The Roundhouse in Santa Fe (Photo by Peter St. Cyr)
The New Mexico Senate voted this afternoon to add a requirement that staff compile a list of at least $150 million in potentially cutable capital outlay projects to a bill that would make widespread reductions in state government. Now, the body is considering a second amendment that would use that money to reduce cuts to state agencies and avoid education cuts.
The Senate is currently considering House Bill 17, which passed the House on a vote of 37-31 late Thursday.
The first amendment, from Sen. Eric Griego, D-Albuquerque, proposes the possible $150 million more in cuts to capital outlay projects than the House approved on Thursday, though a decision on whether to make the additional cuts wouldn’t come until the Legislature meets again in January.
Griego has proposed a second amendment that would reduce the cuts to state agencies approved by the House and implement no cuts to education.
Lt. Gov. Diane Denish cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of the potential capital outlay cuts.
Griego’s second amendment proposes no cuts to education, rather than the less-than-1 percent approved by the House, and 3.5 percent cuts to most other state agencies, instead of the 7.6 percent approved by the House.
Griego’s second amendment has been temporarily held to allow senators time to look at the numbers he’s proposing.
Update, 4:55 p.m.
Griego has opted to withdraw his second amendment.
“I don’t believe it has the support that we need to move forward,” he said.
A prior version of this posting incorrectly stated that Griego’s first amendment would increase cuts to capital outlay projects by $150 million.