

Staff report

The New Mexico Legislature and Gov. Susana Martinez agreed Wednesday to a special session to cover capital outlay, a package of tax incentives and supplemental general funds to the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Department of Health.

The session was announced by Martinez Wednesday evening. A release from the governor’s office said Martinez will issue a call for the special session with more specifics, though the expectation is for the session to open Monday.

“This bipartisan agreement will help create jobs in New Mexico. We are prioritizing highway construction and other major infrastructure, which puts people to work immediately and lays a strong foundation for long-term economic growth. And it is absolutely critical that we make New Mexico more competitive for job creation by offering targeted incentives for businesses choosing to locate or expand in our state, and by focusing on the creation of new jobs and investment along our border and in the technology sector, while making it easier to start a small business and succeed.”

The legislative items include:

• A $295 million capital outlay package that includes money for senior centers and higher education institutions, $45 million in statewide highway projects and an $8 million highway infrastructure project near Santa Teresa.

Also included is $84 million for various local infrastructure projects around the state.

• A package of tax incentives that will restore the Unreimbursed Medical Expense Tax Deduction claimed by roughly 300,000 New Mexicans each year, allow companies that house their headquarters in New Mexico to elect single sales factor apportionment, re-enact the Border Zone Trade-Support Gross Receipts Tax Deduction, establish the U.S. Department of Defense Energy Gross Receipts Tax Deduction, expand the Technology Jobs Tax

Credit and combine it with the Small Business Research and Development Tax Credit, and clarify two provisions relating to taxation and loading fees on gasoline or special fuels.

• Allocation of $300,000 towards the Administrative Office of the Courts and $4 million to the Department of Health.

“I’m glad that we were able to put politics aside and work together to find an agreement that will best address the needs of our families,” Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle, R-Portales, said. “For the last few months, we have worked with the governor and leaders in both chambers to find middle ground, and that has resulted in a bipartisan agreement that not only creates jobs, but also addresses critical infrastructure needs. This is an agreement that every New Mexican can get behind.”

“I’m pleased with today’s agreement because it will create more jobs for our families,” House Speaker Don Tripp, R-Socorro, “and that is a top priority for our caucus. We all know that our roads and highways are a critical part of our economy. When they are in good shape, it’s a direct reflection of our economy. This agreement will ensure that we fix our aging roads and, at the same time, it includes the jobs package, which will encourage companies to set up shop in New Mexico and create high-tech jobs that our state needs.”