Gov. Susana Martinez
Gov. Susana Martinez is in danger of losing some hard-fought battles with lawmakers as the end of the session approaches, but she has racked up a couple of victories.
Martinez finally secured her first clear-cut victory of the legislative session today when lawmakers approved her proposed locomotive fuel tax exemption.
The legislation was necessary to convince Union Pacific Railroad to move a hub from El Paso to Santa Teresa. It’s a project that Martinez claims will create more than 600 permanent jobs and 3,000 jobs overall.
“Encouraging businesses to invest in our state is an important step toward reviving New Mexico’s economy,” Martinez said in a news release earlier today. “I thank members from both parties for coming together to pass this much-needed measure that allows us the opportunity to take back jobs lost to other states, attract new development, and give New Mexico businesses the tools to grow and succeed.”
There’s another issue that has already been given final legislative approval that others are calling a Martinez victory: the film incentive compromise approved earlier this week. Lawmakers rejected Martinez’s proposal to cut the reimbursement of expenses from 25 percent to 15 percent, but they did agree to cap annual payments at $50 million.
It was Martinez who forced the change.
“Did the governor win?” Sen. President Pro Tem Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, was quoted by The Santa Fe New Mexican as asking. “She got a cap of $50 million. All those people (film industry advocated) wanted a $60 or $65 cap.”
So while Martinez didn’t get what she wanted on the film incentives, she did force a compromise.
Other proposals still pending
But as time runs short in the session, which ends at noon on Saturday, Martinez is in danger of losing some high-profile battles with the Senate. That chamber has severely amended her House-approved bills to repeal a law that allows undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses and to expand a DNA collection law to apply to those arrested for felony crimes.
Martinez does not support the bills as amended by the Senate. The driver’s license law is lingering in the House, awaiting a decision from representatives on whether to agree with Senate changes that would continue to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain licenses but place more requirements on them.
As for the DNA collection law, earlier today the House rejected Senate amendments that would require DNA samples only if police show probable cause and would also make it easier to expunge arrest records for those not convicted of crimes.
Then the Senate voted to stick with its amendments, so a conference committee will be formed to try to resolve the issue.
Also still alive but not yet given final approval are some Martinez-backed education bills, including one to assign letter grades to schools based on performance.
The 60-day session ends at noon on Saturday.