{"id":263798,"date":"2017-01-05T07:36:17","date_gmt":"2017-01-05T14:36:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=263798"},"modified":"2017-01-10T11:32:45","modified_gmt":"2017-01-10T18:32:45","slug":"business-group-lists-priorities-for-legislative-session","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/01\/business-group-lists-priorities-for-legislative-session\/","title":{"rendered":"Business group lists priorities for legislative session"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>COMMENTARY:\u00a0<\/strong>New Mexico\u2019s near-term prosperity and long-term growth depend on a vibrant private sector. For us at the New Mexico Association of Commerce and Industry (ACI), that notion is ever-present; it\u2019s the purpose of our work, after all. For many other New Mexicans, if thoughts on how to make the state\u2019s business climate stronger aren&#8217;t\u00a0top-of-mind throughout the year, they\u00a0certainly come to the forefront as we approach the legislative session.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_177800\"  class=\"wp-caption module image alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 336px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-177800\" src=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Espinoza-Jason-336x257.jpg\" alt=\"Jason Espinoza\" width=\"336\" height=\"257\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Espinoza-Jason-336x257.jpg 336w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Espinoza-Jason-768x587.jpg 768w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Espinoza-Jason.jpg 769w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 336px) 100vw, 336px\" \/><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Courtesy photo<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jason Espinoza<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"m_1884702413525072610x_x_MsoNormal\">A week before the Legislature commences, ACI will host its semi-annual board and membership meeting\u00a0on <span class=\"aBn\" data-term=\"goog_476715542\"><span class=\"aQJ\">Tuesday, Jan. 10<\/span><\/span>, at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Albuquerque. Our members participate in approving ACI\u2019s policy agenda and learn from top leaders what business-related policies will be considered during the session.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1884702413525072610x_x_MsoNormal\">For the first time, we are opening registration to both members and general admission. Learn more on our website at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nmaci.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?hl=en&amp;q=http:\/\/www.NMACI.org&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1483637465946000&amp;usg=AFQjCNG3TMY9YLTQ0qIZghxHjnjQWly0IA\">nmaci.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1884702413525072610x_x_MsoNormal\">In the meantime, we\u2019d like to offer you a preview of what policies are the priorities articulated by our members.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1884702413525072610x_x_MsoNormal\">Twice each year, policy committees \u2013 comprised entirely of representatives of ACI member businesses \u2013 convene to update ACI&#8217;s policy positions across a wide array of industries and issues. ACI\u2019s policy agenda informs our\u00a0work during each legislative session, as well as ACI\u2019s work with state and federal regulatory agencies throughout the year. For each policy committee listed below, what follows is the committee\u2019s principal priority on which ACI should focus its offense.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1884702413525072610x_x_MsoNormal\"><strong>\u2022 Agriculture and food processing:<\/strong> ACI supports preserving the integrity of the workers\u2019 compensation system to ensure quick and efficient delivery of benefits to injured workers, to maximize medical rehabilitation and return-to-work outcomes at a fair cost to the employers, which will also foster business investment and job creation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1884702413525072610x_x_MsoNormal\"><strong>\u2022 Economic development and research &amp; development:<\/strong> ACI supports full and increased investment in strategic economic development programs such as JTIP and LEDA, as well as enhancing the tools available to incentivize business investment and job creation.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1884702413525072610x_x_MsoNormal\"><strong>\u2022 Education and workforce development:<\/strong> ACI supports a statewide plan that directs and measures the efforts of public colleges and universities to increase educational attainment and expand research and economic development efforts in communities across the state.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1884702413525072610x_x_MsoNormal\"><strong>\u2022 Energy and extractive industries:<\/strong> ACI supports policies that provide for the commercially viable development of energy infrastructure, including roads, oil and natural gas pipelines, electric transmission lines, energy storage, and electric and natural gas distribution systems that will benefit end-use markets, including such things as natural gas and electric vehicles and smart-grid technologies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1884702413525072610x_x_MsoNormal\"><strong>\u2022 Entrepreneurship:<\/strong> ACI supports incorporation of computer science and computational thinking into New Mexico standards of learning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1884702413525072610x_x_MsoNormal\"><strong>\u2022 Environment:<\/strong> ACI supports the elimination of the State Total Suspended Particulate (TSP) standard and re-drafting of the state air quality regulations consistent with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, to make New Mexico competitive with other jurisdictions and alleviate unnecessary compliance costs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1884702413525072610x_x_MsoNormal\"><strong>\u2022 Health care:<\/strong> ACI supports maximization of federal funds through actions such as fully funding the state Medicaid program and Safety Net Care Pool.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1884702413525072610x_x_MsoNormal\"><strong>\u2022 Legal reform:<\/strong> ACI supports forum-shopping limitations on choosing courts for filing of litigation in a jurisdiction perceived to be more favorable to the plaintiff.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1884702413525072610x_x_MsoNormal\"><strong>\u2022 Regulatory and government accountability:<\/strong> ACI supports expansion of the Administrative Hearing Office to conduct hearings on administrative adjudicatory actions raising from all state agencies using its own qualified, professional, objective, and independent hearing officers or administrative law judges.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1884702413525072610x_x_MsoNormal\"><strong>\u2022 Taxation:<\/strong> ACI supports the evaluation of the entire state tax code for recommendations to create a stable revenue source without a disproportionate burden on particular industries, individuals or employers and in conjunction with a statewide economic development plan; ACI opposes mandatory unitary combined reporting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1884702413525072610x_x_MsoNormal\"><strong>\u2022 Water and land use:<\/strong> ACI supports the creation of public-private partnerships to develop water infrastructure that will provide public benefits, such as economical infrastructure project delivery and water conservation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1884702413525072610x_x_MsoNormal\"><strong>\u2022 Workplace issues:<\/strong> ACI supports statewide uniformity of employment laws, such as paid or unpaid leave mandates, wage or fringe benefit mandates, and scheduling mandates, in order to provide a stable environment for employers and promote economic development.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1884702413525072610x_x_MsoNormal\">If there\u2019s a policy priority listed above that resonates with you, maybe because of challenges or circumstances associated with your business, please contact us. There\u2019s a number of ways businesspersons all over the state can assist with passing our pro-business agenda in Santa Fe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_1884702413525072610x_x_MsoNormal\">Playing defense throughout the legislative session is not a winning strategy, and I am here to tell you that, for New Mexico\u2019s sake, ACI is in it to win it. That is why, at the beginning of my tenure, ACI refocused on developing a pro-business, proactive policy agenda each year, and we are proposing reforms that can garner bipartisan supporters \u2013 if not bipartisan co-sponsors.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nmaci.org\/staff.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">Jason Espinoza<\/a> is the president and CEO of the New Mexico Association of Commerce and Industry.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Playing defense throughout the legislative session is not a winning strategy, and I am here to tell you that, for New Mexico\u2019s sake, ACI is in it to win it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":177800,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192,16],"tags":[3329,118,107],"class_list":["post-263798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","category-guest-columns","tag-2017-legislative-session","tag-economy","tag-roundhouse"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263798","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=263798"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263798\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/177800"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=263798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=263798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=263798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}